Health discussion

goji berry suppliersPlenty of Garlic Gadgets Available for Garlic Lovers

No kitchen is complete without a few accessories all developed for the sole purpose of extracting the delicious flavor of garlic. No matter if a person is of an Italian descent, an Italian food lover, a professional chef, or a regular person who likes the taste of garlic, the proper garlic tools are necessities. Garlic is a strong smelling and tasting, and specific garlic gadgets make the cloves easier to peel, crush, chop, press, roast, and grate.

Garlic is an ingredient present in many recipes. Since it can have a strong flavor, it is sometimes used in small amounts. However, there are many people who love the taste of garlic and can�t seem to get enough of it. For these people, garlic can be added to recipes in bulk. Since garlic must be removed from its skin before it is used, several tools can assist in making this sometimes difficult job much easier.

Most garlic tools can be purchased for a relatively small amount of money, some as little as a few dollars. However, there are quite a few tools which all do different things to a clove of garlic, and a person may or may not need all of them. The need for the tools depends on how much garlic a person tends to use in their daily or weekly cooking.

Garlic Peeler

No matter if a single garlic clove or a whole head of garlic is being used for a recipe, everyone can benefit from a garlic peeler. Anyone who has ever tried to peel individual garlic cloves using their fingernails knows how tedious it can be. A garlic peeler can greatly speed up the peeling process and it is very easy to use. By placing a clove or garlic in a garlic peeler, the skin of the garlic sticks to the peeler and the inside of the garlic clove is left for cooking. Using this tool will speed up the garlic peeling process and at the same time it will alleviate the everlasting garlic smell that can remain on fingers.

Garlic Roasters

True garlic lovers should not live without a garlic roaster. While a piece of aluminum foil can serve as a makeshift garlic roaster, an official roaster, made out of a terra cotta plate, a rounded lid, and ventilation holes, is the best way to roast a head of garlic. Placing an entire head of garlic (with the top cut off) in a roaster and drizzling it with olive oil, salt and pepper, and baking for about one hour will yield a delicious, soft head of garlic. Individual garlic cloves can be squeezed out of the head and spread directly on a cracker or a piece of bread for a delicious treat.

Garlic Slicers

It�s very difficult to cut garlic into very thin pieces using a knife, and it takes a lot of practice and experience to slice garlic in an efficient manner. So, if a large number of garlic slices is needed for a recipe, a garlic slicer can come in very handy. Garlic slicers ensure that pieces of garlic are uniform in shape and thickness, and they are as easy to use as cheese graters!

Garlic Keepers

Most people come home from the grocery store with a bag full of garlic heads and throw them in the refrigerator. This, however, is not a recommended place to store garlic. In fact, garlic should not be stored on a kitchen counter either since direct sunlight is not good for it. Garlic keepers can be cute accessories to add to any kitchen, as they come in many styles. Storing heads of garlic in a garlic keeper allows the garlic to remain in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.

Garlic Press

Simply chopping a clove of garlic into a million pieces with a knife and a chopping board does not produce the same effect as a piece of garlic that has been put through a garlic press. A garlic press is a tool that squeezes the garlic and presses it into tiny pieces. Some recipes call specifically for pressed garlic, and there is really no way to obtain pressed garlic without using this specific tool.

There are numerous other garlic tools and gadgets available, and most are very inexpensive. The best way to determine what is needed in a specific kitchen is to evaluate the daily, weekly and/or monthly garlic consumption in a household, and judge what tools would make preparing the garlic easier for the cook.

This article has been provided courtesy of Kitchen Junkie. Kitchen Junkie offers great kitchen articles available for reprint and other tools to help you get the best bargain on kitchen gadgets and more.

Eat Healthier 'On the Go' - 3 Simple Tips to Eat Smart While Traveling

You've made a commitment to improve your diet by eating healthier foods. You find recipes and shop for ingredients, buying lots of fresh veggies, fruit and healthy snacks. At home and at work it's pretty easy to follow your new nutritional program -- you've resolved to stay on track! You get in the habit of preparing extra food for dinner so you have leftovers for lunch the next day and cut up your carrot and celery sticks to snack on the night before. All is going well, you're feeling better and shedding a few unwanted pounds when suddenly you are faced with an unexpected trip -- it could be for business or pleasure. You begin to wonder "How am I going stay on my program? I'm doing so well and now this!" Depending on the length of the trip, you begin to worry about temptations and the availability of the foods you've actually begun to enjoy. The following 3 Simple Tips will help you to be prepared to 'eat healthy on the go'.

