Category: Food

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Here’s Another Reason to Embrace Being Lazy: It’s Good for the Earth

Now this is good news!

In 2019, it’s not so unusual to have days where you only have to leave the sofa for pee breaks because entertainment, food, and social interaction all come to us via the internet. There are downsides to the new normal for many, but there’s also one big upside: it’s reducing our energy usage.

A new study by University of Texas researchers and published in Joule examined Bureau of Labor Statistics’ data and found that, between 2003 and 2012, people started to spend more time at home than time traveling to and from stores, restaurants, and work.

That means people weren’t burning fossil fuels tootling around town. And if they were working from home, office buildings were using less energy several days a year, too – in total, around 1.8% less energy in 2012 than in 2003 due to Americans embracing a more home-centric lifestyle.

Considering they used data from 2012, and all of the companies that have jumped on board for home delivery since then, those numbers have likely increased even more.

Only time will tell whether the gas required to deliver all of the essentials (and no-so-essential) goodies to your door causes fewer carbon emissions than everyone driving around getting goods themselves. Right now there isn’t enough data to say, though one study suggested whether you live in an urban or rural environment definitely plays a role.

We do know, though, that delivery trucks and ride-sharing apps are taking a toll on infrastructure, as they have added so many vehicles onto the road that cities are scrambling to keep pace. Drone delivery still presents an interesting alternative to using traditional fuels and existing roads, so perhaps if that idea comes to fruition, the scales will tip fully toward living the life of the hermit.

For now, maybe a good balance is the answer. After all, you still need sunlight and exercise, so you’ll have to go out occasionally.

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Pink Himalayan Salt is one…

Pink Himalayan Salt is one of the most expensive salts in the world. People claim it contains more minerals than ordinary table salt. Scientists found the amount of minerals it contains is so miniscule that it makes no measurable difference.

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These People Might Just Get Food Poisoning in the near Future

Having had actual food poisoning once in my life (through no fault of my own), I would say that it’s definitely something you want to avoid at all costs.

So maybe don’t try any of these things at home.

15. I love mayo but just stop.

14. Pregnant ladies rejoice?

13. A crime against pizza.

12. That poor sushi.

11. This person is undoubtedly from the midwest.

10. That’s not how any of this works.

Image Credit: Tumblr

9. What a waste!

8. I get needing a crunch, but…

7. Toddlers are unreliable.

6. Imagining this made me gag.

5. Why would you do that to an Oreo?

4. It’s plated like some sort of gourmet!

3. Ketchup is not for everything. #sayitwithme

2. Okay…but not together.

1. I’d rather just eat the guacamole with a spoon.

Some of those definitely made me throw up in my mouth. Ew!

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Here Are the 7 Types of Cookout Dudes Who Show up at Every Summer BBQ

Summer’s end is almost here, which means back to school. It also means the end of grilling hamburgers and hot dogs. But before we get ahead of ourselves, there is still time for a few more BBQs. And you’re be bound to spot at least one of these dudes at your next cookout…

7. The Grill King

Photo Credit: Kaboom Pics

This is the guy who runs the show, flipping burgers and making piles of meat to celebrate bro time in the back yard. He is the epicenter of a cookout, and without his grill smarts your backyard is just a lame hangout.

6. The Grill Pals

Photo Credit: Pexels, Samuel Zeller

Yep, we’ve all seen it. Those bros that linger around the Grill King, chugging a beer while making comments about the best ways to grill – whether or not they have any idea what they’re talking about. But really, without the Grill Pals’ commentary, perhaps the meal would be less…I don’t know…manly?

5. The Lawn Gamer

Photo Credit: Unsplash, Austin Distel

This dude gets the festivities going. He’s probably the one that totes around cornhole waiting for that right moment to spark a backyard competition. He’s super competitive, but always willing to give someone else a turn.

Or at least a guest shot.

4. The Can-I-Get-You-a-Drink Dude

Photo Credit: Pexels, ELEVATE

No party is complete without that friendly guy offering to get the Grill King an extra spatula or to refill everyone’s drinks – it’s crucial guests don’t go without! We should all raise a beer in his honor.

