I know that chocolate on some days have definitely saved my life in one way or the other!

Apparently chocolate also has the ability to save your life as well.  According to a study done in the September issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine suggests that eating chocolate can prevent death in heart attack survivors.

Scientists found, after conducting a study, with men and women, ages 45 to 70, who ate chocolate two or more times a week were three times less likely to die from heart disease than those who never ate chocolate.  

“Our findings support increasing evidence that chocolate is a rich source of beneficial bioactive compounds,” the researchers wrote.  The results are likely due to cocoa’s antioxidant levels, according to study coauthor Dr. Kenneth Mukamal.

Image: Savor_soaps/Flickr

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Who doesn’t love fried green plantains… I know I do.

The jibarito is a sandwich layered between two large sized fried green plantains instead of bread.  It was invented in 1991 by Jorge Muñoz and Coquí Feliciano in Aguada, Puerto Rico, in their restaurant, Plátano Loco (crazy plantain).

Anything can be filled inside this sandwich ranging from, steak, chicken, and pork.  A proper jibarito also contains cheese, lettuce, tomato and garlic-flavored mayonnaise.

This is making me hungry… Yummy!

Image: Rosidae/ Flickr
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You may ask yourself if there even is a difference between a saute pan or a skillet pan…. and the answer is Yes, there is!

A skillet has sloped sides to facilitate easy flipping and turning.  This pan is sometimes called a frying pan or fry pan.  A skillet is primarily used for fast cooking methods on high heat, like stir-fry and frittatas.  These pans come in a variety of materials: aluminum, cast iron, copper, stainless steel, anodized aluminum.

A sauté pan, not only have straight (90 degrees) deeper sides but usually have lids.  Due to its larger sizes they tend to be used for braises and longer cooking dishes.  These pans tend to also be  as versatile.

However, these two terms are practically interchangeable and are made from the same material which can be confusing to some.

Do you have a preference in which pan to use?

Images from Williams and Sonoma
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• Quick and Easy Recipe for a lazy kid-friendly morning, Peanut butter and Chocolate Chip Pancakes.

• Sugar shortage in america can be the new dilemma.

• What to do with a basket of yummy lemons.

• Stores are reintroducing larger packages for our favorite foods again. 

• There are so many different ways to write a shopping list, what’s yours?

According to Wall Street Journals report this past thursday, “Several giant food producers sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack warning that the U.S. might “virtually run out of sugar” of the country didn’t reduce import restrictions on the increasingly expensive commodity.”

Big time firms, such as Kraft Foods Inc., General Mills Inc., Hershey Co. and Mars Inc. have implied that if they weren’t able to receive supply markets like Brazil, they would run out of sugar to make our favorite candy bars, cookies, cereal and other products.

In order to keep prices within reason for domestic sugar farmers, the government only allows unlimited sugar imports Read the rest of this entry »

These are the perfect kid-friendly breakfast a mom can make for kids that love peanut butter and chocolate chips.  A combination of both worlds.  It is so easy all you need i you don’t have a lot of time is : pancake mix, peanut butter, and chocolate chips.  I guarantee after these yummy cakes, you will receive the “Best Mom Award.” 🙂
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What is it about paninis, that I love???

Maybe its the ciabatta bread that is always used and pressed down, making the cheese melt and ooze out the sides.  Yummy!

The special thing about panini’s is that they can be served  for lunch, dinner, or as an appetizer at  a cocktail party.

This particular one calls for fresh and flavorful ingredients, including Dijon mustard, lemon juice, goat cheese, capers, and smoked salmon.
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• Ice Cream cookies are being sold by two little ones to neighborhood friends. —  The Detroit News

• Heirloom tomatoes knocked off of their pedestals. —  The Washington Post

• Who woulda thought french fries bringing neighbors together. —  The Boston Globe

• Julia Child helps another stock their kitchen. —  Orlando Sentinel

• Cooking on a budget, with cheap eating… and you don’t even to leave your house. —  Chicago Tribune

• Florida assures to be the first state to provide pure honey and not watered down. —  Miami Herald

Image: Miss Malory/Flickr
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As we shop for groceries in our local markets, we can see the increase of food markets reintroducing larger packages at the same price.  We saw a downsize in products, such as Hellman’s, Tropicana, and Kellogg’s, last year when items would be smaller but the pricing more expensive.

An example of the increase are Procter & Gamble Co.’s Pringles Super Stack which are much bigger than they’ve ever been, in a reaction to rival Frito-Lay offering “20% more free.”  The upsized packages will be found in most snack foods and cleaning products.

Do you think that this increase will stay or is it just temporary?

Image: qmnonic/Flickr

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If your anything like me you actually enjoy going to the grocery store and walking down the aisles choosing all the things you need for your week.  But some of you rather run in get what you need and run out, more like a drive by.  A drive by isn’t bad as long as you initially walk into the store knowing what you need and want.

Making an organized shopping list will definitely cut down your time you will spend in the grocery store.  Here are a few different ideas you can implement the next time you shop.
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