1) Plan ahead because you just might sabotage your success without careful planning. Begin by planning how you are going to carry a variety of convenient 'to go' foods and snacks to choose from. Depending on your flight time and length of stay, you may want to plan for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Choose foods that travel well and be sure you have the means to keep them cool if necessary. Be sure your food choices are temperature appropriate and will not spoil or go rancid if not refrigerated. *See list below for ideas.

2) Know airline carry on restrictions to be sure your food and drink will not be confiscated because of improper packaging. You can check the requirements at http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm Air tight leak proof containers are a must to avoid messy accidents.

3) Have a back up plan in case you run out of food or have flight delays. Carry cash or a credit card to purchase additional food and a list of acceptable foods if you have specific dietary needs or allergies. This is especially important if you have medications. Always carry extra meds than needed in case of emergency.

Since peanuts and pretzels just aren't enough, a few of my favorite healthy travel foods are:

*Single serving packets of protein shake-add contents of packet to ice water and stir or shake for a nutritious meal replacement (I carry a 12 ounce screw top shaker bottle to avoid spills and extra packets of shake for emergencies)

*Hard boiled eggs (peeled and ready to eat)

*Apples (you can pre-slice and dip in lemon juice to prevent discoloring)

*Cut up carrot and celery sticks*High protein health bars (always a healthier choice than candy bars)

*Trail mix (organic if possible with no added sulfites)

*Dry-roasted almonds or peanuts

*High quality dark chocolate for unexpected chocolate cravings

Travel healthy, travel smart!

�2008 Sheryl Allen This article may be reprinted in its entirety as long as the authors resource box is included.

Sheryl Allen has been gathering innovative, healthier life choices for 30+ years and putting them into practice. Her tips and resources can be found at http://www.justchoosehealthier.com Sheryl is the designer of Thrival Kits� 'Your Ultimate Fresh Food Travel Companion'. The stylish, versatile Classic Black kit is the perfect solution for savvy, health conscious travelers to conveniently carry fresh, delicious food as well as personal, business and travel items while 'on the go'. http://www.thrivalkits.com

Coming Soon? Super Bread from Turned-On Wheat Genes

Here's good news on the nutrition front ... that is, if you're not on a strict low-carb diet and do not fear genetically modified food.

It seems that scientists in California have discovered how to "unlock" a gene in domestic wheat seeds that increases the plant's nutritional value. Called Gpc-B1 (can't they come up with sexier names for these things?), this gene can increase the iron, zinc and protein levels in the wheat kernels.

The scientists, who are associated with the Agricultural Research Service's Western Regional Research Center, based in Albany, California, hope their discovery will lead to improving the health of millions of malnourished people around the world. It could also improve the health of people in developed countries such as the U.S. where people generally are already getting their caloric needs met.

The scientists discovered Gpc-B1 in a wild type of wheat that grows in the Middle East, then they figured out that the gene controlled the level of iron, zinc and protein in the plant. Next they discovered that cultivated wheat has this same gene, only it is nonworking--"turned off." By sticking a cloned copy of the gene into cultivated wheat seeds, they found they could boost those critical nutrients by anywhere from 10 to 15 percent.

Pretty soon, some farmers could be growing wheat varieties that incorporate the cloned Gpc-B1 gene. But it's too soon to know when you'll be able to buy a loaf of bread made from naturally nutrition-enhanced wheat.

My diet already includes a wide range of 100-percent whole wheat breadstuffs, from cereal to pita pockets to tortillas to sandwich loafs. I am not one who can easily give up bread, but at least I know that my bread choices are near the top, nutritionally speaking. I look forward to being able to buy bread that is even better for me and my family, thanks to this breakthrough on the genetic front.

Sarah Sandori is the food and entertaining columnist for the Solid Gold Info Writers Consortium. Have you ever wanted to be able to exactly duplicate a favorite dish from a favorite restaurant? Check out Sarah's article where she reveals her source for the most mouth-watering secret restaurant recipes in America: http://www.solid-gold.info/most-wanted-recipes.html

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