It’s hard to find easy after school snacks for kids. These
cereal bar recipes are easy to make and made from your children’s
favorite breakfast cereals.

Rice Krispies Treats

2/3 c. butter

1 pkg. (10 oz., about 40) large marshmallows or 4 c. miniature
marshmallows

6 c. Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal

Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and
stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in cereal
until well coated. Press mixture into buttered 13×9x2-inch baking
dish. Cut into squares.

Variations: Instead of Rice Krispies, use Cocoa Krispies, Lucky
Charms, or Fruity Pebbles.

Peanut Treats: Add 1 cup salted peanuts with cereal.

Peanut Butter Treats: Stir 1/4 cup peanut butter into marshmallow
mixture just before adding cereal.

Gummy Worm Marshmallow Bars: Add 1 c. gummy worms, cut in half,
when stirring in cereal.

Captain Crunch Peanut Butter Cookies

2 c. Captain Crunch peanut butter cereal

2 c. Rice Krispies

1-1/2 pounds white almond bark

2 c. salted peanuts

2 c. colored marshmallows

Melt marshmallows and almond bark in saucepan over low heat and
pour over cereals and peanuts. Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper
or put in 9×13-inch (buttered) pan and cut into squares.

Special K Bars

1/2 c. light Karo syrup

1/2 c. sugar

3/4 c. peanut butter

3 c. Special K cereal

Mix Karo syrup, sugar, and peanut butter in a large saucepan.
Heat until boiling. Mix in Special K. Press mixture into buttered
9×9-in. baking dish. Cool and cut into squares.

Topping:

1 c. butterscotch chips

1 c. chocolate chips

Melt chips together and spread over bars. If too thick to spread,
add a little milk until desired consistency.

Cheerio Bars

1/2 c. peanut butter

Friends, Romans, Whiskey Lovers. After drinking in round one and round two of our whiskey lesson, we move onto the third and final round: American Whiskey. Now, it may seem that it’s a patriotic ploy on my part to dedicate an entire article to American Whiskey – particularly when whiskies from other countries shared pages with each other – but I assure you it is only due to the vastness American Whiskey contains. Hey, if you don’t believe me, take it up with Jim and Jack.

American Whiskey comes in both blended and straight forms. Both types possess individual rules and regulations and, perhaps most importantly, unique tastes.

Tennessee Whiskey: A Gemini, this whiskey hails from its namesake and enjoys long walks on the beach and being made of corn. Tennessee Whiskey is similar to Bourbon in composition, at least fifty one percent must be maize based. It must then be aged in new barrels, usually for at least four years.

The main difference between Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey is that the latter is put through a filtering method called the Lincoln County Process. During this process, whiskey is filtered through a maple charcoal prior to aging. Ultimately, this gives Tennessee Whiskey a flavor that is highly removed from Bourbon. Today, Jack Daniels and George Dickel are the two Tennessee Whiskeys available.

Bourbon: Typically known as Kentucky’s drink, Bourbon must be made up of at least 51 percent corn, but usually contains near 70 percent. The remaining ingredients include wheat, malted barely, or rye. Many Bourbons are aged for four years, but, by law, they must be aged for at least two years to be considered “Straight.”

Presently, the vast majority of Bourbon is made in Kentucky. It can, however, be made anywhere it is not illegal to distill spirits. Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri, and Virginia all serve as states where Bourbon was once produced. The latter, Virginia, still produces some on occasion.

Corn Whiskey: The corniest whiskey around, corn whiskey is composed of at least 80 percent maize (no, this does not count towards the food pyramid’s required servings of vegetables). The Dick Clark of whiskey, Corn Whiskey does not have to age. If it is aged, the aging is short, usually around six months.

This aging, or lack there of, is the main difference between Bourbon and Corn Whiskey. Bourbon must be aged in charred, new barrels whereas Corn Whiskey – if it’s aged – must be placed in either used barrels, or uncharred oak barrels.

