Rhubarb pastry

TIME 50 min

INGREDIENTS

1 cup fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 pound rhubarb stalks, thinly sliced diagonally (1/8 inch)

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17 1/4-ounces package), thawed

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

Accompaniment: vanilla ice cream

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.

Stir together orange juice, lime juice, and sugar in a bowl. Add rhubarb and let stand, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut pastry in half lengthwise, then roll out each piece into an 11-by 7-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Arrange pastry rectangles side by side on an ungreased large baking sheet.

Make a 1/2-inch border around each pastry rectangle by lightly scoring a line parallel to each edge (do not cut all the way through). Prick pastry inside border all over with a fork.

Strain rhubarb mixture through a sieve set over a bowl, reserving liquid. Top 1 pastry rectangle (within border) with half of rhubarb, overlapping slices slightly. Repeat with remaining pastry and rhubarb.

Bake until pastry is puffed and golden (underside of pastry should also be golden), about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil reserved rhubarb liquid in a small saucepan, skimming foam if necessary, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 15 to 18 minutes.

Transfer tarts to a rack. Brush rhubarb and pastry with glaze and sprinkle with zest.

Demerara pastry

TIME45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cold whole milk

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, divided

1/2 cup dried currants

Demerara or turbinado sugar (for sprinkling)

Flaky sea salt (for sprinkling)

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk milk, granulated sugar, and kosher salt in a medium bowl until sugar and salt dissolve. Whisk flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Cut 10 Tbsp. butter into 1/2" cubes, add to flour mixture, and blend with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until pea-size pieces form with some larger chunks remaining. Add milk mixture and stir with a fork until large clumps form. Gently knead in the bowl until dough just comes together. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface.

With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough to a 14x8" rectangle, with long side facing you. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter in a small, microwave-proof bowl in the microwave until softened but not melted, about 20 seconds. Spread evenly over dough with fingertips, then sprinkle currants evenly on top and press to adhere. Fold up bottom third of dough over center, then fold down top third to meet bottom edge, as if folding a letter. Fold in half crosswise, then, using a rolling pin, gently flatten into an 8x4" rectangle.

Cut dough in half lengthwise and in quarters crosswise to form 8 even squares. Transfer to prepared pan, spacing 2" apart. Sprinkle tops generously with demerara sugar and lightly with flaky sea salt.

Bake until scones are golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When butter bubbles, remove from heat and skim off foam from surface. As soon as the scones come out of the oven, lightly brush tops with clarified butter, leaving behind white solids in bottom of saucepan. Cool scones on sheet on a wire rack and serve hot, warm, or room temperature.

DO AHEAD:

Rolled and cut scone dough can be frozen in an airtight container up to 2 days. Bake directly from the freezer, increasing baking time as needed. Scones can be made 6 hours ahead-let cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Sourdough Recipes Galore: Whole Wheat Crackers

Recipe type: Bread

 

Ingredients

1 c. "discarded" sourdough starter

¼ c. coconut oil or softened butter

1 c. whole wheat or spelt flour, or as much as you need to make a stiff dough

½ tsp. sea salt

Olive oil for brushing

Coarse salt (such as kosher salt) for sprinkling on top

Equipment:

Large mixing bowl

Plastic Wrap

Baking sheet and a Silpat type non-stick baking mat OR parchment paper OR baking stone

Rolling Pin

Pastry Brush (optional)

Pizza Cutter

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the sourdough and the oil and mix thoroughly.

Mix the salt in with ¼ cup flour and add to the sourdough mixture. Knead it all together in the bowl, adding as much flour as necessary to make a stiff dough.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap or put a lid on the bowl to prevent it from drying out.

Leave the dough at room temperature for at least seven hours.

Seven or more hours later, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Take a small portion of the dough (about ¼ cup) and roll it out on a Silpat or other nonstick baking mat using a rolling pin, until it is very thin.

Pour a little bit of olive oil on the rolled out dough and spread it to the edges of the dough with a pastry brush or your hand.

Sprinkle liberally with coarse salt. (these with fine sea salt really wasn’t as good as the kosher salt!)

Cut the dough vertically and horizontally into quadrangles with a pizza cutter.

Transfer the Silpat onto your baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until just golden brown. Repeat in batches.

The crackers shrink a little bit in the oven, so when you pull out your baking sheet, they will already be separated and you don’t have to try and transfer the delicate dough from one surface to another.

UPDATE: For extra crispy crackers, If you have space and baking stones to suffice, simply turn the oven off with the crackers still inside. They’ll crisp up just lovely as it cools down. 

NOTE: Do not use this method with an electric oven, as it will still create heat even once turned off. You’d have to let quite a bit of heat out by leaving the door open for a few minutes, then check the crackers every 10 minutes or so until they’re crispy but not burnt.

