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Cooking Without Eggs? Bookmark These Two Websites

January 7, 2016 by

Food allergies sometimes make creativity a necessity when it comes to preparing meals on your own. Lucky for those afflicted with allergies, there are many great resources to help people cook delicious food without the ingredient that trigger reactions. If you need to prepare a dish without eggs, bookmark these two websites for help with substitutions.

  1. Cooking and Baking Without Egg Ingredients [Kids With Food Allergies]
    With this website, egg allergies won’t stop you from making your favorite foods like pizza, cake, and pie. Get those recipes, plus suggestions on how to substitute eggs when used in other baked goods.
  2. Egg Substitutions [Chef in You]
    Discover a list of foods that can be used as eggs substitutes in various recipes. They include unlikely items such as bananas, applesauce, and vegetable oil.

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Safety First! Read These Tips Before Preparing Raw Meat

December 17, 2015 by

Lean meats are a healthy part of any nutritious diet, but it’s very important to handle them properly to avoid illness. Be sure to follow these important tips for buying and preparing raw meat.

  1. Purchase only high-quality meats. When shopping for steak, chicken, fish, or other meats, always look for the Safe Food Handling label on the package. Also, use your own discretion to examine meat before purchasing, and be sure that it’s wrapped tightly and packaged in a bag away from other foods.
  2. Store meat safely. Meat must remain at a cold temperature until you’re ready to prepare it, so store it in your refrigerator and put it in the refrigerator’s meat bin if possible. Fresh meats should be used within three to four days, while meats like sausage and ground beef should be used within two days.
  3. Keep yourself (and your counters) safe. Always wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling raw meat. It’s also important to only use cutting boards and utensils for meat to avoid cross-contamination.
  4. Cook meat completely. Be sure to defrost meat in the refrigerator or the microwave; never let raw meat sit on the countertop to defrost. Once it’s time to cook your meat, use a food thermometer to see that ground meats reach at least 160°F and that beef and pork reach 145°F.

Food Safety: How to Handle Raw Meat [Beef Retail]
Keeping Your Meat Safe [Home Food Safety]
Meat [FoodSafety.gov]
Safe Food Handling: What You Need to Know [FDA]

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Butting Heads in the Office? Here’s How to Deal With Difficult Coworkers!

November 19, 2015 by

Whether your job requires collaboration or you simply want to establish friendly relationships with the people you work with, difficult co-workers can complicate things. Here are a few ways to handle bad attitudes in the workplace.

  1. Keep your cool. First and foremost, never lose your temper on a fellow employee, no matter how bad the situation gets. This will only make you lose face in front of your bosses and the rest of the office. Simply remind yourself to maintain a calm, even voice, or just walk away from the situation.
  2. Practice good conflict resolution skills. If the co-worker in question frequently disagrees or argues with you about work issues, learn how to resolve these conflicts before they start. Identify common ground by pointing out a mutual goal, and be sure to hear him or her out completely before giving your point of view.
  3. Address the issue in private. No one wants to be viewed as unprofessional, so privately point out when a co-worker is being particularly dramatic. Say something neutral, like “It seems like you’re getting very angry about this.” This might make your co-worker notice the error of his or her ways.
  4. Don’t be a pushover. It pays to be kind, but don’t let this difficult co-worker feel that he or she can walk all over you. Adopt a fair yet stern attitude that shows that you can’t be manipulated or disrespected.

Three Tips to Deal with a Passive-Aggressive Colleague [Harvard Business Review]
20 Ways to Deal with Difficult Co-Workers [iVillage]
Ten Tips for Dealing with Difficult Co-Workers [allBusiness]
How to Deal with Difficult Co-Workers [Forbes]

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Helpful Study Tips for Students of All Ages

October 22, 2015 by

Students from sixth grade all the way up to graduate school struggle can find studying to be a daunting task, despite how different their curriculum may be. Use these helpful study tips to improve your own studying or to help your struggling child.