Moonshine: It’s hard to think about Prohibition without thinking about Moonshine. Slang for alcohol distilled at home, Moonshine likely got its name from being made, delivered, and distributed under darkness, when law enforcement wasn’t as vigilant. During times when alcohol was outlawed, Moonshine was particularly popular and smuggled into homes and businesses.

Typically thought of as a very strong spirit, Moonshine is made when sugar is fermented by yeast and ethanol is produced. The alcohol is then separated through distillation. Since the process was initially illegal, Moonshine wasn’t usually aged and sometimes contained toxins and lacked purity. Presently, it is still produced, mainly in Virginia.

So, there you have it. Go out and order Bourbon or a Jim Beam (try to stay away from the Moonshine) and make whiskey your own. Except if our paths cross: in that case, buy a round for me and make whiskey my own.

Jennifer Jordan is an editor and staff writer for whatsknottolove.com whatsknottolove.com. At home in a design firm in Denver, Colorado, she writes articles specific to the finer things in life.

At the end of last week, after finishing a wine article on Riesling, I felt a little guilty, bad that I had left red wine out of the limelight. For a while, I shook this feeling off - I mean, I can’t possibly talk about all wine types at all times. But, as I soon felt a bottle of red wine powerfully tapping me on the shoulder and angrily uttering, “Ahem,” I gave in and decided I would do for red what I did for white. Easy there Pahlmeyer Napa, you had me at merlot.

One of the most well known wines around, merlot has a permanent reservation in restaurants and bars all over the world. A wine that translates to mean “young blackbird,” this French name was given either because of the grape’s dark color or to describe the blackbirds liking of it, a liking that may have been discovered when they were heard repeatedly slurring their chirps.

As most wine lovers know, wine has been around for centuries and merlot is no exception. It is believed that merlot traces its roots back to a man in 1784 Bordeaux, France who, upon consuming it, quickly named it as one of the best. By the 1800’s, the merlot grape was planted in several wine regions of France and eventually made it to Italy and Switzerland.

These days, merlot is a staple wine in several areas. Wearing the bronze medal, it is the third most planted grape in the French regions and the fifth most in Italy. It is also produced in Romania, Australia, Argentina, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, Croatia, Hungary, Montenegro, Slovenia, and the US, particularly in California, Washington, and Long Island. Though produced in Chile, Chilean merlot’s reputation went bad when it was discovered that their “merlot” was accidentally “merlot and carmenere.” Since this discovery, Chilean winemakers have worked to correct their mistake.

Merlot is often evaluated against other wines, including cabernet sauvignon and Pinot Noir. Though this may play a role in wine rivalry - as one wine calls the others incredibly spoiled - it also provides means of comparison. For instance, when it comes to cabernet sauvignon, merlot grapes are usually made up of larger berries in looser bunches. They aren’t quite as black and blue, have thinner skin, less tannins, and a higher sugar content. Merlot grapes also often ripen two weeks earlier, leaving bottles of merlot to brag to bottles of cabernet sauvignon about their higher level of maturity.

Merlot tastes quite similar to cabernet sauvignon - according to Karen MacNeil’s Wine Bible the two are often confused with each other during blind tastings. Like cabernet, merlot maintains flavors of blackberries, cherries, plumbs, and chocolate. But, merlots also possess a rich and ample softness that many cabernets are without.

When it comes to Pinot Noir, merlot has some similar flavors, such as baked cherries, but Pinot is generally much more supple, much lighter, more sensual, and not as tannic as merlot. Pinot Noir is also a much, much bigger fan of the movie Sideways.

One of the best qualities about merlot is its ability to get along with all different types of food. It’s great for a beef stew, a roast, baked lamb chops, chili, red sauced pastas, hamburgers, and even salad. It goes well with such a variety of dishes that many people simply serve merlot when they are afraid to serve something else. It’s generally thought of as a safe bet.

So, there you have it: merlot in a (grape) nut shell. This should keep the red wines happy ……..at least for a while. Who knows what will happen when I come out and say there is such a thing as white merlot: hopefully I won’t get stabbed with a corkscrew; I’m kind of a bleeder.

Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor at savoreachglass.com savoreachglass.com. With a vast knowledge of wine etiquette, she writes articles on everything from how to hold a glass of wine to how to hold your hair back after too many glasses. Ultimately, she writes her articles with the intention that readers will remember wine is fun and each glass of anything fun should always be savored.

As a follow up to my last article, “Essential Wine Accessories” I thought it would be interesting to touch on a few accessories that may not be quite so essential but are fun or handy to have regardless.

Wine pourers are traditionally made from clear plastic and fit into the neck of a bottle of wine. The pouring surface is designed to prevent dripping when pouring, for those with an unsteady hand, by returning any excess wine back to the bottle. This can be very handy for those interested in preventing red wine stains on any item of furniture that is not already red in color!

Decanters allow red wine to breathe, enhancing flavor and bouquet. Typically created from glass or crystal, decanters have a narrow neck, which leads to a very wide base. This wide base allows more of the wine to come in contact with the air, letting it breathe before consumption. Decanters are not a necessity but are a practical addition for those interested in enhancing the flavor of their red wine.

A bottle tote is also a practical accessory to have when going out on a picnic or to bring a cold bottle of wine to a dinner party. Usually made from neoprene (the same material diving wetsuits are made from), bottle totes can keep a bottle cool for hours, something handy if you are going to be out and don’t want that nice chilled bottle of Sauvignon Blanc to warm up before you have had a chance to drink it.

How many times have you been at a dinner party and have had to juggle your plate and your glass? Mingling plates are the perfect solution for those dinner or cocktail parties when a third hand is essential. With a slot and hole on the side of the plate, a wine glass stem can be inserted so that the glass is resting on the side of the plate. This leaves your hand free to eat without needing to balance a glass in your hand or setting it down on a table.

My personal favorite not so essential accessory is a wine chiller or wine refrigerator. Wine chillers can come in a variety of colors, finishes and capacities to fit your desires. Usually they are small enough to fit on or under a kitchen counter and most have gauges, which allow you to set the chilling temperature according to the type of wine being chilled. That way if you are using your wine refrigerator to store and chill red wine (because red wine should best be served at a temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit), the temperature can be adjusted so that bottles are not chilled as if they were white!

The list of wine accessories can appear to be endless, and to write about them all in this article would take too long and bore you to death. So I hope that the few I have touched upon are helpful in deciding which not so necessary wine accessories are more necessary than others.

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Ken Finnigan - CEO
finestwineracks.com Finest Wine Racks

Did you know that there are tons antioxidants in coffee? In fact, the number one source of antioxidants in the American diet is coffee. This follows a growing number of reports of even more potential health benefits of drinking coffee.

According to a new study by researchers at the University Of Scranton PA., Americans get more of their antioxidants from drinking coffee than any other dietary source and nothing else even comes close.

The research team analyzed the antioxidant content of more than 100 different food items, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils and common beverages.

The results are surprising because it represents the first time that coffee has been shown to be the primary source of antioxidants. Fruits and vegetables are generally promoted as good sources of antioxidants but coffee has now topped the list of high antioxidant foods.

So what are antioxidants? Antioxidants are substances that help protect cells in the body against damage acting as a defense against oxidative damage. Some of the sources of oxidants are cigarette smoke, air pollutants, radiation and tissue inflammation.

The role of an antioxidant is to help reduce oxidation reactions and thus reduce damage to body tissues. Antioxidants have been linked to a number of potential health benefits, including protection against heart disease and most forms of cancer.

Chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and melanoidins are all the types of antioxidants found in coffee. N-methylpyridinium, found in coffee, has also been identified as an anti-oxidant.

Several studies have shown that a sufficient intake of dietary antioxidants, including drinking coffee, may help in preventing or postponing the onset of degenerative diseases.

Coffee is one of a number of drinks that contain a high antioxidant content. Antioxidants are also found in tea, cocoa and red wine. But there are four times more antioxidants in coffee than in tea.