Notes

* This dough freezes well and you can easily defrost one or two batches at a time so that you can have fresh crackers every day! I made a double batch of dough and let it “soak.” Then I divided it into eight equal portions which I shaped into balls and then froze. It takes 1-2 hours for the dough to defrost. Then place it on your Silpat or baking stone and continue with the recipe.

Recipe by Kitchen Stewardship 

Watercress: The Miracle Food Watercress is called Sai Yeong Choy in Cantonese

UK Scientists say watercress is the new super food, able to prevent certain types of cancer. According to a study published this week in The British Journal of Nutrition, the consumption of a three ounce portion of watercress reduced the presence of a key tumor growth factor six to eight hours after eating the watercress in healthy patients who had previously been treated for breast cancer.  

The study was conducted by the Cancer Research Center at the School of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital in the United Kingdom and concluded watercress is as therapeutic as traditional drug treatments with tamoxifen & herceptin, commonly used chemotherapy drugs.

 

The study also said that through regular consumption, watercress "has the potential to confer valuable protection against cancer in general." "Watercress has the ability to turn off HIF1, a signal sent out by cells calling for blood supply," said noted aging scientist Dr. Nicholas Perricone. 

When HIF1 becomes incorrectly regulated, otherwise harmless precancerous clusters of cells have the opportunity to grow to form invasive tumors.  "Scientists have been looking for anti-angiogenesis agents for years because if we can turn off the blood supply, we can kill the cancer," said Perricone.  "And it looks like watercress can do that." 

Another study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in February of 2007 showed that, in addition to reducing DNA damage, a daily dose of watercress increased the ability of cells to further resist DNA damage that may be caused by free radicals.

In the study, 60 men and women, half of whom were smokers, consumed their usual diet plus 85 grams of raw watercress daily for eight weeks. Blood samples were analyzed for plasma antioxidant status and DNA damage in lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. Watercress consumption significantly reduced lymphocyte DNA damage. In the time of the Romans, Greeks and Persians watercress was used as a natural medicine, prescribed for migraines, anemia, eczema, kidney and liver disorder and tuberculosis.      

HOW TO STOP SNORING

Approximately 90 million people in the United States are affected from snoring. It can bother you during sleeping and your partner too.

When the structures in the throat are relaxed, they are making noise. It is assumed as sleeping disarray, which can lead to serious medical and social effect.

You will need to undertake some steps if you suffer from this problem, because your nights will not be as restful and peaceful as they should be.

There are many products that should ease this problem, yet none of them has proven successful. You can’t find a cure for snoring, you need to make some changes in your lifestyle, and some homemade remedies can assist you in controlling it.

The top 10 remedies for snoring:

1. Peppermint

The peppermint has anti-inflammatory properties, which will decrease swelling of the membranes in the lining of the throat and nostrils, therefore you will have eased and smooth breathing. This remedy is very efficient against temporarily snoring caused by allergy, a dry or cold air.

Mix one or two drops of peppermint oil with a glass of water and gargle it before sleeping. Do this constantly every day until you have results.

If your snoring is a result of dry air and congestion, all you need to do is to add several drops of peppermint oil to a humidifier half an hour before sleeping. Run it over night, and this will open your airways.

Rub some peppermint oil into the lower section of each side of your nose before sleeping.

2. Olive oil

Olive oil is good against inflammations, soothes the tissues of respiratory passages and decreases the swelling to ensure a clear streaming for air. It will decrease soreness. Using this remedy regularly will lessen the vibration in the throat, which stops the snoring.

Before going to bed, take two or three sips of olive oil.

Melt half teaspoon of olive oil and honey and consume it daily before sleeping.

3. Steam

One of the main reasons behind snoring is nasal obstruction. The best way to reduce obstruction is inhaling steam.

Fill a large bowl with boiling water

Put few drops of eucalyptus essential oil, or tea tree essential oil

Inhale the steam deeply for 10 minutes through your nose. Hold a towel over your head.

Implement this process every day before sleeping, until obstruction is cleared.

4. Clarified Butter

To free your obstructed nasal channels use clarified butter, also known as ghee. You will snore less and sleep far better.

Put a small amount of clarified butter in the microwave and warm it slightly

Put two or three drops of tepid clarified butter in each nostril, using a dropper.

Do this every night before sleeping, and every morning after waking up.

5. Cardamom

It’s very efficient in opening obstructed nasal channels because of its expectorant and decongestant properties. Using cardamom will cause less snoring.

Apply one-half teaspoon of cardamom powder in a glass of warm water

Consume it half an hour before sleeping

Do this every day and you will decrease your snoring step by step

6. Turmeric

Because of its antiseptic and antibiotic properties, turmeric is very effective against inflammation and will assist in decreasing heavy snoring. In order to treat snoring, use turmeric with milk.

