Did You Know That You May Be Able To Get A Grant To Help Study Food?

I found this article online about a possible government grant to study food! Here is more information about it:

Food and Agricultural Fellowship Grants

These grants are to be used to encourage outstanding students to pursue and complete a graduate degree in an area of the food and agricultural sciences for which there is a national need for development of scientific expertise. Money can be used to support a student completing a graduate, masters, or doctorate degree. Students must apply to those institutions that received the money.

To find out more about this grant program you can visit the blog, Grant Basics 101.

Beauty foods for younger-looking skin

I found this interesting article online about what kinds of food you should eat to get younger-looking skin.

I won't give away the specifics but I was interested in this article because - as always - I am trying to eat more healthy!

You can view the online article by clicking here.

Yes I Am Going To Make A Turkey For Thanksgiving!

I am so very excited about cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving!

I bought my turkey over the weekend and it's in the freezer right now! It's a ten-pound turkey which will be more than enough for Thanksgiving Day!

A few years back I blogged about making a turkey for the first time. I don't think I made one last year but this year I am going to be making one!

Since I haven't done it a lot I'm still going by the instructions that I have gotten by watching cooking shows. I still have the notes and will be following them to the letter!

I will definitely let you know how it turns out!








Thanksgiving Update!

My turkey came out excellent! It was nice and juicy and as of December 15th the turkey is now down to the bone - which I'm now using to make turkey stew and turkey soup!

Foods To Make You Happier?

So what are the perfect foods to eat for making you happier?

Well, almost ALL types of fish and nut work wonders. You can also try turkey, asparagus, sunflower seeds, cottage cheese, pineapple, tofu spinach, bananas and lobster. These foods are high in tryptophan, an amino acid the body converts into serotonin, bringing about greater states of wellbeing.

8 Foods That Fight Stress

8 Foods that Fight Stress

By Sara Reistad-Long

Chow down on eats that tame hunger and reduce anxiety

Eat It to Beat It
We all know that tension can wreak havoc on our eating patterns. But the right (healthy!) foods can often help tame mindless munching and cravings and, better yet, actually lower overall anxiety and its symptoms. Eight of our favorites:

Dark Chocolate

High in flavonoids, which are lauded for their relaxing properties (chamomile tea is another great source), chocolate also contains phenethylamine, a chemical that enhances your mood. The darker the chocolate, the more healthy substances you're getting in your diet, so look for bars that are 70 percent cacao or higher.

Skim Milk

Turns out that a glass of warm milk really is calming. One study found that women who drank four or more servings of lowfat or skim milk every day were about half as likely to experience stress-related PMS symptoms than those who drank less than one serving a week.

Oatmeal

Carbs help you produce serotonin, a calming hormone that helps fight anxiety's negative effects-which is probably why many of us crave them when we're stressed. Go with the craving and choose healthy sources. Oatmeal is high in fiber, which means that your body will absorb it slowly. In one fell swoop, you'll prolong the serotonin boost, keeping yourself feeling full for longer (and on less) and making sure your blood sugar's in check.

Salmon

Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids-abundant in fish like salmon-can help reverse stress symptoms by boosting serotonin levels, and that an omega-3-rich diet can also help suppress the production of the anxiety hormones cortisol and adrenaline.

Walnuts

They've been shown to help lower blood pressure, which is critical for those whose hearts are already working overtime thanks to high adrenaline levels. In fact, research so strongly backs their health benefits that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration goes so far as to recommend 1 1/2 oz per day.

Sunflower Seeds

A good source of folate, which helps your body produce a pleasure-inducing brain chemical called dopamine.

Spinach

Studies show that magnesium, which you'll find in leafy greens like spinach, improves your body's response to stress.

Blueberries

Their antioxidants counteract the effects of stress hormones like cortisol on your body.

I Have Been Eating A Lot More Healthier Lately!

I notice that I have been eating a lot more healthier lately! And believe me this is not by accident!


I have been eating a lot more vegetables and salads.

I have been using a lot of garden vegetables and they do require some preparation when you cook them. For instance I have been cooking kale (which is similar to greens) which requires adding additional ingredients as well. In my particular case I wash / rinse the kale thoroughly and add it to the saucepan and then fill the pot half-way with water. I then add a slice of uncooked bacon to help with the flavoring. I then cut up half an onion, about 2 cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves and some other herbs as well including some "crackled" pepper! (I soon hope to be adding ingredients from my own garden soon! Once I have included all of my ingredients I will let the pot simmer all day! (Word of advice here though - if you plan to not be home I would suggest that you turn off anything that you are cooking! Since I work from home I can let the pot simmer all day and check on it about every 2 hours. I'll usually eat this with a nice piece of meat like baked chicken (and last week I even had some steak with it!.

I have also been eating a lot more salads lately as well! You know lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers - also celery. This also takes some time to prepare but the preparation process is something that can be relaxing as well.

Do I feel healthier? - Yes I do! - LOL!

Made A "Potluck" Stew Today!

Cold, winter weather here in Philly for the past few days! So I decided to make a stew out of what I had on hand!

It's a good thing that I work from home because Philadelphia is right in the middle of another snowstorm!

I really don't like anything going to waste so I decided to make a stew out of what I had in the kitchen. I wanted to use the foods that had been here a while so that they wouldn't go to waste.

What did I have? Some ham, beans and some onions and garlic. I also had some spaghetti that I wanted to use as well! I put all of that into a pot and let it simmer all day and about 5 hours later I had a delicious and nice hot stew (and crackers) for supper! - LOL!