Japan Facing Massive Potato Chip Shortage
In Japan, the potato chip slogan "betcha can't eat just one" has taken on a literal meaning after a shortage of the snack has cleared grocery shelves and sent online prices soaring.
Japanese chip company Calbee warned this week it is temporarily halting production of 15 of its most popular brands after typhoons that struck Hokkaido, the nation's largest potato-producing region, ruined this year's crop. The announcement sent shoppers scurrying to scoop up the remaining bags at supermarkets across the country, with subsequent photos of cleared shelves making the rounds on social media.
Calbee said it has begun importing potatoes from the United States to maintain production of its remaining flavors, but Japanese laws limit the amount of imported potatoes that can be used in Japanese-made products.
Among the flavors Calbee is suspending are its Lightly Salted chips, French Salad Dressing chips and Plum chips.
Smaller rival Koikeya, which does not import any potatoes for its chips, said it is also suspending production of its popular Rich Consomme flavor and several other brands.
Bags that normally cost about 200 yen ($1.84) were going for more than 1,250 yen ($12) in online auctions, Bloomberg reported.
Neither company offered an idea of how long the production gap may last.
Link: http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2017/04/15/Japan-facing-massive-potato-chip-shortage
Chains Take The Sting Out Of Tax Day With Freebies And Discounts
Uncle Sam is getting your money today, but some retail chains are making sure you “get” in return too.
Many national chains have Tax Day deals and freebies today. Office Depot will shred up to five pounds of documents for free and Staples will shred two pounds with coupons that can be printed from the companies' websites. Boston Market has a ten dollar and 40 cent, or 10-40, Tax Day Special on a half-chicken meal, while McDonald's, Schlotzky's, Sonic Drive-In, Hot Dog on a Stick, and Firehouse Subs are among the places offering discounts on food. For something stronger, Chili's and World of Beer have deals on margaritas and brews. And it isn't necessarily a Tax Day deal but if you just want to get away, this is National Park Week and admission is free at all national parks and national monuments this coming weekend.
For more deals, head HERE.Source: Fortune
Want To Burn More Calories? Chew Your Food More
Remember when you were a kid and your mom would scold you for rushing through a meal so you could go off to play? Well it turns out dear old mom was onto something. There are a lot of health benefits to eating mindfully and fully chewing each bite.
Slow and thorough chewing helps you digest your food better and can help you absorb more nutrients. But it can help you burn more calories, too! So how much chewing are we talking about? Research suggests that chewing until "no lumps remain" boosts the number of calories burned.
According to a study, thorough chewing promotes blood flow to the gut and stomach, improving levels of gut hormones, and it keeps you feeling full longer. Just slowing down the pace and eating slowly and mindfully is not only good for you, it could help you eat less while burning more calories. So when you’re trying to watch your weight, forget the diet and just start with chewing more and not rushing through your meal. It doesn’t get easier than that!
Source: My Domaine
What to Do If Your Food Goes Bad
You had every intention of eating those bananas. They were green when you bought them but now, they've browned beyond edible-banana recognition. It's time to toss them in trash, you think—and you're anything but alone.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, about 50 percent of all food in the U.S. is wasted, with 60 million tons of rotting produce clogging our landfills each year. But before you open your trash can, take a look at this handy guide to see if you can give those bananas—and several other gone-bad foods—a second life.
Dairy
Molded hard cheese might not look appetizing, but beneath those hunks of blue and black are edible bites of your favorite cheeses. "For hard cheeses, such as cheddar and Parmesan, the mold won't penetrate into the cheese so it's perfectly safe to cut around it," explains Samantha Cassetty, M.S., R.D. Can't bring yourself to eat a cheese that's had mold on it? Then at least save its rind. Too Good To Waste author Victoria Glass says cheese rinds "can be used to add depth to soups and stews."
Eggs can be eaten up to a whopping five weeks after their sell-by date, but if you've reached week six without cracking them open, toss the innards and save the shells.
"Egg shells can be cleaned and used to serve an amuse-bouche, or can be broken up to use as natural slug repellents," says Glass.
When it comes to heavy creams and milk that have made it past their prime—as in, they've got more solid chunks than liquid left—don't pour them down the drain just yet. Sour milk can save your silver: Let your jewelry sit in it overnight. The liquid will act as a polish, says Lindsey Janeiro, R.D.N., and owner of Nutrition to Fit. As for heavy cream, Glass says it can be whipped into mascarpone. "As long as it's not moldy, it's still good to go," she says.
Fruit
For apples and pears that have bruised, cut around the brown spots and mash what's left, then add the puree to your morning oatmeal or use it as a fat substitute in your favorite baked goods, suggests Janeiro. Here's how: Halve the amount of fat, and replace the missing part with the fruit puree. For example, if a recipe calls for one cup of oil, add a half cup of oil and a half cup of the fruit puree. "This decreases fat, can decrease the need for as much added sugar, and adds flavor," says Janeiro.
Brown bananas should never be chucked in the trash. "They're terrific for baking with," says Glass. "Banana bread is the obvious classic, but give others a try, too." If baking's not your jam, peel the overripe bananas and freeze them, wrapped in foil, suggests Cassetty. "They're a perfect way to sweeten smoothies," she says. And the peels? They've got a past-their-prime purpose, too. "Save the skins to clean the leaves of house plants, or chop them up and scatter them around plants in your garden," says Glass. "They are a natural aphid repellent."
Citrus fruits—think: orange, lemons, and limes—that have seen better days should not see the inside of a trash can yet. Cut them in half and stuff them into a roasting chicken or turkey, suggests Janeiro. Or take those lemon halves, add a pinch of salt, and use them to scrub your grill grates. "It's a great trick," Janeiro says.
