Healthy Snacks - Eight Good Foods You Can Make in Your Dorm Room

One of the most annoying parts about trying to eat healthy food in college is that there aren't a whole lot of things you can do with the cooking tools you can have in your dorm room. Here are a few healthy snacks that you can make with nothing but a hot pot, a microwave, and a toaster.
1. Bagels with cream cheese. This one's pretty obvious, and it's easy if you can have a toaster in your room. If you don't have a toaster with extra-wide slots, pick up the miniature bagels that will fit in a regular toaster. Try flavoring your cream cheese yourself with honey or cinnamon.
2. Hard-boiled eggs. These are really healthy snacks when you need some protein to stick with you through a boring afternoon class. All you have to do is use your hot pot and put the raw eggs in gently when the water is boiling. You may want to slide a couple of eggs into a plastic bag first to control the mess if the eggs crack open before they're done.
3. Oatmeal. This is a great snack when you have a carb craving, especially if you use the old-fashioned oats, which are a whole grain full of nutrients like iron. You can microwave even old-fashioned oatmeal. For a fruity kick, make it with apple cider instead of water, or make it with milk for a creamier flavor.
4. Trail mix. Buying actual trail mix can be pretty expensive, but you can buy nuts and dried fruit in bulk and mix up your own trail mix with the ingredients you like the most. If you need a treat, add some dark chocolate chips to the mix.
5. Ants on a Log. This fantastic elementary school snack is a good combination of fiber, protein, and carbs. Spread some peanut butter on a celery stick, and top it with a few raisins for ants.
6. Pita pizzas. This one is a little more complex, but it's still easy to do in your dorm room. Stock your fridge with a small jar of spaghetti sauce, some chopped pizza veggies, and some Italian-style shredded cheese. Spread your sauce on a whole wheat pita, add veggies and cheese, and nuke it for about a minute.
7. Roll ups. You can make a roll up out of just about anything. Lunch meat is a cheap option for adding protein to your diet. Spread some hummus or whatever else you like on a piece of lunch meat, roll it up into a cigar shape, and enjoy!
8. Pudding. When you need some satisfaction for your sweet tooth, grab some pudding packets from the grocery store and make your own pudding. The low sugar varieties don't have too many calories in them, and all you need is a bit of milk to mix up your own dorm room dessert.
These are all snacks that involve a bit of "putting-together," but you can keep a lot of other snacks in your room that don't need any work on your part. Pick up good cereals, whole pieces of fruit, veggies, and jerky for your dorm room so that you have a satisfying snack whenever you need one.

Crystal is the owner of GreekForMe - a fraternity and sorority Greek merchandise store that features licensed Chi Omega merchandise.
In her free time, she volunteers at her kids' school and also actively supports Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society.

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Red Vs White wine

Wine is a growing industry that has a long history. Since the taste varies depending on the climate, geography, grape, storage, and human labor, even wine experts cant predict any of next outcomes due to change on earth. People categorize wines mainly by Red and White wines. This categorization can be easily observed at the most of grocery stores, or on the menus at the restaurant. Despite the appearance (color) of wines, what is the true difference and similarity between two wines?

First, the difference between red and white wine can be observed obviously through the color. On the one hand, red wines have velvet, reddish ruby color, and white wine has a light brown color. The predominant color difference is from the kinds of grapes used and especially about the crushing process. The majority of wines are made from the red grapes, whether it is red or white wine, the process of fermentation – taking the skin off- is what accounts for the color of wine; therefore, white wines have almost no skin contacts with juice and grapes that have lots of skin contacts with juice causes to be a red wine. Interestingly, a white and red wine can be made from exactly the same grape.

From the previous paragraph, it can be assumed that how the skins of grapes affect the taste greatly. When a white wine is made, the seeds and skins are separated from the grape and the remaining pulp is crushed into vat and finally, with addition of yeast will make up the juice to be a white wine. When red wines are made, the whole grapes are combined into the crushing machine and everything sits in the fermentation vat for a period of time. The skin tends to rise to the surface of juice, and a winemaker frequently mixes them to have a better fermentation. After the repeated process, the red wines will stored in an oak barrel and usually white wines will be stored into a stainless steel container.

When wines are stored into different containers and barrels, variety of nutrition of enzymes join the wine. A red wine acquires tannin in process of the maceration (leaving juice, seeds, skins, and woody bits). Tannins are enzymes that contribute to the bitter and deep flavored taste on the red wine. White wines have sweeter and lighter taste than usual red wine because of the presence of less amount of tannin.

