Why Craft Beer Is Sweeping the Nation

Every single year around the first week of February, the entire American football-watching world comes together to watch the one game that seems to matter the most. Along with the meeting of the minds are the usual staples: chips, dip, meat and cheese products, and… craft beer?

Oddly enough, even though ‘The Big Game’ is filled with commercials touting the greatness of some of the most recognizable beers on the planet, the craft beer explosion is sweeping the nation in a way that has put the big beer players on notice. What once seemed like a little hobby that made some local noise is now a full-fledged movement with little to indicate a slow-down.

If you’re a beer drinker, you’re probably partial to a particular brand. Maybe it has a nostalgic quality to it, or maybe it just happens to be what’s cold most often in your fridge. Either way, you’re pretty much a one-brand kind of person. What could be so great about craft beer? Is it worth checking out?

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Turkey or Lamb? The Great School Senior Formal Food Debate

In 1978, I was the year coordinator for the senior year 12 cohort at the high school where I taught. I was responsible for all things related to the extracurricular activities which involved the senior students. This included the overseeing of the arrangements of the Senior Formal. This night was a celebration of their time together at high school. Our school was one of the first to introduce these nights in the mid-1970s. Formal occasion like this had gone out of vogue in the 1960s when schools often had a ball to end the school year.

This Senior Formal was to be the school’s third such occasion. It was my desire along with that of the principal to make the organisation of the formal the responsibility of an elected committee of students with me as an advisor. The venue was decided. It was a function room in a leafy environment overlooking a pool and the Brisbane River. Continue reading “Turkey or Lamb? The Great School Senior Formal Food Debate”

"Chez Slah" Joins The Ranks Of North Africa’s Best Restaurants

Food is a major part of Tunisian life; Tunisians love to eat. A catalog of restaurants in Tunis alone would fill a substantial book. I asked some of my Tunisian friends recently, and some frequent American visitors to Tunisia, if we could agree on the best restaurant in Tunis. Of course, we could not agree, but I was not at all surprised at how many votes (there were more than 20) picked Chez Slah, a wonderful eatery hidden away down a tiny side street at 14 bis, rue Pierre de Coubertin near the exact center of town. You’ll probably need a good taxi driver to find it.

Like most high-end North African cuisine, the cooking at Chez Slah has deep French roots and focuses mainly on seafood and simply prepared poultry and lamb dishes, but what sets Chez Slah apart is the fastidious care with which the chef personally selects fish at waterfront markets every day. This is an art, and to do it well takes experience and great skill. Continue reading “"Chez Slah" Joins The Ranks Of North Africa’s Best Restaurants”

The Slanted Door: Neo-Vietnamese Cuisine

I visited Vietnam for the first time in September 1996. I was impressed in many ways, but I was impressed most by their cuisine. My friend, who was stationed in Ho Chi Minh City, took to me several restaurants he knew. The food I experienced in those restaurants was excellent. Their dishes were very well presented and visually enjoyable. The spring rolls, which were made rice paper, were fresh and lightly seasoned; they were best suited for people had newly arrived in the country and who were tired after their long airplane ride. Chicken-based rice noodle soup was also lightly salted and tasty. Later I learned that the Vietnamese are proud of their cuisine since it is a mixture of Chinese, French, and native Vietnamese influences. Their pride is quite understandable.

Although it is not easy to find an authentic Vietnamese restaurant in Japan, I have found many good Vietnamese restaurants in San Francisco and in the Bay Area. They are generally good; however, I was looking for something more. There had to be a restaurant in this area that served the same amazing food I tasted in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Continue reading “The Slanted Door: Neo-Vietnamese Cuisine”

Where Can I Purchase Medifast If It’s Not Sold in Grocery Stores?

Nearly all of my coworkers know that I am on the this diet. The other day, one of my female coworkers told me that she thought that her grocery store was sold out of Medifast products, as she searched the diet section or aisle of the store and couldn’t find any of the shakes or foods next to the slim fast shakes or by the weight watchers diet foods. I had to explain to her that these products (even the shakes and bars) aren’t sold in grocery stores. So, she responded by asking if our town had any of the clinics or doctors offices that would sell them. Nope, I answered, this diet isn’t like Jenny Craig where you have to get your food from the clinic or center and it isn’t like some of the severe liquid diets that must be prescribed by a doctor. So where can you purchase Medifast? I’ll fully answer this question and tell you why I think that one method is far better than another in the following article.