One last use for citrus fruits, says Sun Basket executive chef Justine Kelly, is to place the peels in a jar of distilled vinegar, allowing them to sit for several weeks before straining and using your new, freshly-scented kitchen cleaner. "The essential oils offset the sour smell," she says, "and give the vinegar a little extra cleaning power."
Finally, stone fruits—fruits such as apricots, peaches, and cherries that have pits—that have gone bad still have a high sugar content, making them the perfect addition to any sweetener. "Cut off any blemishes and cook the fruit with a little sugar and lemon juice and you have a great filling for pies, crisps, and cobblers," Kelly says.
Grains
A baguette is a big piece of bread to waste. But if you haven't sliced it yet, the entire loaf can be revived, says Glass. How so? Wrap it in foil with a sprinkle of water, Glass instructs, then pop it in the oven for 10 minutes. It will emerge refreshed and ready to serve alongside your prepared charcuterie platter or as the base for bruschetta.
But it's not just baguettes that can be saved—stale bread can get a second chance as bread crumbs, says Cassetty. Pulse hunks of the loaf in a food processor, "then use the crumbs to coat chicken or fish, to bind meatballs, and more," Cassetty says.
Meat and fish
Do not—we repeat—do not eat or use expired meat. But before you chuck the flesh in the trash, set aside the bones inside your steaks, chick breasts, or fish fillets. They can be added to homemade stocks, Glass says. You can also save the meat's rendered fat. "It can make anything from toffee to deeply savory popcorn," Glass says.
Vegetables
Oh, onions. We use them in (almost) everything. But once they've gone bad, you have to give them the boot—from your fork, that is. They still belong in your pots and pans, says Kelly. An old onion can be used to season a wok or a grill. And once you're done cooking, that onion half can clean a cast-iron pot with a pinch of salt. Just "rinse the pan and compost the onion when you're done," Kelly says.
When potatoes are past their prime, they sprout eyes—not literal eyes—and are often thrown away. But "potatoes have a longer shelf life than people think, and are safe to eat as long as they haven't gone soft or too green," says Glass. Once they do, put them in the ground, not the garbage. You may just get a fresh crop next year.
Other root vegetables, including carrots and celery, can be used for stock even if they can't be used for a stir-fry. "Keep your vegetable trimmings—onion ends, carrot butts, and herb stems—in a bag in the freezer, and when the bag is full, you're ready to make a fresh batch," instructs Kelly. Some tired herbs can also be revived with a quick dunk in an ice-cold water bath, Glass says.
Lastly, while you may not want to toss over-ripe tomatoes in your salad, you can still safely eat them. "When my grape tomatoes have seen better days, I roast them in the oven at 200 degrees until they get blistery," says Cassetty. If the tomatoes are really rotten, however, Cassetty admits it's best to throw them out.
Of course, the best way to prevent food waste is to be proactive. "Plan ahead, use what you have on hand, and learn to store food properly," instructs Kelly. Here's how: "Keep cooked foods and drinks on the top shelf of the refrigerator, raw meat and fish needs to be kept colder and should stay on the bottom shelf," she says. "Fruits and vegetables belong in the crisper drawers. And leave the drawers slightly cracked if you can, to allow the ethylene gas, which speeds ripening, to escape."
Want To Burn More Calories? Chew Your Food More
Remember when you were a kid and your mom would scold you for rushing through a meal so you could go off to play? Well it turns out dear old mom was onto something. There are a lot of health benefits to eating mindfully and fully chewing each bite.
Slow and thorough chewing helps you digest your food better and can help you absorb more nutrients. But it can help you burn more calories, too! So how much chewing are we talking about? Research suggests that chewing until "no lumps remain" boosts the number of calories burned.
According to a study, thorough chewing promotes blood flow to the gut and stomach, improving levels of gut hormones, and it keeps you feeling full longer. Just slowing down the pace and eating slowly and mindfully is not only good for you, it could help you eat less while burning more calories. So when you’re trying to watch your weight, forget the diet and just start with chewing more and not rushing through your meal. It doesn’t get easier than that!
Source: My Domaine
Which Gross Food Would You Choose?
In a not-so-serious poll, Buzzfeed asks readers which of these very gross food choices they’d rather eat. Warning: none of these are appealing, but if you had to pick one, which would it be?
Would you rather…eat pasta with ketchup or carrots with Nutella?
- Not surprisingly, more people chose pasta with ketchup. It won with 55%.
Would you rather…eat ice cream with ketchup or banana with ketchup?
- Neither of these seems any better than the other, but 56% of readers voted for banana with ketchup.
Would you rather…eat cereal with orange juice or a bowl of olives or a bowl of olives for breakfast?
- For the most important meal of the day, 55% of readers would rather go with cereal and juice.
Would you rather…eat cereal with squirty cheese or cheese Fritos with Sprite?
- There are no winners here, but cereal with squirty cheese came in first with 53% of the votes.
Would you rather…eat tuna and peanut butter on toast or a ham and banana sandwich?
- Because we’re all gagging a little at the thought of a tuna and peanut butter combo, it makes sense that a ham and banana sammy won by a landslide with 73% of votes.
Would you rather…eat steak with banana and ketchup, or tuna, banana, and ice cream?
- What is it with all the banana and ketchup questions? Since the idea of tuna and bananas makes us feel queasy, are you surprised at all that 71% picked steak and banana? Nope.
Would you rather…eat a ham and mayonnaise cake or peaches on canned meat, like tuna?
- More readers chose the peaches on canned meat, but it was close 53% to 47%.
Source: Buzzfeed