April 2009 Departments 6 - Travel 10 - Money Matters 14 - Health 22 - Dining 26 - Home & Garden Page 6
Content President Gene Lara 806-231-0562 Editor Camey Maldonado 806-231-9822
Sales Eric Muehlhausen Barbara Allen Adam Graves Contact Information 806-231-0562 806-367-9804
6 - Red Poppy Festival 10 - Event Calender 12 - Money Tips 16 -Biti Pies 19 - Need a Will 22 -Crab Tips 26 -Easter Eggs
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It is an interesting question, do you celebrate the “birth� of your magazine or do you celebrate its anniversary? Either way this month marks one year ago this magazine came into existence. And what a year it has been.
Camey Maldonado
Thank you so much to all of you who have made this year such a fantastic experience. It seems like a lifetime ago that we started this magazine. It has grown so much; we have made numerous friends and have learned about countless helpful and useful businesses. When we started this adventure, we had no idea how many wonderful friends we would make nor how much time we would spend working on projects in the community that came about from starting the magazine. We are so grateful for your support. We look forward to many years of growth with our new found friends. From all of us at Silver Magazine, thank you!
Bring the whole family to Georgetown the weekend of April 25 and 26 for a very special 10th Anniversary Red Poppy Festival! Everyone has fun at the Red Poppy Festival! There is the Red Poppy Market Place which features artisans from across the nation, the Open Car Show, the Safe Place Kids Village, the Red Poppy Parade, and for the first time the Red Poppy Art Tent featuring many of this year’s Red Poppy Artists. To celebrate this year’s 10th Anniversary of the Red Poppy Festival, we will have a Friday night Kickoff Concert featuring FLYJACK! And for the Saturday Night Concert and Street Dance, back by popular demand, it’s the BELLAMY BROTHERS! This is sure to be the best Red Poppy Festival ever! A Georgetown and Central Texas tradition, the Red Poppy Festival is a time to enjoy family and friends, music, food and fun! Come early and stay late! Family friendly entertainment doesn’t get any better than this! Things to Do… Red Poppy Marketplace The Red Poppy Festival is known to have some of the finest handmade arts and crafts to be found anywhere in the nation. You will be sure to find only top quality handcrafts from premier artisans! There is a wide range in cost selection as well as many different venues. Come prepared to fall in love with some unique art that you will surely want to take home with you as your own piece of Red Poppy Art!
Festive Foods Family friendly fun is certainly what Red Poppy Festival is known for, and there is food variety enough for everyone! Corn dogs, funnel cakes, BBQ, and gyros only name a few! So, whether you come hungry, or get hungry, there will be no disappointment in your crew! Safe Place Kids Village Free? Safe, Fun, and Free! Everyone knows Red Poppy Festival brings the finest live entertainment to Georgetown, but did you know we didn’t forget about the kids? So, plan on coming out early for the best deal in today’s economy FREE activity packed FUN from 10 a.m ’til 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday! Panorama Car Drama! Nothing’s boring about the Red Poppy Festival Open Car Show! Hot Rods, Muscle Cars, Classics, and ‘Vettes from yester-year to this year! Georgetown’s Austin Avenue becomes the show room from 11:30 a.m til 3:00 p.m. on Saturday! Red Poppy Tour The Red Poppy flower has become an integral part of Georgetown history. A young soldier sent home seeds from Flanders’ Fields during WWII and the Red Poppies began to grow wild across
Georgetown for many years. Although the flowers no longer grow wild as they once did, the citizens of Georgetown have worked diligently to preserve the City’s history and beauty by cultivating these wonderful Red Poppy flowers in locations across town, especially in Georgetown’s Historic Old Town! Check
back soon for a printable map of Red Poppy locations. Red Poppy Art Tent Visit the Red Poppy Art Tent! Every September, artists have an opportunity to enter their artwork to be chosen as the art representing the next Red Poppy Festival. Each piece of Red Poppy Art is so beautiful that we want to afford everyone the opportunity to admire all of the Red Poppy Art!