Even though the thought that antioxidants in coffee could reduce the risk of heart disease and other diseases, the reality is we all drink coffee because we enjoy the taste as well as the caffeine boost we all have grown accustomed to. But for coffee lovers it never hurts to know that the high antioxidants in coffee are actually good for you.

This article is supplied by best-coffee-makers-online.com Best-Coffee-Makers-Online.com where you can easily shop and compare coffee makers so you can purchase exactly what you’re looking for at great values.

Well we all know that Valentines Day is the day of lovers and a day for giving gifts to those you care about but why is chocolate still the most popular gift given on Valentines Day? Why is chocolate is so closely associated with romance?

Since chocolate was brought to Europe it has been considered the food of love. Stories of its properties as an aphrodisiac for the aristocrats were well known. The Spanish who brought it to Europe learnt about chocolate from the Aztecs. It was however a European tradition that each year on the 14th of February young men would court young ladies with flowers and gifts and because back then chocolate was rare and expensive it wasn’t long before this was the favourite gift given by the rich and aristocratic who were able to provide this for the object of their affections. It wasn’t long however before the secret of chocolate got out and soon chocolate houses were opening up across Europe, the best of which were and still are in Belgium. Belgium’s best Chocolatier Neuhaus Chocolates was founded in 1857 and although the are the official provider of chocolate to the Belgian Royal Family these days even chocolate as good as theirs is affordable so that everyone can enjoy them. More importantly they are affordable enough that you can give them to those you care about on Valentines Day and any other day of the year.

Well why is chocolate still so popular as a Valentines gift, is it just the marketing? Well, since Valentines Day was exported to the USA it has been used to market everything from wrapping paper and cuddly toys to expensive items such as jewellery. However why is it that the historical connection between chocolate and Valentines day has lasted the years? Well it seems there is more to it than just the, sweet, mouth watering feeling you get as it melts in your mouth leaving you wanting more and more… Scientists now know that like coffee and tea, chocolate affects the chemical reactions already taking place in our brains. Unlike coffee and tea however is not only a stimulant, it contains phenyl-ethylamine which is known to stimulate the release of dopamine in the brain released chocolate excites our pleasure centres and creates a feeling of Euphoria and increases the heart rate similar to that of a person in love or at the peak of an orgasm both of which should go down well with the recipient of your gift.

Now, despite all its psychotropic properties and ancient reputation, chocolate will probably not make a woman fall in love with you but giving her something so delightful will definitely put you in her good books… Chocolate will also stimulate men’s pleasure centres so ladies don’t be shy to by a box for your man, who knows what reaction you might get…

Shalin Popat
neuhaus-chocolates.com neuhaus-chocolates.com

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Chocolate gift boxes can be purchased at neuhaus-chocolates.com/index.asp-Q-ItemList-E-gift-boxes–31294978 neuhaus-chocolates.com/index.asp-Q-ItemList-E-gift-boxes–31294978

People who are diabetic are not the only people who pay attention to the Glycemic Index (GI). The Glycemic index measures different types of carbohydrates and how fast the foods you eat raise blood sugar levels.

Choosing foods that are low on the Glycemic index, such as sugarless candy and natural chocolates with no sugar, can result in weight loss. Sugarless candy causes little if any fluctuation in blood sugar and insulin levels. In contrast, white flour bread, which is not healthy, has a high GI of 70. White flour would have a rapid effect on blood sugar levels.

Fill up on low sugar treats

It’s important to keep your blood sugar stabilized by eating sugarless candy and natural chocolate for treats because taking a trip to the candy store and filling up on high-sugar treats can raise your appetite.

According to experts, foods fall into three general categories when it comes to the Glycemic Index. Low GI foods, with a GI of 54 or less, cause a slight rise in blood sugar, while Intermediate index foods with a GI of 55-69 cause a medium rise in blood sugar.

