Five Facts Friday - Honey Month

1. Energy Booster - Mix honey with some water then drink the solution. Honey's glucose content will be absorbed by the brain and in the bloodstream, reducing fatigue in the process. You'll be healthy and quite happy just by consuming the simple solution.

2. Remedy for Burns - A burn is not only painful, the marks also last for a good number of days before healing up. By applying honey on your burn, the hydrogen peroxide released cleans the wound and soothes the inflammation. As a result, the burn marks will heal in a few days with less pain. Use honey as a dressing for maximum results.

3. Acne Remover - Honey is certainly tough on acne. With constant exposure to the bee fluid, pimples eventually wither and fade. Apply a small amount of honey on the pimply regions of your face. Cover them with adhesive bandages.

4. Immune System Booster - Health buffs are known to drink a teaspoon of honey daily, along with their morning vitamins. Though still not scientifically proven, the daily consumption of honey is said to strengthen your immune system.

5. Treatment for Sore Throat - Some people believe that honey is an even better treatment for coughs and colds than over-the-counter medicine. To create the sore throat-relieving serum, squeeze the juice from a lemon and mix it with some honey. Stir the mixture until both ingredients blend. Drink the solution. After a few moments, you will realize that your sore throat has been cured, or at least reduced. Just continue to make more rounds until you are finally free from colds.

Is It Safe?

How do you know when it's not safe anymore to use certain foods? Here is a link to the full article (click HERE) and some highlights.

Milk: If properly refrigerated, milk will remain safe, nutritious, and tasty for about a week after the sell-by date and will probably be safe to drink longer than that, though there’s a decline in nutritional value and taste.

Cottage cheese: Pasteurized cottage cheese lasts for 10-14 days after the date on the carton.

Mayonnaise: Unopened, refrigerated Kraft mayonnaise can be kept for 30 days after its expiration date or 3-4 months after opening, the company told ShelfLifeAdvice.

Yogurt: Yogurt will remain good 7-10 days after its sell-by date.

Eggs: Properly refrigerated eggs should last at least 3-5 weeks after the sell-by date, according to Professor Joe Regenstein, a food scientist at Cornell University. Note: Use of either a sell-by or expiration (EXP) date is not federally required, but may be state required, as defined by the egg laws in the state where the eggs are marketed.

Better Breakfast Month

September is better breakfast month so mix up some hot cereal (added bonus: it costs just $0.25 per serving).

Instant Oatmeal for Less

18 oz. quick-cooking oats

1 envelope (3.2 oz) nonfat dry milk

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup raisins

In large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Transfer to an airtight container.

For breakfast: scoop 1/2 cup oatmeal mix into bowl. Add 1/2 cup milk or water. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Let rest 5 minutes.

Makes about 16 servings.

The Secret Spa in Your Kitchen - Acne Remedy Recipe

Acne Remedy Recipe

2-3 teaspoons dried basil leaves

1 cup boiling water

Steep basil leaves in water for 10 to 20 minutes. Cool. Strain. Apply to face with a cotton ball.

Toasted Marshmallow Day

Chris and I watch a show on the Food Network called "The Best Thing I Ever Ate". The Food Network chefs share their favorite foods from different restaurants. We saw one that described Stand's Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake in NYC. The next time we were in NYC, we decided to swing by and give it a try. It was delicious! I recently found the recipe for it ... Mmmm!

Stand's Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake

3 scoops vanilla ice cream

1 tablespoon whole milk

1 large dollop of plain yogurt

5 marshmallows

Whipped cream

Put the milk, yogurt and then ice cream in the blender. Blend carefully, just until you get a "donut" - when you see the shake holding to the sides of the blender with a hollow core.

Toast marshmallows under a broiler until they just start to blacken evenly. Add three of the marshmallows to the blender, and whirl it just until they're all broken up and distributed evenly. Be careful not to overblend it, making it too melty.

Pour shake into a glass, top with a dollop of whipped cream, break the last two marshmallows on top, and serve with an extra-wide straw.

Picture courtesy of www.acozykitchen.com