Getting Medifast From eBay Or Craigslist (And Why I No Longer Think That This Is The Best Way To Go:) Basically, there are three ways to buy these products. You can get them second hand on sites like eBay or Craigslist. You can buy them on line directly from the company itself. Or, you can link to them through third party sites that offer support, coupons, recipes, etc. In the past, I have purchased foods from eBay and Craigslist, but I no longer do this. Here’s why. Some of the foods I have purchased in the past were expired, stale, or no longer sealed. If you’re going to purchase the products second hand, make absolutely sure that you are buying from a seller with flawless feedback. Continue reading “Where Can I Purchase Medifast If It’s Not Sold in Grocery Stores?”

Where Should You Donate Chicken Eggs?

Farmers who have plenty of chickens and donate eggs can mean the difference between a healthy family and a family who is sick and weak. If you have several chickens, you may have more eggs than you know what to do with. Donating them to the needy is one great solution.

People in need are in abundance today. Their jobs are at risk, as are their homes. When they get to a point where they can no longer support themselves, they turn to the government for help. Food stamps, housing assistance, and places such as clothing donation in Tucson are places that they turn to for any help they can get.

The food banks and food pantries are in need of donations from people who have something to give in order to supply these items to those who presently do not have much. There may even be a donation pickup nearby where they will come by and pick up any eggs you wish to donate.

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Will Soy Candles Affect My Soy Allergies?

Do you know someone who has an allergy to soy beans? It’s more common than you think. According to the Asthma and Food Allergy Foundation of America, soy allergies fall within the top nine food allergies for child and adult food allergy patients. Reactions can vary from red and itchy skin to anaphylaxis which needs immediate medical attention with epinephrine. Continue reading “Will Soy Candles Affect My Soy Allergies?”

Common Household Pests and How to Control Them

Household pests are undesired animals found all over the world and probably in every house. Some people name them as unwanted guests sharing homes and belongings. Irrespective of season and region, they invade homes with all their effort. When it comes to the existence of bugs and critters in this planet, they are essential to balance the ecosystem. But, when it comes to their existence in the house, they cause trouble creating damage to home, bringing diseases, and spreading displeasing smell and trash. No matter how clean you keep your house, some intruding pests will crash your creative effort of homemaking. So, it is highly essential to keep your eyes on them and adopt sound measures to save your beautiful habitation. Often, people avoid checking places around home and face the problem of pests at places they never predicted. Hence, pest control measures should be adopted to get rid of most of the common pests including cockroaches, mosquitos, etc.

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What is the Cheapest Way to Order Medifast Meals?

I recently had someone contact me and tell me that she was trying to “order medifast in the cheapest way possible.” To that end, she stressed that she wanted to pay for the “food only” and was looking for the “cheapest dealer.” There were a lot of things that I had to explain in order to address her questions. I figured if she had these concerns and questions, I’m sure that other people have similar issues. So, in the following article, I’ll go over how to order medifast meals and foods in the cheapest and most cost effective way possible.

You Don’t Have To Pay For Anything Other Than Your Medifast Food: The person who wrote to me seemed to think that there was some membership or joining fee to sign up or to use their resources, counseling, or support. She seemed to have the perception that she was going to save money by stripping her order down to only food. Continue reading “What is the Cheapest Way to Order Medifast Meals?”

Food + Relationships

Does your eating or weight concerns effect your relationships? One week ago a relationship expert contacted me regarding the work I am doing and I began thinking of the correlation between food & relationships, and the connection in my life.

When I was overly invested in my need to change my body, lose weight, control my food I was also struggling in relationships. I used to use food to mask the feelings I was experiencing. I wasn’t able to express myself easily, I kept most of my needs and desires to myself, with food anesthetizing me, it was easier to do. I sunk deeper into myself, offering less and less of my true self to relationships because I was too afraid to admit I had needs, desires or thoughts that may be in conflict with the person or persons I was interacting with. So very few if anyone new my true needs, diligently I buried them within myself so I wouldn’t have to handle uncomfortable situations. Food was what I used to keep my life running “smoothly” free of conflict and difficult encounters. But that wasn’t really true because I was in turmoil inside which I didn’t share with anyone else. My goal was to portray everything as being FINE! And that was what it was, a portrayal, masking the truth. The more I hid from others the deeper my internal withholding.

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