Both white and red wine has healthy nutritional values if one intakes recommended amount consumption. A glass of red wine is beneficial for our heart function. Red wines have rich source of antioxidants Antioxidant property help preventing the blood clod and plague formation on the arteries. A recent study from American Thoracic Society, Holgar Schunamman M.D., Ph.D. assistant professor of medicine and social preventive UB School, shows that drinking a white wine may keep lungs healthy. Also he notes that calcium, Iron, phosphorus, magnesium and variety of vitamins and abundant minerals are present in 3.5oz amount of wine.

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Cajun Food's Rich History

Cajun food has its roots in the deep south of Louisiana and Mississippi. This stereotypically spicy food is known around the country and world for its intense flavor, varying use of rice, and distinct, recognizable use of spices.
Origins
This unique cuisine was developed as low income workers made use of their available resources. In the deep south, this happened to be rice and sea food. Because they were so close to the Gulf of Mexico, farmers easily collected catfish, shrimp, crawfish, and oysters.
The Cajun Holy Trinity
One of the most important ingredients of a Cajun recipe is known as the "Holy Trinity." As the name implies, these three ingredients are essential for a quality, original Cajun recipe: celery, onions, and bell peppers. These ingredients were readily available to the farmers and poor workers who are hailed as the "inventors" of Cajun flavor.
Roux
Other parts of Cajun cuisine make use of garlic and other spices. A special ingredient in the creation of many Cajun foods is called "roux." Water, flour, and fat are combined to make a stew. Typically, seafood or chicken is added to the stew. This stew is very commonly served during special occasions, feasts, and celebrations such as Mardi Gras.
Creole- Cajun's Relative
A food that is very similar in style to Cajun is Louisiana Creole. This food was developed in the same area, around the same time as Cajun. However, it differs because of the influence of European cuisine on its development. Today, Creole is a much more upscale food served at fine dining establishments.
Cajun food can be found in the average city market as well as at finer facilities.
Influence of Cajun Food
Cajun food is world renowned for its interesting and tasty combination of spices, seafood, and other key ingredients. The tourism industry in the southern states of Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, and even Florida is fostered in part by the availability of Cajun foods. Many locals will note that the Cajun food varieties are some of the finest around, and attract the most visitors in that region of the country.

For more about Cajun food, including free recipes, visit the recipe page And http://www.explore-cajun-culture.com/cajun-recipes.html at Explore Cajun Culture.
Explore Cajun Culture is owned and built by Mary, a Cajun girl transplanted 500 miles from home. Still, she makes regular trips back to Cajun country to visit family and stock up on food essentials like roux, Cajun smoked sausage and boudin. Ramsy helps her out from time to time.

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Chicken - A High Protein Food

Thanks in large part to chicken's low price, low fat, and high versatility, the amount of chicken consumed in the United States has increased exponentially.

That wasn't always the case. Even though chicken is one of the oldest living species of animal, it was a rarity on the dinner table. Today, thanks to modern production methods, almost anyone can afford chicken. In fact, adjusted for inflation, chicken is only a third the price it was 40 years ago.

Chicken consumption also has increased because of increasing awareness of the need to reduce fat in the diet. Chicken, as long as the skin is not eaten, is generally lower in fat than most other types of meat. At least half of the fat in a chicken is in the skin.

The government grades chicken quality with USDA classifications A, B, and C, which are based on meatiness, appearance, and how intact the skin and bones are.

Grade A chickens, the highest grade, are usually found in markets. Grade B chickens are less meaty, and grade C birds are scrawnier yet. B- and C-graded chickens often are used for processed and packaged foods. The grade stamp can be found within a shield on the package wrapping, or sometimes on a tag attached to the bird's wing. Many ungraded chickens find their way to stores because grading is not mandatory.

Chickens called "broilers" are butchered at about 7 weeks of age, when they weigh between 2 and 4 pounds. The term "fryer" is often given to larger birds from this age range. "Roasting chickens" generally weigh more than 4 pounds and are slaughtered when they reach 10 weeks. "Stewing chickens" - also known as hens or boiling fowl - range in age from 10 to 18 months. They can weigh between 3 and 6 pounds. Generally, they are used for stews and soups because their meat is tougher.

