Hot Day ?

8 homemade water infused recipes to help you keep drinking water.

It used to be that I loved drinking an Ice Cold Coke, on a hot day.  Not that I actually enjoyed the Coke, or the burps that were sure to come afterwards. But I loved the way that cold Coke, and it's carbonation would burn my throat as it went down. I wanted to believe it was burning, cause it was taking all that dust, and grime away with it.

But that isn't always the case.  Have you ever had a Coke of of one of those lunch wagons? or "Roach Coaches?" You know the ones, the Cokes in the tall, glass bottle? The ones made in Mexico? They are Ice Cold most of the time, and they really don't taste like the Cokes that you get here in the US, in the plastic bottle. It's not that the standards for the very same drink are lax, south of the border. It's because they are not allowed to put all that crap in them, that they are allowed to here in the States. The ones from Mexico, well, they taste different, and once you have one, your craving is really satisfied for the rest of the day.

BUT - You gotta start thinking HEALTHY !!!  As a rule, you should try to avoid as much as possible sugary drinks. Instead drink more WATER!

At least 6 to 8 - 8 Ounce servings per day of water, to be exact.  And this is more important then ever now that Summer is here. SO - here are 8 homemade water infused recipes to help you keep drinking water.

1) THE CLASSICAL - Lemon/Cucumber:

Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water + 1 cucumber and a lemon, thinly sliced + 1/4 cup fresh finely chopped basil leaf + 1/3 of finely chopped fresh mint leaves. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

2) THE GRANITE - Strawberry/Lime or Raspberry/Lime:

Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 6 strawberries or raspberries and one thinly sliced lime + 12 finely chopped fresh mint leaves. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

3) THE DIGESTIVE - Fennel/Citrus:

First: infuse 1 to 3 grams of dried and crushed fennel in 150ml of boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Allow to cool. Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water + lemon juice (put the leftover lemon in the mix) + a small thinly sliced orange + 12 fresh chopped mint leaves + the infusion of fennel seeds. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

4) THE ANTIOX - Blackberry/Sage:

Note that apart from the berries, sage leaves are one of the herbs with the highest antioxidant content. Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of blackberries that have been very slightly crushed + 3-4 sage leaves. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

5) WATERMELON - Watermelon/Rosemary:

Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of watermelon cut into cubes + 2 rosemary stems. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

6) THE EXOTIC - Pineapple/Mint:

Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of pineapple cut into cubes + 12 fresh mint leaves finely chopped. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

7) THE TRADITIONAL - Apple/Cinnamon:

Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of apple cut into cubes + 2 cinnamon sticks + 2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

8.) THE ZINGIBIR - Ginger/Tea:

In advance: heat 1 teaspoon of ginger in two cups of tea, let it cool down. Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water with two cups of the ginger tea + 4-5 pieces of fresh ginger cut into cubes. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Mourning your mounting Medical Bills.

At some point in your life, you may find that you’re buried under a mounting scale of Medical bills. And because of this you cannot sleep due to the amount of worry and burden you now carry with you every day. While you search for a way out from this, the stress of the situation is actually worsening then your previous need for Surgery. And because of this stress, you will not heal correctly or it may take you longer to heal. And your health will be forever impacted.

OR – It could be Identity theft, Divorce, Elder Care, anything that is unplanned for, unpredicted and unexpected in your lifetime. It could be for any reason, or many reasons.

But soon, very soon, you find yourself wrestling with the inevitable. You need to file bankruptcy. But you've heard several years ago, that the banking industry had lobbied both the US Senate and the US Congress. Who then passed resolutions and made laws, in which the act of filing Bankruptcy is now seemingly impossible.

Not so. While it is true, that some items cannot be removed from your debt. The interest on those items can be made significantly less, so the bill will be more manageable.

The problem is still the Mental and Emotional baggage associated with the need for filing Bankruptcy. And it has been made so by the image portrayals brought to you by the Banking Industry and the Lending Industry.

The first time you’re faced with Bankruptcy, you’ll want to believe you’re an utter failure. That you are somehow less of a person because of the situation you may find yourself in. That you are some how, anyone of these descriptors that will be thrown at you by creditors and attorneys alike. That you are: rash, careless, thoughtless, delinquent, negligent, unreliable, undependable, and untrustworthy.