Check out Silver online @ silveramarillo.com
Silver Event Calendar SUNDAY APRIL 5 2:30PM RABBIT HOLE AMARILLO LITTLE THEATRE 3:00PM-5:00PM AMARILLO SYMPHONY YOUTH ORCHESTRA SPRING CONCERT GLOBE NEWS CENTER FREE TO ATTEND TUESDAY APRIL 7 6:30PM-9:00PM CARENET CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTER BANQUET AMARILLO CIVIC CENTER HERITAGE & REGENCY ROOM THURSDAY APRIL 9 9:00AM-5:00PM MC-CARTY-HULL TRADE SHOW AMARILLO CIVIC CENTER NORTH EXHIBIT HALL 10:00AM “AM I AT RISK FOR ALZHEIMER’S?” A LECTURE BY DR STEPHANIE MCCLURE AMARILLO SENIOR CITIZEN’S CENTER FREE TO ATTEND 6:30PM AVENGNDED SEVENFOLD/ BUCKCHERRY CONCERT AMARILLO CIVIC CENTER COLISEUM $37.75 PER PERSON
8:00PM RABBIT HOLES AMARILLO LITTLE THEATRE 8:00PM SLAMARILLO
AMARILLO COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART 9:00PM AARON WATSON & ELI YOUNG FIRST UNITED BANK CENTER (WTAMU CAMPUS) $18.00 PER PERSON FRIDAY APRIL 10 8:00PM RABBIT HOLES AMARILLO LITTLE THEATRE 7:30PM 45 UPRS DANCE AMARILLO SENIOR CENTER SATURDAY APRIL 11 9:00AM-4:00PM “WHAT’S A KID TO DO” TRADE SHOW AMARILLO CIVIC CENTER SOUTH EXHIBIT HALL 8:00PM RABBIT HOLES AMARILLO LITTLE THEATRE 9:00PM-10:00PM SALSA NIGHTS DJ RAMON ACAPULCO RESTAURANT FREE SALSA LESSON BY ELISA MONDAY APRIL 13 5:30PM-7:00PM MDA FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP CHASE BUILDING 9TH FLOOR FREE TO ATTEND TUESDAY APRIL 14 10:00AM-4:00PM JOB FAIR AMARILLO CIVIC CENTER NORTH EXHIBIT HALL
7:00PM SOCK PUPPET POETRY SLAM AMARILLO REPERTORY THEATRE $5.00 PER PERSON WEDNESDAY APRIL 15 6:30PM-8:30PM LADD LECTURE DINNER, FEATURING JOHN WALSH AMARILLO MUSEUM OF ART RESERVATIONS REQIRED FOR DINNER LECTURE IS FREE
THURSDAY APRIL 16 7:00PM RINGLING BROTHERS CIRCUS AMARILLO CIVIC CENTER COLISEUM $13.00 OR $29.00 PER PERSON 6:30PM-9:00PM THIRD THURSDAY AMARILLO MUSEUM OF ART FREE TO ATTEND FRIDAY APRIL 17 7:00PM RINGLING BROTHERS CIRCUS AMARILLO CIVIC CENTER COLISEUM $14.00, $18.00 OR $29.00 PER PERSON 7:00PM-9:00PM “THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND” WOODY GUTHRIE SYMPOSIUM PANHANDLE PLAINS HISTORICAL MUSEUM MUSEUM GROUNDS 7:30PM 45 UPRS DANCE AMARILLO SENIOR CENTER
Silver Event Calendar SATURDAY APRIL 18 10:30AM-12:30PM ADULT’S CARD MAKING WORKSHOP AMARILLO MUSEUM OF ART RESERVATIONS REQUIRED $20.00 PER PERSON 10:00AM- 3:00PM EARTHFEST 2009 WILDCAT BLUFF FREE TO ATTEND 2:00PM-5:00PM CONCERT FEATURING JIMMY LAFAVE WOODY GUTHRIE SYMPOSIUM PANHANDLE PLAINS HISTORICAL MUSEUM MUSEUM GROUNDS 6:00PM PHPM ART SHOWCASE W/SLAMARILLO PANHANDLE PLAINS MUSEUM FREE TO ATTEND 7:30PM TOSCA OPERA AMARILLO GLOBE NEWS CENTER TICKETS RANGING FROM $25.00-$100.00 2:00PM & 6:00PM RINGLING BROTHERS CIRCUS AMARILLO CIVIC CENTER COLISEUM $14.00, $18.00 OR $29.00 PER PERSON 9:00AM-6:00PM TEXAS GUN & KNIFE SHOW AMARILLO CIVIC CENTER SOUTH EXHIBIT HALL SUNDAY APRIL 19 2:00PM RINGLING BROTHERS CIRCUS AMARILLO CIVIC CENTER COLISEUM $14.00, $18.00 OR $29.00 PER PERSON
