Silly State Slogans! Too Funny!

Foil wraps for the culinary impaired

Leslie's Hints for keeping cool!

Bar-B-Que Crisis - Tips for the Propane User!

What we can learn from Dogs!

Funny Food Words or - What's a....?

What's your Jell-o IQ?

Food Facts - and Food Myths - How high is your score?

Unique Food Facts - some odd, some simple - all interesting!

Dec 96 - Feb 97

Puzzling Food Triva - from cranberries to nuts!

Our famous 'Soup Personality Test'

And remember to check out our links page for more great FREEBIE sites!

Foil Wraps for the Culinary Impaired (July 98)

I'm not a great cook at the best of times - and summer really makes me want to hide out in the backyard - as far from the kitchen as possible. My favorite summertime meal - any thing that someone else cooked! However, when I do need to do my share - I like it quick and easy - and wrapped in foil!

Never done any foil wrap cooking? Here are some of the basics -

1. Use heavy duty foil. That light wimpy stuff falls apart and you get charcoaled food - not good!

2. Go heavy on the butter/oil. Lots of recipes say drizzle - I say drown!

3. Plan to let the food cook for a while - sure you can hurry it up by flaming it - but trust me - the results are lousy! Slow and steady makes a better meal!

4. You can cook using foil wraps on the BBQ or the campfire - both work well, but in my experience, it tastes better on the campfire. I think the fact that you are starving by the time it's finished cooking really helps!

My Favorite Wraps:

• Chicken

Use strips of boneless chicken - add tomatoes, frozen veggies, drizzle on oil and season to taste. Cook long enough to make sure that the chicken is done, at least 30 minutes.

• Onions

Peel and wedge large onions, leaving the root end intact. Put them on foil, drip with a mix of honey and wine vinegar. Seal and cook for about 30 minutes.

• Tomatoes

Lots of ways to cook these guys - I like them really simple - just sliced, seasoned, and wrapped. Try dotting with parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and a bit of butter.

• Garlic Bread

Yummy... Just spread on the garlic butter - wrap and heat

• Veggie Bake

Take assorted veggies - I like sliced carrots, sliced potatoes (new), green beans, and chopped onions. Drizzle on oil, season to taste - wrap and cook. Takes about 20 minutes. Another alternative - use frozen mixed veggies - your choice of assortment!

• Nachos

Spread tortilla chips on a large piece of foil. Top with shredded cheese, chopped sweet peppers, corn kernels, and maybe a hot pepper ring. Wrap and cook for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted - gooey but good!

Leslie's Hints for Staying Cool (July 98)

We in Montreal are used to dealing with cold - as one wit joked - in Montreal you have 9 months of great skiing - and 3 months of very poor sledding! So, when it gets hot around here - well, we all kinda curl up and hide!

In honor of summer, and in a show of sympathy for those of you who live where summer really happens - here are Leslie's quick tips for dealing with the heat! (And you don't even have to get out of the kitchen!)

1. Think cool.

* The experts suggest that if you think cool - you'll be cool. They suggest thinking of things like ice blanket wraps, cool mountain lakes, ocean breezes. (Personally - I'm so happy to see the sun - I can't imagine wasting summer hours imagining winter. Besides, I was glad to see the back side of that Ice Storm!)

2. Keep lighting to a minimum.

* This is easy - computer screens don't emit much heat anyway - and who needs the lights on when you spend all day, and most of the night on the 'net'!

3. Reduce noise.

* Right - with three teenagers in my house! Isn't that why they invented summer camp - to give parents peace and quiet? Too bad my troops seem to have out grown summer camp. You know the old line about 'Youth is wasted on the young - actually I think what is wasted is Summer Camp! I think spending endless hours playing soccer, baseball, sailing, swimming, etc. sounds like a lot of fun. Just don't give me one of the those cabins where you have to walk outside to get to the toilet!

4. Drink plenty of fluids

* My favorites - ice coffee with cream and sugar or Perfect Caesar in a tall glass with lots of ice cubes! Next favorite - soft ice cream milk shakes (vanilla of course) or fruit juice and soda water. I'm not too keen of Coke or Pepsi - too many calories for me - but I'll drink Diet Sprite or Diet 7-up any time! My son swears by DAD's Root Beer, my daughter drinks milk, and my husband has a passion for light beer on draft.

5. Eat spicy foods!

* This is serious! Spicy foods make you sweat -

and sweating cools you off! That's one of the big reasons

that Chili is so popular during the summer months - and

why Mexican food is often so spicy.

6. Eat salads

* From ColeSlaw (have you tried our Magic ColeSlaw seasoning yet?) to Potato Salad to plain old mixed greens - one of the best ways to eat your veggies during the summer is .... RAW! Cool, refreshing - and you are out of the kitchen in no time flat.

7. Visit Canada!

* (Ok, that advice comes from the Canadian Tourist Council - but still....) No matter how hot it is here - it's definitely cooler than it is south of the border! (When my dad came to visit from Atlanta - he wore his jacket every night - we are that much cooler!)

8. Check out the latest movies

* Ever wonder why Summer Block Busters are so big? It's cause we're all in there hiding! I did see a good one on Sunday tho - Small Soldiers. It's not for kids - well not for young kids anyway - but it is a hoot and a half! Sort of a Disney movie rip-off on a major macho trip!

9. Store your underwear in the freezer!

* No joke - that one I heard on the radio this AM - it is supposed to really work - but I'm definitely NOT trying it!