  1. Review before bed. While it’s not the best idea to study when you’re overly tired, there’s some benefit to studying right before bed. Your brain strengthens new memories while sleeping, so you’re more likely to remember what you learned if you look at the information right before falling asleep.
  2. Create mnemonic devices. Whether you’re trying to remember complex chemistry concepts or the states and their capitals, it often helps to create a little story or other mnemonic device using people or objects that you’re already familiar with. For example, make a poem out of the first letters of each of the planets for a child who is struggling with an elementary science class.
  3. Create practice tests. One of the only ways to really test your knowledge is by putting yourself to the test. Download pre-made practice tests online or enlist a study partner to quiz you on the topic.
  4. Write instead of typing. Many studies show that the human brain is more likely to remember something that you write by hand than something that you type, so leave your laptop at home the next time you take notes.

22 Science-Backed Study Tips to Ace a Test [Greatist]
10 Tips to Study Smart and Save Time [Lifehack]
Adults in College: 10 Secrets to Success if You Haven’t Seen a Classroom in Years [Back to College Blog]
Top 10 Study Tips for Busy Adult Learners [Back to College]

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Think You Know All About the ‘70s? Take These Fun ‘70s Trivia Quizzes!

September 17, 2015 by

It was a groovy time, baby, so test your knowledge about the 1970s to see how much you remember about this decade of peace and love. These online quizzes are filled with questions about the music, fashion trends and movies that became popular in the ‘70s, and some are some go so far back that you may not remember them at all.

Can You Answer These 14 1970s Trivia Questions?
Fourteen questions may not seem like many, but when they’re as tricky as these they may leave you stumped for quite a while. From the biggest news stories of the decade to chart-topping singles from some of the world’s most famous bands, this quiz covers just about every aspect of the 1970s.

‘70s TV Trivia
Do you fancy yourself a bit of a television history buff? If so, this quiz about ‘70s television trivia is just the one for you. Test your knowledge about everything from The Brady Bunch to The Jeffersons all in one simple quiz.

TV In the ‘70s
It may be another quiz about 1970s television, but this one is much more in-depth than most. Answer questions about shows like Laverne & Shirley and the Mary Tyler Moore Show and rack up points toward becoming a true 1970s trivia guru.

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Learn About Endangered Animals Near You on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Website

August 20, 2015 by

Since its inception in 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has demonstrated success in its mission to "protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend." Administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the ESA separates dwindling species into two categories: Endangered, which means it's in danger of extinction; and Threatened, which means the species might become endangered in the near future. In the U.S., the ESA has been instrumental in restoring the populations of the Grizzly bear, Steller sea lion, Atlantic leatherback and green sea turtles, and the whooping crane, to name a few. However, there are still more than 1,500 endangered and threatened species in the United States.

If you want to learn about said species—some of which might even be right outside your front door—surf over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website. There, you'll find an interactive map that spotlights threatened and endangered species in all 50 U.S. states. Click any state of the map to find an alphabetical list of a state's periled species, info about where a species is commonly found within a state, plus intel on the species' recovery plans. Success stories are highlighted, too, showcasing the positive impact of the ESA initiative.

Get to Know Your Species [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]
Endangered Species Act Overview [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]
ESA Basics [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]
110 Success Stories for Endangered Species Day 2012 [Center for Biological Diversity]

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How to Help Preserve the Health of Your Eyes

July 23, 2015 by

You lift weights for your muscles and use fancy creams for your skin, but what do you do to protect your eyes? The eyes are often overlooked, but they are some of the most important parts of the body. Here are a few simple things that you can do to help ensure good eye health for years to come.

  1. Have a comprehensive exam. If you don’t wear glasses or contacts, you might go for years between eye exams. The only real way to know how healthy your eyes are is by having a comprehensive dilated exam administered by an eye care professional, so be sure to schedule an appointment.
  2. Eat the right foods. Yes, it’s common knowledge that carrots are good for your eyes, but other foods that can help improve the health of your eyes, as well. Dark, leafy vegetables, fruits, and fish high in omega-3 fatty acids have all been linked to improving eye health.
  3. Keep them protected. Sunglasses don’t just look cool, they also serve a very important purpose. Wearing sunglasses helps to shield your eyes from the harmful UV rays from the sun, so be sure to choose ones that block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB radiation.