9:00AM-5:00PM TEXAS GUN & KNIFE SHOW AMARILLO CIVIC CENTER SOUTH EXHIBIT HALL 2:00PM-5:30PM CONCERT FEATURING JOSH PAULSON, ANDY CHASE & CODY JASPER WOODY GUTHRIE SYMPOSIUM PANHANDLE PLAINS HISTORICAL MUSEUM MUSEUM GROUNDS MONDAY APRIL 20 5:30PM-8:00PM “A MAN IN THE SAND” & “A CONVERSATION W/NORA GUTHRIE” WOODY GUTHRIE SYMPOSIUM PANHANDLE PLAINS HISTORICAL MUSEUM MUSEUM GROUNDS THURSDAY APRIL 23 WILLIE NELSON AMARILLO CIVIC CENTER AUDITORIUM $45.00 OR $55.00 PER PERSON FRIDAY APRIL 24 12:00PM AMARILLO SYMPHONY LUNCHEON AMARILLO GLOBE NEWS CENTER 7:30PM 45 UPRS DANCE AMARILLO SENIOR CENTER 8:00PM AMARILLO SYMPHONY “A JOYFUL NOISE!” AMARILLO GLOBE NEWS CENTER TICKETS RANGE FROM $16.00-$39.00 PER PERSON SATURDAY APRIL 25 8:00PM AMARILLO SYMPHONY “A JOYFUL NOISE” AMARILLO GLOBE NEWS CENTER TICKETS RANGE FROM $16.00-$39.00 PER PERSON
9:00PM-10:00PM SALSA NIGHTS DJ RAMON ACAPULCO RESTAURANT FREE SALSA LESSON BY ELISA SUNDAY APRIL 26 3:00PM-4:00PM AMARILL YOUTH CHOIR CONCERT AMARILLO GLOBE NEWS CENTER WEDNESDAY APRIL 29 POETRY SLAM PANHANDLE PLAINS MUSEUM $2.00 PER PERSON THURSDAY MAY 30 7:30PM HARRINGTON STRING QUARTET AMARILLO MUSEUM OF ART $18.00 PER PERSON FRIDAY MAY 1 6:30PM-11:00PM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE “GOLDEN NAIL AWARDS BANQUET” AMARILLO CIVIC CENTER HERITAGE ROOM 7:30PM 45 UPRS DANCE AMARILLO SENIOR CENTER SATURDAY MAY 2 7:30PM MOSIAC CONCERT AMARILLO GLOBE NEWS CENTER 7:00PM AMARILLO DUSTERS VS TULIA TALONS AMARILLO CIVIC CENTER $14.00-$38.00 PER PERSON 8:00PM GEORGE LOPEZ RESTRICTED SHOW 18 AND OLDER AMARILLO CIVIC CENTER AUDITORIUM
Rules of Saving $
Let’s face it: like anything in the game of life there are rules to live by. If you don’t exactly know the rules, it may be game over before you begin. When it comes to saving, we need to know when, where and how to get our game on.
information.”
When to save It’s never too early or too late to start saving. In fact, experts recommend starting this very moment. You don’t have to be saving up to buy a brand new car or think about a home improvement someday in the Garrett Jay of Money Lessons future; it could simply be realizing that it’s important to for Life says, “We live in save regardless of your world that has taught us to spend, spend, spend and shop financial goals or current ‘till you drop. Changing your financial state. behavior takes determination and patience, but it's not hard if you stay focused. Here's how to grab the bull by the horns. Sit down with a pen a paper or better yet, create a file on your computer so that you can easily edit and update your
Where to save There are plenty of ways to save, you just need to be open to looking at situations differently. Take landscaping, for example. Jay mentions they’re like haircuts: you can increase the time between cuttings to save money. If you pay $50 to your landscaper on a weekly basis that equates to $2,600 each year. If you switch it to every other week, costs are cut in half. “Some landscapers will try to charge you more if you ask them to come less often, but it still may be worth it. $60 every other week will cost $1,560 which would still save you $1,040 a year!”