Finally, high GI foods with a GI of 70 or more cause a rapid rise in blood sugar. Tuna has a 0 GI, and has no significant carbohydrate content and, thus, no effect on blood sugar levels.

Combine protein and starches

Most experts say you can have a lower the GI if you combine a high GI food, such as doughnuts, with a low GI food, such as chicken.

An apple, which has a lot of fiber, has a low GI of 38, so you would be able to eat an apple solo instead of part of a meal.

But when you eat sugarless candy and chocolates that do not contain added sugar, you don’t have to worry about a rapid rise in blood sugar. Not only will you have satisfied your sweet tooth, you will have tricked your body by indulging in a healthy, natural sugarless candy.

Fred Goldman is the Founder of D-lectable. His company imports and manufactures high-quality,

Although this may seem like a joke to many, a study has been carried out in the US and published in the Journal of the American Heart Association regarding lowering your blood pressure levels by eating dark chocolate. It has been found that one bar of dark chocolate is more than enough to lower a persons blood pressure in a natural and enjoyable way and it also been found that it helps to improve the bodies insulin resistance.

It has already been discovered that foods which are rich in flavinols are great for lowering blood pressure. Flavinols are known in the medical fields as a natural antioxidant and things that we already consume containing these antioxidants are tea and red wine and from now dark chocolate can be added to the list.

The study that was carried out at the University of L’Aguila in Italy was pretty simple and was being specially researched to find ways of lowering people’s blood pressure, so this wasn’t an accidental discovery. There were 20 people who participated in the study, 10 men, 10 women and all of them were suffering from high blood pressure. The people taking part were not taking any particular medications or following any specific treatments for helping to reduce their blood pressures. They also did not suffer from any other diseases and none of them smoked. To ensure that this experiment was correctly run so that the results would show a visible lowering of the participant’s blood pressure they were asked to not have any chocolate for 2 weeks.

They first divided up the 20 people into two groups, one group was asked to consume dark chocolate whilst the other had to consume white chocolate only. The amount they consumed each day was the same (3.5oz daily) and which they ate for 15 days. There was then a weeks break with them not consuming any flavinol foods during that week and then the next week the two groups swapped the type of chocolate they were to consume (those eating white would eat dark, and those eating dark would eat white). It was found that the white chocolate was the perfect control food for this study as it contained all the same ingredients as the dark chocolate except for the flavinol.

It was found that there was a significant lowering of the blood pressure in the group who consumed the dark chocolate for 15 days and none at all in the group eating the white chocolate. It was also found that the treatment not only helped to lower blood pressure, but there was a reduction in insulin resistance of the group eating dark chocolate as well. Also they found that cholesterol levels were decreased in this group by 10% also. But the group which was eating the white chocolate shows no signs of either the blood pressure or cholesterol levels lowering, in fact they stayed the same as at the beginning of the study.

Although the best and natural ways of lowering blood pressure is still and exercise and improve your diet and removing all non-natural and medications from your diet. But none of this can be replaced by just eating dark chocolate, in fact it is recommended that you eat a small bar of dark chocolate occasionally as it is rich in flavinols which help to lower blood pressure, Don’t forget it tastes great and is also helping your heart.

Allison Thompson a work from home mum living in Spain who has set up this site dedicated to all things relating to chocolate, both the good and the bad. If you would like to know more then please visit chocolate.whatshewants.info chocolate.whatshewants.info.

People, for good or ill, have for thousands of years turning to alcoholic beverages to enhance their celebrations and to comfort them in sorrowful or frightening times. An as the 21st century unfolds, with its high-speed, high-tech, and climatically changing future, the need of the soothing effects of alcohol does not seem likely to decrease any time soon.

Wine, of course, is the alcoholic beverage with the most mystical past, from its days when the god of wine Bacchus, in the time of the ancient Greeks, first presented it to Icarius and Erigone as payment for their hospitality, to its history in the Judaic and Christian liturgical rites. Wine is the most intriguing of all alcohols, and its proper cultivation, aging, and storage have been the topic of discussion for millennia.