Mix two teaspoons of turmeric powder with a glass of warm milk.

Drink it half an hour before sleeping

Do this procedure daily

This drink will allow you to breathe easier while sleeping and will bolster your immune system.

7. Nettle

If the snoring appears at a particular time of year, it’s maybe caused by any seasonal allergy that evokes inflammation on the nasal channels. Treat this temporary snoring with nettle because of its anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties.

Whisk one tablespoon with one cup of boiling water

Allow it to rest for five minutes and then strain it

Drink the tea before sleeping

You will prevent snoring by drinking few cups of nettle leaf tea daily in allergy season.

8. Garlic

Garlic will decrease assembling the slime in your nasal channels, also the inflammation in the respiratory system. If you have sinus obstruction, garlic will help you.

Masticate couple of garlic cloves. Drink a glass of water. Do this every night before sleeping.

Use garlic in your cooking, and eat your food while it’s still hot.

9. Honey

Honey will diminish your inflammation and swelling in your throat area that blocks your airways. Honey will prevent snoring by greasing your throat.

Apply one tablespoon of honey in a glass of warm water and drink it before sleeping

Use honey to sweeten your herbal teas

10. Chamomile

Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, chamomile will assist in stopping your snoring. It acts as a nerve and muscle relaxant, thus will ease tensed muscles and nerves.

Apply one tablespoon of chamomile flowers in one cup of water and boil it for 15 minutes

After straining it add one teaspoon of honey

Drink the tea before sleeping

You can use the following tips:

Overweight people are having extra tissue in the throat that causes snoring. If you are overweight, it’s better for you to start losing some weight.

Sleep on your side. When you are sleeping on your back you are obstructing your airways with your tongue, which rests against the back of your throat.

Keep your head raised about 5-6 inches from your bad. Use extra pillows. This will disable the tissues in your throat to obstruct your air passages.

In order to breathe easier while sleeping, use nasal strips.

Alcohol depresses your nervous system, which causes snoring. Elude drinking alcohol two hours before sleeping.

If you sing before sleeping you will improve muscle control of the soft palate and upper throat.

If you are a smoker, it’s better to quit it. It irritates the lining of the nasal cavity and throat, which bolsters swelling and snoring.

You will eradicate snoring by implementing these natural preventive treatments along with any tips from above.

Source : healthyfoodteam

HERE IS HOW TO PREVENT THE DEADLIEST OF ALL TYPES OF CANCER – PANCREAS CANCER

Science should reveal factors that cause pancreatic cancer, although some studies have already shown that meat products and red meat play an important role.

It has been found that men who eat two pieces of bacon or one sausage a day have 19% more chances to develop pancreatic cancer than those who do not eat such products. The percentage rose to 29% when respondents ate 120 grams of red meat.

Pancreatic cancer is among the fastest growing diseases and is diagnosed in more than 4000 people during 2015. Pancreatic cancer kills more than any other form of cancer because it cannot be detected while in its early stage. 74% of the patients die in the first year and only 7% of patients live more than five years.

Another study, published in the journal BMC Medicine in 2013, measured the rate of occurrence of this disease in groups of respondents who ate poultry, red meat and processed meat. Research has shown very strong links between the consumption of processed meat and cancer and cardiovascular disease.

But the results were not conclusive when it comes to unprocessed red meat and poultry. Experts have concluded that processed meat is associated with a high rate of mortality and 3.3% of deaths could be prevented if you eat less than 20 grams of processed meat every day.

In these studies there is one key factor, namely nitrates are added in meat as a preservative, and they also gives the red color of meat. Studies have shown that nitrates are associated with cancer, and it is an important factor given that bacon and other processed meat products cause cancer of the pancreas and other cancers.

With the growth in the number of cancer patients, science continues to look for the causes. The link between pancreatic cancer and processed red meat requires serious research. The risk of this type of cancer can simply be reduced only with carefully selected food we eat.

Even though much more research needs to be done in order to further confirm the link between pancreatic cancer and meat, we still have more than enough information.

Healthy diet represents a good basis for our overall health. Pay enough attention to what you eat and only occasionally enjoy processed meat, such as bacon.

Source : healthyfoodstar

50 Surprising, Beautiful Things You Can Do With Vaseline In 5 Minutes!

You might not have been aware, but Vaseline is a widely used product by almost all modern women in the world. Moreover, Vaseline is 100% harmless and it is safe for your hair, skin and nails.

We present you 50 tricks with the help of Vaseline:

1. Apply Vaseline onto your eyelashes before going to sleep. This trick will make your lashes grow longer and thicker.

2. Massage your feet with Vaseline before you go to bed, put on socks and when you wake up in the morning your feet will be smoother than ever!