Eye Health Tips [Information for Healthy Vision]
10 Eye Health Tips to Protect Your Vision [Real Simple]
Five Tips For Eye Health [Eating Well]

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4 Tips for Serving a Safe Food Buffet

June 18, 2015 by

If you’re hosting a large party, you’re likely concerned with serving tasty foods, but your goal should also be to keep those foods safe for your guests. Here are a few helpful tips that will keep your food buffet just as healthy as it is delicious.

  1. Wash your hands. The first thing you should do when preparing a food buffet is wash your hands. This prevents you from spreading germs to your guests, but it also helps to keep you safe from food borne illnesses caused by raw meat, eggs, and other ingredients. Be sure to wash your hands each time you refill the buffet, as well.
  2. Cook foods completely. It’s safe to keep foods out on a buffet, provided that they’re cooked properly beforehand. Meats like beef and pork chops should be cooked to at least 145º F, while chicken and poultry should reach at least 165º F.
  3. Use the proper serving tools. If you’re serving hot foods, be sure to store them in a chafing dish, slow cooker, or warming tray to keep them from changing temperature. Cold dishes can be served in nesting bowls over bowls of ice, and they must stay at 40°F or lower in order to stop the growth of bacteria.
  4. Abide by the two-hour rule. Finally, never let foods sit on a buffet for more than two hours. Tossing food that’s been at room temperature for too long will ensure a safe and healthy party.

Serving Up Safe Buffets [FDA]
Serving Prepared Foods Safely [Whole Foods]
Holiday or Party Buffets [USDA]
Buffet Safety [NSF]

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Molten Chocolate Cake, Reinvented: Try These Three Recipes

May 21, 2015 by

There may be no more indulgent dessert than molten lava cake, a combination of crumbly pastry and gooey chocolate filling. There are many ways to make this treat with a variety of ingredients, and each rendition is tailored to special tastes and diets. Here are three recipes for molten lava cake that you might want to try.

  1. Red Velvet Molten Lava Cake [Half Baked Harvest]
    Silence your sweet tooth with this delicious twist on red velvet cake. Mix in red food coloring, coconut milk, and melted chocolate for an elegant take on this classic recipe.
  2. Molten Chocolate Cake [Pioneer Woman]
    Real butter, fresh eggs, heavy whipping cream, and semi-sweet baking chocolate all get representation in this authentic molten cake recipe. Enjoy tantalizing step-by-step photographs while you prepare it.
  3. Molten Chocolate Cakes [Food and Wine]
    A mere seven ingredients and four steps; making a fabulous molten chocolate cake doesn’t get any easier than this recipe from Food and Wine.

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How to Reduce Your Daily Caffeine Intake

April 16, 2015 by

You might feel like you simply can’t function without your morning coffee, but that boost of caffeine may be doing you more harm than good. Caffeine addiction causes you to rely on drinking coffee, soda, and energy drinks throughout the day, and it is also proven to contribute to stress and anxiety. If you want to cut back on the amount of caffeine you consume per day, these simple tips will make it easier.

  1. Examine your intake. Studies show that 200 milligrams of caffeine or less is a healthy amount for the average adult to consume per day. This translates to about two strong cups of coffee, so this is an easy way to decipher how much you need to limit yourself. If you can’t make it through the workday without that third cup in the afternoon, that’s a good place to start.
  2. Gradually cut back. Quitting caffeine cold turkey is just as painful as quitting any other bad habit. To prevent headaches, grogginess, and other signs of caffeine withdrawal, mix your usual coffee with a bit more decaf every day, or work your way down to just two cups of coffee instead of your usual amount.
  3. Be smart about caffeine. Once you know that you can only have two cups per day, you should choose when to drink them wisely. If you feel most tired early in the morning and around 2 p.m., plan on drinking your cup of joe about an hour before those times.

Easy Ways to Reduce Caffeine Intake [U.S. News]
How to Lower Your Caffeine Intake Without Headaches [Fitday]
10 Ways to Start Your Day Without Caffeine [Everyday Health]
Caffeine [McKinley Health Center]

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