How to save As for the how-to guide on the saving to do list? Start by listing your current expenses. Jay says, “List all of your typical monthly living expenses (rent or mortgage, utilities, cell phone, groceries) and how much you spend on each. Then, list your expenses that change from month to month (eating out, clothing, gas and insurance for your car, movies, doctor visits, haircuts).” The next step entails making a plan. Select about five to ten expenses that you want to reduce and then calculate how much you can save each month by changing your spending behavior. Once this has been done, it’s important to focus. “Determine which of those expenses will really make a difference and for now, only focus on the costs that will save you a decent amount of money. If you buy a cup of coffee twice a week for $1.50, and you plan to cut it down to once a week, you will only save $78 for the whole year. Instead, focus on cutting expenses that will save you at least $20 a month which equals $240 a year. Now apply this concept to your other expenses. Making a few small changes to your spending can really add up!”
When you've paid off the home equity loan, keep saving (see tip 6 above). Review your home mortgage. There are three ways you can save over the life of your Pay off your credit cards or mortgage. You can apply the car loan. Put what you were windfall to your principal, paying each month on those which could save months of into a savings plan or mutual mortgage payments in the future. You can refinance the fund instead. loan at a lower interest rate and contribute the difference If you need better transportation, use a windfall to the equity, which can lower your payments and to make the largest possible down payment on a vehicle. save thousands of dollars. Or, you can refinance as a 15-year mortgage. On a Consolidate all your loans $100,000 fixed-rate loan at 8 into a single home equity loan. Apply your windfall to percent interest, you will pay $90,000 less over the life of the amount financed. Use only one credit card and pay the loan than you would with a 30-year mortgage. off the balance each month. Invest in yourself. Upgrade your work skills by taking classes or sign up for a class to learn about smart ways to manage money.
Establish an emergency fund by putting your windfall in a certificate of deposit or money-market fund. Take your windfall to a consumer credit counseling office and work out a total budgeting/debt reduction plan.
Biti Pies! If you haven’t tried them, you’ve probably heard someone raving about how good they are and wanted to find out just exactly what they are. You can get your own Biti Pie at 604 S Maryland Street, Monday through Saturday, 10 am until 5 pm; or at 4602 SW 45th Street Monday through Saturday, 11 am until 8 pm and on Sunday, 12 noon until 6 pm. Biti Pies is a local, family owned business. They pay local taxes, hire local people and buy local ingredients. And they are looking to open another store. But how do they manage to thrive in this economy and compete against large national chains? According to Aaron Huffaker, operations manager, the reason Biti Pies have done so well is that they offer a unique product. Biti pies are a tiny homemade, holiday type pie that customers can enjoy any time and anywhere. Well, anywhere around the panhandle. The Bitis are made from scratch, with no preservatives or additives. Therefore they are not shipped, since they are quite perishable and fragile. “We specialize in quality more than in quantity,” says Huffaker. “Our advertising
has been mostly word of mouth.” Once people put the pie into their mouth, they tell their friends how good they are. Huffaker, his wife Cristina and one part time employee make up the staff on 45th St. Mother “Skeeter” Huffaker is the brains behind it all. The 45th Street location is the busiest location. The busiest time of day is from 3-5 in the afternoon and the majority of the customers are women age 40 and over,
according to Huffaker. But what, pie with no coffee? Huffaker explains that the Biti Pies operation is classified as a grocery. The good part about that is they do not have to charge customers sales tax. But if drinks were served, or if there were tables and chairs to sit and enjoy your Biti, or even so much as take out plastic ware, this would change the classification and sales taxes would have to be charged.