Shoppers may also encounter other terms to describe chicken. A Rock Cornish hen (or game hen) is a chicken hybrid that weighs about 2 pounds when butchered. Because there is relatively little meat on the carcass, each hen is typically considered 1 serving.

Another type of chicken in stores is called free-range chicken. According to the USDA, this term means that the chicken was allowed to roam outdoors. Depending on the manufacturer, the chicken may or may not have been fed a vegetarian diet free of hormones, growth enhancers, and antibiotics. Some believe that this special treatment results in a fuller-flavored chicken. One thing certain is that it adds to the expense. Most free-range chickens are far more expensive per pound than regular chicken.

A tip for shoppers: larger chickens are a better buy because there is more flesh on the bones. With smaller chickens, you do not get as much meat and you pay for bones.

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Working on green tomatoes

tomatoe,vegetable,freshAfter a season of dedicated garden and growing a beautiful tomato plant, it can be disheartening to find that not all of our tomatoes became ripe. The good news is that you don't necessarily need to toss out all those green tomatoes. There are several methods you can employ to turn your green tomatoes into plump, red, ripe tomatoes. Although there are many methods, this article will describe the cardboard box method. It's a good method that can be used for a large number of unripened tomatoes, or even for one or two.

1. Prepare the tomatoes

It's important to bring your tomatoes inside before the first frost. Make sure you remove all stems and leaves from the tomatoes. If the tomato is still rock hard, then it is likely that it will never ripen - it will only rot. You definitely don't want rotten tomatoes, so either toss those out or use them in a green tomato recipe. Wrap each tomato in a piece of tissue paper or newspaper.

2. Prepare the box

You should line the bottom of the box with something soft so that the tomatoes don't bruise. You might use foam, but newspaper works quite well for this purpose.

3. Place the tomatoes

Carefully place the tomatoes in the cardboard box arranged in neat rows. You can put another layer of newspaper on top of the bottom layer, and add a second layer of tomatoes if you need room. Three layers will often bruise the bottom layer, so if you run out of room you should probably start with another box.

4. Ethylene

Ethylene is an organic hormone which will encourage your tomatoes to ripen. They often release it themselves, and if you have several tomatoes packed together they will encourage each other to ripen. However, you can also speed along this process by introducing a banana or an apple into the box.

5. Store the Box

The proper place from the box is in a cool room away from light. A bit of humidity is optimal.

6. Check every day

You need to check on your tomatoes at least once per day. Make sure that none of them have begun to rot. If one has, you should throw it out before it contaminates the others. Once your tomatoes are a bright red color, you can take them out of the box and enjoy.

Unfortunately, tomatoes don't always ripen according to our timetable. However, with a little patience you'll soon get to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

If your tomatoes become rotten, simply throw them into your waste bin. Glad trash bags are also good for securing rotten tomatoes.

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The Wonders Of Potatoes

Whats in a potato? Abundance. It is second only to rice in quantity consumed. Nutritionally speaking it has:

1. High water content and thus low-calories. A plain-boiled potato has only 78 calories about the same as a third of a bowl of rice, or one and a half slices of bread. However more calories are added when you deep-fry them.

2. Vitamin C. an astoundingly rich source of Vitamin C, potatoes are suitable option when fresh fruits are not available. On the other hand, the Vitamin C content varies with length of storage time and process of cooking.

Never store at home for too long as nutrients are at their maximum when fresh. Avoid peeling of the skin.

3. Other significant vitamins and minerals, the potato obtains wonderful amounts of the vitamins, iron, calcium and magnesium. Once more, much of the nutrients lie in or near the skin, so the best way of preserving these nutrients is to leave the potato unpeeled in cooking.

4. Lots of protein. The protein content in potatoes is similar to that of rice, wheat and other cereals and in fact, the quality is somewhat superior.

5. Food for the pregnant. Potatoes are frequently assured to be fattening and condemned as inappropriate for pregnant women trying not to increase weight. This is not true. Potatoes are only fattening when butter, cream or oil is added. In fact, since pregnant women must have as varied a diet as possible to guarantee a balance of nutrients, it makes good sense to eat potatoes at some meals.

When purchasing potatoes choose smooth-skinned which are dry and rot-tree avoid green coloring as the green skin of some varieties may obtain solanine, a poisonous stuff which causes skin rash.

Potatoes must be stored in a dry, well-ventilated place. Do not keep in the refrigerator. Cooked potatoes can be stored for up to three days however they do not freeze well.

Article from www.articlesnatch.com written by Zimmerman Cain

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