3. Apply Vaseline on your elbows every day and they will maintain their softness.

4. Put Vaseline on your cuticles, several times per day, and you will have softer and better looking cuticles.

5. Apply Vaseline if your lips are cracked.

6. You can use Vaseline instead of lip gloss. Moreover, it makes your lips fuller and gives a great shine.

7. If you mix a bit of Vaseline with a bit of Kool-Aid powder, you can make yourself a colored and flavored lip gloss!

8. Melt Vaseline and one chocolate chip in the microwave, then mix them and leave it to resolidify.  Afterwards, you will have a new lip gloss which can make your lips softer than plain Vaseline does.

9. Rub a bit of Vaseline on the area where you spray your perfume and when you apply your perfume, the scent will last longer!

10. Vaseline is also great for people who experience acnes. Moreover, it does not clog pores, as some people think, but fills the gaps in lipid barriers, which is what is needed for glowing, even skin.

11. Vaseline can be used as a moisturizer of severely dried skin.

12. If you apply Vaseline on your knees, you will prevent the dry, ashy look and your legs will glow!

13. Mix Vaseline with sea salt and make a scrub. It feels and it goes great with a steamy shower.

14. In order to prevent your lips from sticking to your teeth, just apply a bit of Vaseline on your teeth.

15. You can also apply it onto the lips to prevent the teeth from sticking to the lips.

16. It is great for a shoulder massage.

17. When warmed up, it makes an excellent night cream.

18. It can be used as makeup remover. Just soak a Q-tip into Vaseline and gently rub off any makeup.

19. If you experience trouble with your face during cold winter days, put a bit of Vaseline before leaving your home. It will act as a protector of your skin from any influences of the cold weather.

20. If you apply Vaseline before eye shadow, you will create a shiny effect.

21. Apply it onto your cheeks for a youthful look.

22. Use it after shaving to soothe and smooth your skin.

23. It is also used in manicures and it is applied under the cuticles so that the fingers are less sore and your nail beds will look great.

24. You can apply Vaseline if you have problems with scaly lines that appear onto your skin from washing. What’s more, Vaseline fills the lines with vitamins and lowers the scaly effect.

25. Vaseline lubricates the ear lobes and makes earring insertion more easy and painless.

26. It strengthens the fingernails since it provides them with the necessary vitamins for staying strong.

27. Use Vaseline together with your lipstick and make a cream blusher for the cheeks. However, make sure that the lipstick is organic so that you can use it anywhere on your face.

28. Helps you unstuck rings.

29. Tames unruly eyebrows. Use a clean lash wand and comb the brows.

30. If you want to avoid using mascara (sweating, vigorous activity, etc.), using a clean lash wand and a bit of Vaseline will give your lashes a more natural and defined dark look.

31. If you want your hair to be shinier than ever, rub a dime-sized drop of Vaseline through the scalp before shampooing.

32. Prevents chaffing. Just apply a little bit of Vaseline instead of lotion, onto the sensitive areas prone to chaffing, and you do not have to worry about this problem anymore.

33. It is beneficial for women who underwent cosmetic surgery procedures. Moreover, it helps with the healing process.

34. If you experience scaling and itching due to dandruff, just rub a bit of Vaseline onto your scalp before shampooing.

35. Has a therapeutic effect in lesions caused by poison ivy.

36. It is highly recommended for people who suffer from atopic eczema.

37. Keeps new tattoos clean and healthy. Moreover, it gives you a nice and cool feeling when you rub it onto a newly tattooed area.

38. If you have problems with blotches or burning sensation during dying, apply a bit of Vaseline around the hairline and onto the ears before dying. It is 100% harmless and effective.

39. Use a cotton cloth with a bit of Vaseline on it, and use it to clean your shoes and they will shine as new.

40. If you opt for a messy hair look, then smear a little bit of Vaseline on your fingers and scrunch through the hair.

41. Apply a bit of Vaseline onto the hair ends to hide dry and split ends.

42. It will help you clean makeup stains from clothes. Just rub Vaseline on your clothes and rinse it and the stain will disappear.

43. If you rub Vaseline onto the neck of the nail polish bottles, they will not get stuck to the caps.

44. Make your old nail polish, new again. Just rub a small dab over the polished fingers.

45. If you mix a bit of Vaseline with powder eye shadow pigment, you can make new colors, or a more solid eye shadow to create richer color and texture.

46. Stretch your lotion by blending it with Vaseline.

47. Apply little bit of Vaseline on the lips, leave it for few minutes and then scrub off the lips with a toothbrush gently and they will be smoother than ever.

48. Remove false eyelash glue from the lash line. It makes this process painful.

49. Apply Vaseline on the dry spots of the body before you apply tanning lotions and you will prevent uneven tanning.

50. Apply it all over the body during flights to fight off associated dryness.

Video: http://youtu.be/1YuHHneR3j8