However, customers can enjoy Biti Pie and coffee by visiting a “Biti Buddy.” Bitis are available at Hastings, Golden Light Café and Chicken Express on Coulter. The Bitis are created at the Maryland St. location which is the Biti Pie bakery. Currently only two employees make about 300 Biti Pies and cakes there every day. The company can do fundraisers for churches, youth groups or any non-profit group, thereby allowing local charitable groups and a local business to help each other. Huffaker says he would like to expand the fundraiser avenue of the business and hire more employees once Biti Pies adds another location. The prices are arranged so that there is a volume discount. One Biti is 3.75, 2 Bitis are $7.00, a “Nybble,” (4 Bitis) is $13.00 and a “Byte” (8 Bitis) is $25.00. The favorite pie is Coconut Cream. Other flavors are Chocolate Meringue, Classic Pecan Pie, Perfect Buttermilk Pie, Lemon Meringue and the newly offered Crunch Top Cherry and Crunch Top Apple. There are also Biti cakes which include German Chocolate Cake, Italian Cream Cake, Perfectly Chocolate Cake and Carrot Cake. Biti pies are 4.5”in diameter and biti cakes are 3.5” in diameter. Lemon pie is the Biti special on Monday. Now, all this sounds decadent; pies and cakes are definitely at the top of the comfort food list. But with a Biti Pie, you can eat a whole pie and still not feel so guilty. Or you can share a Biti with a friend and be even less indulgent but still have a treat. Biti pies and cakes can be used for a personal snack or served at events from parties to weddings. Biti Pies can be frozen and served at a later time. That’s for those customers who have the self discipline to keep from eating them right away.
There is a larger version of the Biti, which is called “BOB.” “BOB” is an acronym for Big O Biti and a “BOB” can be either a 9”pie or a 9” cake. They are $15 and must be ordered ahead. The company asks that customers order a day ahead on these or other special orders. Customers can also request special labels for their pies. For example, they can add good luck, congratulations, or another message to the regular Biti label. The Biti label has a picture of a little blonde girl, the original Biti, for whom the Biti Pies were named. Aaron’s youngest sister, Michael Keith, was called Biti when she was a little girl, and that’s when their mother started making pies. The family
baking business started near Sundown, Texas when Jueleda “Skeeter” Huffaker started making pies to help make ends meet while raising her four children. In 2000, the family started a diner in Spearman, and then in 2003 a Biti Pie bakery was started there. In 2006, Biti Pies moved to Amarillo. Biti pies have a website and customers can order online. They accept all major credit cards, cash and checks. They also sell gift certificates, so customers can eat their own miniature pie or cake and still share with family and friends. Health experts say we Americans need to eat smaller portions, but we love good dessert. Biti pies and cakes could be the solution to doing the right thing, and still not doing without.
Everyone Needs a Will One of the comments estate planning attorneys hear most often from clients and potential clients is “I don’t have enough assets to need a Will.” While it is true that most of us don’t need estate plans that are as complex as those needed by people like Bill Gates or Warren Buffett, it is equally true that everyone benefits from a basic level of estate planning. In short, EVERYONE NEEDS A WILL. Most importantly, a properly drafted Will communicates to your loved ones your exact desires concerning your estate. Issues such as the person charged with finalizing your estate and who gets what you worked all of your life to accumulate are important considerations, regardless of the size of your balance sheet. What many don’t realize is that a properly drafted Will potentially saves your loved ones thousands of dollars. This is because a Will enables your estate to be settled virtually free from court involvement. In a nutshell, the less the court is involved in the probate process, the less expensive the process and the more assets available to your loved ones. A Will also allows an estate to be settled without the need for the executor to post a cash bond to protect your assets. Everyone knows we need to avoid being “penny wise and pound foolish.” Avoiding the expense of a proper estate plan saves pennies during your life but almost certainly costs many unnecessary dollars after your death. None of us wishes to saddle our loved ones with that extra burden and expense. A properly drafted Will is just the first tool in the vital estate planning toolbox. Look for future articles discussing the need for other tools, such as powers of attorney, declarations of guardians, and living wills.
By Underwood Attorneys & Counselor at Law
Boost your brain fitness
Use it or lose it. That adage is popularly said in relation to physical fitness, but it is also quite applicable to brain fitness, too. Our brains – like our bodies – begin to deteriorate after our twenties. However, just as your daily visit to the gym can keep you from gaining weight, losing muscle and aging prematurely, brain exercises can keep your memory sharp, delay cognitive decline and improve your creative thinking. Here are the top brain boosting activities that Dr Ryuta Kawashima, author of Train Your Brain More, says will shape up your brain in 60 days.
discovered that the best way to activate the largest regions of the brain was to solve these calculations quickly.”
Simple – fast – calculations work Helping your grandkids with their math homework will not only help them grasp addition, subtraction and the like, it can also help hone your cognitive skills.