3. The Bonfire Buddy

Photo Credit: Pexels, Djordje Petrovic

You might have noticed your one friend chomping at the bit for a fire even if it’s 2 in the afternoon. He’s always scoping out kindling and asking the host if he has firewood. But once twilight hits, he’ll be rocking the best hangout fire you’ll ever experience.

This guy is a solid addition to any sort of hang, cookout or no.

2. The Music Man

Photo Credit: Raw Pixels

“He’s a what – he’s a what?”

Lol.

What is a cookout without ambiance? This guy knows how to set the mood for a great party. He’s probably got a Bluetooth speaker stashed somewhere for when the mood strikes. What’s great is he always has the best playlists ready on his Spotify app!

1. The Grill King’s Best Friend

Photo Credit: Free Stocks

Nope, we’re not talking about a Grill Pal. The Grill King’s “number one” is his dog.

And what’s great about having a four-legged friend around? He’ll clean up any delicious food scraps that fall on the ground.

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Psychologists Say That Baking Improves Your Mood – Here’s Why

A lot of folks out there who innately understand that the act of measuring ingredients, kneading dough, licking spoons, and dropping cookies, cakes, muffins, bread, or all of the above into a hot oven is a quick fix for a bad day, a fight with your spouse, or a general funk that’s proving hard to escape.

But it turns out that there is psychology behind the fact that baking – for yourself or others – possesses a therapeutic element.

Studies have shown that creative practices, like baking and knitting, have the ability to contribute to a person’s overall sense of well-being, a fact that Boston University’s Donna Pincus says  is due to how baking allows “the benefit of allowing people creative expression.”

“There’s a lot of literature for connection between creative expression and overall wellbeing,” Pincus continues. “Whether it’s painting or it’s making music [or baking], there is a stress relief that people get from having some kind of outlet and a way to express themselves.”

Stress, of course, is linked to a variety of mental and physical problems, which means finding ways to cope is an important step in leading a healthy life.

Baking also helps people practice mindfulness, as it allows you to focus on straightforward directions listed in a specific order – the fact that you’re just following along lets your mind grab onto something other than the stress and anxiety that might exist outside the kitchen.

Julie Ohana, a clinical social worker and culinary art therapist, claims that baking helps you practice the “balance of the moment and the bigger picture.” When you’re baking, you’re measuring ingredients and mixing them together, all while imagining how they’ll come together in the end and how someone else might be pleased to enjoy that final product, too.

Which brings us to another psychological benefit – sharing your baked goods with others. Doing something good without expecting anything in return is a proven mood-booster, confirms Pincus.

“You feel like you’ve done something good for the world, which perhaps increases your meaning in life and connection with other people.”

Food can also function as a mode of communication, says psychology and brain science professor Susan Whitbourne.

“It can be helpful for people who have difficulty expressing their feelings in words to show thanks, appreciation, or sympathy with baked goods.”

In a world where it can be hard to find ways to communicate our feelings to others, being able to say it with baked goods (or a quilt, or a cross-stitch) is as easy as it is satisfying.

So get out there and bake, people – it’s good for your body, your mind, your community and your belly, too.

The post Psychologists Say That Baking Improves Your Mood – Here’s Why appeared first on UberFacts.

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15 Interesting Food Facts to Chew On

Are you a foodie? Or at least think you are? Think you know the ins-and-outs of what we stuff in our faces every day?

Well, if so, you should definitely keep reading because these food facts are jam-packed with information you might be totally in the dark about, foodie or not.

Read on, friends.

1. Peppers

A chipotle pepper is simply a dried and smoked jalapeño. In fact, all dried chiles have different names than their fresh counterparts.

2. I knew it!

Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish both have the same base.

3. A little short

Double Stuf Oreos DO NOT have twice the creme filling. In fact, a curious math teacher discovered that the Double Stufs only have 1.86x the creme as the original cookies, to be extremely precise.

4. Always listen to all of your employees

Flamin’ Hot Cheetos were invented by a janitor who worked at the Frito-Lay plant.

5. Now it all makes sense

Spam is named for a combination of “spice” and “ham.”

6. Delish!

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Share your break this #WorldFriendshipDay ?‍♀️

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Kit Kats are filled…with other broken Kit Kats.