The Chemistry Of Fermentation

Because the chemistry of the ingredients in wine, and their interactions with each other, are so sensitive to light and temperature, wine and its storage is a subject of intensive study even today. As the medieval Christian monks learned to their dismay, the amount of time for which wine was allowed to ferment had a direct effect of the results they got from their attempts at wine and storage.

Wine which had not been allowed to ferment properly in its barrel would often, when sealed in bottles, continue to ferment until the pressure from the gasses which built up from the fermentation process was too much for the glass bottles to contain. The bottles would often simply explode into dozens of fragments, injuring and scarring any monks, priests, or other bystanders who were unfortunate enough to be near.

The California Wineries

Both the passage of time, and more enlightened scientific understanding, however, made wine and its storage a much less treacherous undertaking. winestoragerating.com/Articles/Wine_Storage_Racks.php Wine and storage, in fact, have become so mainstream that in the Napa-Sonoma area of northern California, there are now many wineries owned by wealthy individuals and families.

They have taken on the tasks of both the making wine and its storage, and are producing, in the constant sunshine, warm days, and cool nights of the Golden State, some of the world’s best Chablis and Pinot Noir. And they have introduced state of the art wine and storage techniques to ensure that not one drop of elixir produced by all those warm days and cool quiet nights is ever less than its best.

You can also find more info on winestoragerating.com/Articles/Wine_Storage_Cooler.php Wine Storage Cooler and winestoragerating.com/Articles/Wine_Storage_Furniture.php Wine Storage Furniture. Winestoragerating.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Wine Storage.

We have all been there. You have had a long day at work, and you come home and your family asks “Whats for supper?”. You look in the refrigerator, and realize that you forgot to set something out. So whether you decide to get takeout, or run to the store, here are some tips on keeping your food as healthy as possible.

If your family is anything like mine, they love to eat pizza. Before you order a pizza, think about your choices. Try to stick with a thin crust. Deep dish pizzas are loaded with fat, not to mention grease. One of the most important things on a pizza is the cheese, but do you really need all the extra calories. It is a great idea to ask for half the cheese they normally put on a pizza. When deciding on toppings, load your pizza down with all the vegetables you want – no limits! Try to avoid toppings that have been fried, and steer clear of a lot of meats.

Another favorite for American families is spaghetti. My family likes spaghetti with a meaty sauce. Instead of using ground beef in our spaghetti, we have switched to ground turkey. Many other people use use grilled chicken, and even fish (I cannot imagine the fish). Ground turkey is much better for you than ground beef, and it does not ruin the meal. Another thing you can do to make your spaghetti more healthy is to use whole wheat spaghetti sticks. Whole wheat spaghetti sticks do not cost much more than the traditional spaghetti sticks, are you still do not sacrifice the flavor of your spaghetti.

When you go to a Chinese restaurant, or cook Chinese foods, stick with the sauteed and stir fried dishes that contain lots of veggies. Steer clear of noodle dishes, and you will save a lot of calories. Go ahead and eat that fortune cookie, its only 30 calories.

Mexican foods are usually very high in fat, so be careful to make your meal the healthiest that you can.
Salsa is a great way to get more veggies into your diet, but the chips are not good for you, so keep that in mind. Two great choices for Mexican dishes are chicken fajitas and soft chicken tacos. If burritos are your thing, get a chicken burrito with lots of veggies inside. Refried beans usually contain pork fat, so if you want to eat healthy, you better pass on the refried beans. Remember that cheese and sour cream should be limited if you just can’t go without it. A few more things to stay away from are chalupa which means deep-fried tortilla, relleno which means deep fried pepper, and chimichanga which is a fried burrito.

The final piece of advice I can give you is order a salad to get started in any meal. Salads will give you more veggies, and it is better to fill your belly with vegetables than most anything else you may be eating. The worst thing you can do to a salad is to load it down with cheese, meat, and dressing, so go with a light vinaigrette if at all possible.

Article written by: Laura Fleenor - owner and webmaster of