His book Train Your Brain More provides illustrations of the regions of the brain that are activated while doing a variety of activities, such as thinking, watching TV, writing, and reading. Solving simple calculations fast and reading aloud show the largest activation of different parts of the brain.
Dr Kawashima says, “Through my research I found that simple calculations activate the brain more than any other activity. I also
Read aloud to recruit brain power Though your brain lights up while you are reading silently, Dr Kawashima says reading aloud as well as reading aloud at a fast pace actually trains the brain even more. In a study conducted by Dr Kawashima, even 10 minutes of simple calculation and oral reading exercises proved beneficial for the brain. “We gave our patients a 10-minutes-a-day writing and oral reading exercise and a ten-minutes-a-day calculation exercise to be performed two to five days a week,” he explains. Those participants who didn't do the exercises experienced deteriorated cognitive function at a six-month follow up. However, those participants who did the writing,
reading and math exercises saw an improvement in brain function and a halt to further deterioration from Alzheimer’s. For the complete 60 day brain fitness program, pick up Dr Kawashima’s book Train Your Brain More. It provides 60 days of simple calculations, periodic progress tests, a progress chart, and tips for optimally training your brain.
Low-carb crab recipes Tender, juicy, succulent crab is often a treat saved for special occasion dinners where professional chefs expertly – and impressively – prepare them. If you are leery about cooking whole crabs at home, the available array of cooked crab products at your local supermarket give you a tasty opportunity to savor this delicious gift from the sea. Best yet, you can sink your teeth into a delectable array of satisfying crab recipes and reap the crustacean's lean protein and minimal carbs.
Ingredients: 16 ounces cooked claw crab meat 1/2 red onion, chopped 1 cup of chopped fresh cilantro Juice and 1 teaspoon zest of a lemon Juice and 1 teaspoon zest of two limes 2 Roma tomatoes, diced 1 seedless cucumber, diced 1 stalk celery, diced 1jalapeno, seeded, minced Crab recipes 1/4 cup tomato juice or vegetable juice of your The following recipes call for cooked crab meat. choice You can cook your own crab or opt for convenience Sea salt to taste and use a cooked crab meat of your choice. Directions: Crab Ceviche In a large bowl, toss all ingredients together, taking Serves 4 care not to break up crab meat too much. Refrigerate for an hour for flavors to blend. Serve in Tasty and easy to prepare, crab ceviche is an elegant margarita glasses with a cocktail fork for a showy treat. and unusual spin on the traditional raw seafood based dish.
Crab and Artichoke Spread Serves 16 Ingredients: 16 ounces cooked lump crab meat 1 cup mayonnaise 2 green onions, thinly sliced (green and white parts) 1 (4-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained 2 cups shredded jack cheese Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Juice and minced zest of a small lemon Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and transfer to a 9-inch square baking dish or casserole dish of your choice. 2. Bake until top is lightly browned and crab mixture is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serve warm with your choice of cocktail party toasts or whole grain crackers.
Spring beers: Bocks & ales Springtime means warmer days ahead, long walks outside, and delicious bock beers. Lighter beers are traditional for spring, especially bocks which range from amber to dark in color but have a lighter taste and flavor than winter-style beers. Ready your palate for spring beers with these tasting notes on the best springtime beers around – food pairings included. Tasting notes on spring beers Michelob AmberBock This American-style bock beer has a deep brown color and a rich nutty aroma. It is medium-bodied with a slight caramel sweetness and a round fullness in the mouth. AmberBock pairs well with grilled or barbecue foods as well as German-style cuisine. It also works well with rich cheeses and dark chocolates. A tulip shaped glass is the perfect form to bring out the flavor and aromas. Samuel Adams Double Bock This is also an American bock but made in the German style. It has a bright copper color and a spicy caramel scent. The Sammy Adams double bock is full-bodied and has a creamy mouth feel with a slight sweetness. It has been described as a “meal in a bottle.” It is best served at 50 degrees F. in a Pilsner glass. Food pairings include rich meats like duck, quail and pork – it is also an excellent component for marinades for these meats. Hearty desserts such as cheesecake and crème brulee also pair well with this beer. Sierra Nevada ESB This early spring beer combines the traditional English style with a new West Coast style of beer. Sierra Nevada ESB is unfiltered, making the mouth feel of it fuller, and playing up the distinct hop aroma. It is slightly red in color and tastes of earthiness. This ale pairs great with barbecue, buttery cheeses such as Brie and Gouda and rich meats like pork and game. Pint glasses are best for serving this particular beer.