This is quite simply Not True. Because of image portrayals you’ll believe, that you are responsible for any and all of your debt. This Half-Truth is a dangerous, and very slippery slope. While in one sense: Yes, you are responsible for your debt. Working hard day in and day out, heightens your chance for injury. In this case, it’s simply the law of averages being played out.

The second time you are faced with the conclusion that bankruptcy might be your only option. Well, you are more versed in the process and much less intimidated by it.

The third time you are faced with the prospect of filing bankruptcy…  Well, you’re about on equal footing with a vast number of professionals in the Medical Industry. Yep, you are right on par with Medical Doctors, General Surgeons, Dentists and Orthodontists.

We live in a time, where we are living paycheck to paycheck. And those paychecks are not much, and what’s more terrifying is they are about to get smaller. Thanks to the same US Senate and US Congress.

Don’t fear bankruptcy, don’t run from it and in the same breath don’t hide from it. Rather, use it and think of it as a last resort. A final solution to easy your worried mind. And no matter what you think or feel about yourself at this time, put it aside. Know that you are not alone. Many famous people have found it necessary to file for bankruptcy. To protect, not only themselves, but their well being too. And they did just fine.

PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES:

Jim Dooley (1930-2008), Lenny Dysktra (1963- ), Archie Griffin (1954- ), Dorothy Hamill (1956- ), Marion Jones (1975- ) , Sheryl Swoopes (1971- ), Lawrence Taylor (1959- ), Mike Tyson (1965- ), Johnny Unitas (1933-2002)

AUTHORS:

L. Frank Baum (1856-1919),

Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) (1835-1910)

BUSINESS LEADERS:

Phineas Taylor Barnum (P.T. Barnum) (1810-1891), Henry Ford (1863-1947), Henry John Heinz (1844-1919), Milton Snavely Hershey (1857-1945), Walt Disney (1901-1966) and yes even – Donald Trump (1946- )

POLITICIANS:

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), John B. Connally, Jr. (1917-1993), Ulysses S. Grant (1822- 1885), George McGovern (1922- ), William McKinley (1843-1901)

ENTERTAINERS:
Kim Basinger (1953- ), Toni Braxton (1967- ), Gary Busey (1944- ), Natalie Cole (1950- ), Gary Coleman (1968 – 2010), David Crosby (1941- ), Sarah Ferguson (1959- ),  Zsa Zsa Gabor (1917- ), Marvin Gaye (1939-1984), Larry King (1933- ), Cyndi Lauper (1953- ), Jerry Lee Lewis (1935- ), MC Hammer (Stanley Burrell) (1962- ), Meat Loaf (1947 – ), Ed McMahon (1923-2009), Willie Nelson (1933- ), Tom Petty (1950 – ), Burt Reynolds (1936- ), Mickey Rooney (1920- ), Anna Nicole Smith (1967-2007)

Summer, Cheese, Peaches and Bread..

Well, Summer is here.  And when it's Hot... Who wants to eat?  Just a Margarita and a snack would hold you over for another day.

I got a few soft Peaches. I got some Bacon (Who Doesn't) a few pretzel rolls.
AND I got some AWESOME Smoked Gouda Cheese - (Someone else who love it)
http://foodswelove.com/2013/01/03/yanceys-fancy-smoked-gouda-cheese/

And I'm gonna try this !!  It's Grilled (+), It's Cheese (+) and it's Bacon (++) !!

Peach, Bacon + Gouda Grilled Cheese Sliders on Pretzel Bread

YIELD: MAKES 8 SLIDERS

ingredients:

2 pretzel baguettes, each sliced into 8 equal rounds
8 ounces gouda cheese, sliced into 16 squares
4 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and cut into pieces
2 peaches, sliced
3-4 tablespoons butter

directions:

Assemble sliders by placing a slice of cheese on top of the bread, followed by bacon and peaches, then another slice of cheese on top to act as “glue.” Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-low heat, butter both outsides of the bread and place on skillet, cooking for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown and cheese is melty. Serve immediately!

Note: you can obviously use regular baguettes, or even a loaf of pretzel bread or pretzel buns.

I found this one on "How Sweet It Is."  Check them out !!!

http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/07/peach-bacon-gouda-grilled-cheese-sliders-on-pretzel-bread/