Smuttynose Maibock This beer, although from a small New Hampshire craft brewer has gained popularity and can be found in many bars or stores along the East Coast. The medium-bodied Maibock is a lighter brown color and provides huge malt flavor that finishes with hops. It also has a slightly sweet flavor and is very balanced. This beer is best served with German cuisine, at 45 degrees F., in a flute or Pilsner glass. Dogfish Head Immort Ale This brand spanking new, limited release spring ale, is luscious and complex. It is made with juniper berries, vanilla and maple syrup but exudes a balanced sweetness. A blend of English and Belgian style beers, this ale has a reddish brown color. Best served at 50 degrees F. and in a pint glass or snifter, this beer pairs well with nutty cheeses like Asiago and Parmesan and is a superb after dinner drink.
Color Easter eggs naturally extended length of time after cooking.)
Want to color your eggs minus the usual dyes and solutions? Make your own at home with natural colorants like berry juices, onion skins and spinach. You can get a wide range of fabulous colors using everyday food ingredients! There are several different ways to color eggs for Easter. We're going to focus on the safest methods -- ones that will actually allow you to eat your dyed eggs. (This means not allowing the eggs to soak outside the fridge for an
Combine coloring and cooking One great way to complete the job is to combine the cooking and coloring phases by boiling your eggs with the chosen dye ingredients. You will end up cooking smaller batches of eggs in order to vary the colors.
This method works well with red and yellow onion skins, grated carrot, spinach, beets, red cabbage, saffron, blueberries (canned or frozen and defrosted) and cranberry or purple grape juice. (The greater the amount of colorful food or juice you add, the darker the resulting hue.) A half teaspoon of vinegar in the boiling water will help the color adhere, although this is not necessary when using onion skins.
Color after cooking Before refrigerating the hard-cooked eggs (just after cooking), you can also add some colors by soaking eggs in one cup of hot water, 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar and adding a coloring agent, such as instant coffee (1-2 tablespoons) for a nice brown, or cumin or tumeric for a lovely warm yellow (1-2 teaspoons). Finally, you can soak your eggs after cooking in cool solutions of various juices -- such as cranberry, beet, purple grape, blueberry or blackberry. Pretty colors won't protect you from food poisoning Hard-boiled eggs should be cooked thoroughly, refrigerated within two hours of cooking, and then eaten within one week. The US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service further notes that hard-boiled eggs for an egg hunt must be prepared carefully to prevent cracking the shells, because if the shells crack, bacteria could contaminate the inside. Eggs should be hidden in places that are protected from dirt, pets and other sources of bacteria. And again, to make the hunt fun and to avoid spending the evening throwing up -- or worse -- the total time for hiding and hunting eggs should not be longer than two hours. The "found" eggs must be re-refrigerated until eaten. If the Easter egg hunt will take longer than two hours, it might be a good idea to hide plastic eggs instead, and bring out the colored real eggs for mealtime.
Your health and iron Vitamins and minerals play an important role in keeping your body happy and healthy. Iron is no exception. But the World Health Organization says up to 80 percent of the world’s population is iron-deficient. Are you getting enough? The importance of iron Iron is one of the most abundant nutrients in your body. It’s found in every one of your cells and is essential for maintaining the strength of your immune system, preserving your muscles and regulating cell growth. So it’s important that you get enough of it on a daily basis. Most of the iron stored in your body is found in hemoglobin and myoglobin (those are red blood cell proteins that transport oxygen to our tissues and our muscles). Scientists know there are two types of iron the body can absorb: heme and non-heme. Heme iron comes from animal products like beef, chicken or fish. Non-heme iron is plant-based, like beans, lentils and spices Signs and symptoms of an iron deficiency Iron deficiencies develop over time and are usually associated with low dietary intake or excessive blood loss. In severe cases, the deficiency can lead to anemia. Signs and symptoms may include: · Weakness or fatigue · Hair loss · Decreased concentration · Headaches · Brittle, chipping nails Seeing your doctor for a quick blood test will tell you if you have any reason for concern.