7. Not too much, now

Rhubarb leaves are poisonous…so if you’re growing it in your garden, beware. And make sure your kids don’t get into it, too.

8. Four shapes

McDonald’s nuggets come in four distinct shapes: Bell, Bone, Boot, and Ball.

9. Which one’s which?

Bananas are technically berries, while technically strawberries are not berries.

10. For all time

Honey never goes bad. EVER. So tuck that away into your apocalypse-prepper brain…

11. Pounds for days

Pound cake got its name because the original recipe contained one pound of each ingredient.

12. Quite an impressive plant

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My dazzling blue kale is nearly a yard long from end to end. (30" actual size) this is what happens if you give the plant everything it needs including proper water, soil, weather, trace minerals, beneficial fungi, beneficial bacteria, and organic matter. I strive to have every one of my plant babies to thrive like this. I'm not there yet.. Thriving plants make for thriving people. Eat more thriving nutrient dense plants. Learn how I grow my thriving plants on my YouTube channel. Link on profile page. #dazzlingkale #dazzlingbluekale #lacinatokale #dinokale #dinosaurkale #tuscankale #brassicaoleracea #nutrientdense #nutritarian #growingyourgreens #backyardgardening #organicgardening #organicgarden #growyourown #growyourownfood #homegrown #bigkale #largekale #hugekale #eatkale #kale #kaleme

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Kale, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi all come from the same plant. It’s called Brassica oleracea, and it’s been bred over time to provide a literal half dozen different veggies for your plate.

13. Straight up

Asparagus grows straight up out of the ground.

14. Gimme the big guns

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Since 1896! #TootsieRoll

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Tootsie Rolls start out as huge 13-pound logs that are shaped down to their little sizes.

15. That’s the difference

The difference between jam and jelly is thus: jam is made with fruit; jelly is made with fruit juice.

The post 15 Interesting Food Facts to Chew On appeared first on UberFacts.

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20 of the Best Restaurants in New York City, According to Foodies

NYC is paradise for food lovers. Any kind of food at any price, they have it.

Heck, even the street food is amazing.

Buzzfeed asked their community to share their favorite restaurants in New York City – the one’s that everyone absolutely should go visit – and here are 20 that people feel very strongly you should add to your list next time you’re in the Big Apple.

1. Emily Pizza (Clinton Hill & West Village)

2. Via Carota (Greenwich Village)

3. Grimaldi’s (DUMBO)

4. Wo Hop (Chinatown)

5. Hagi Sake Bar (Midtown)

6. Xochimilco Family Restaurant (South Bronx)

7. Momofuku Noodle Bar (East Village & Midtown West)

8. Joe’s Pizza (Greenwich Village)

9. Zero Otto Nove (Multiple Locations)

10. Roberta’s (Bushwick)

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Pre pizza party pizza with Joj

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11. International Wings Factory (Upper East Side)

12. Alice’s Tea Cup (Upper East Side)

13. Levain Bakery (Upper West Side)

14. Ess-a-Bagel (Gramercy and Midtown)

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?Ess-a-Bagel – New York I got the signature favorite on everything bagel! It was absolutely delicious – one of the best bagels I’ve ever had?? There was more than plenty of cream cheese and fillings (onion, tomato & salmon) which made the whole bagel more flavorful. ?TIP: Order online on their website and skip the line! It was fresh when I picked it up and I enjoyed my bagel at the store without a single wait☺ 먹어본 베이글중에 제일 맛있었어요! 줄이 어마무지했지만 온라인으로 주문하고 픽업하니까 너무 간편하더라고요. 크림치즈랑 안에 들어있는 재료 모두 듬뿍 아낌없이 주셨어용ㅎㅎㅎ? . . . #food #foodporn #foodie #yum #delicious #foodstagram #foodlover #likeforlikes #buzzfeast #dailyfoodfeed #tryitordiet #eeeeeats #jmt #맞팔 #좋아요 #좋아요반사 #일상 #데일리 #먹스타그램 #먹방 #맛집 #소통 #먹스타맞팔 #bagel #breakfast #베이글 #아침 #nycfood #nyceats #뉴욕

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15. Queens Comfort (Astoria)

16. Blanca (Bushwick)

17. Dirt Candy (Lower East Side)

18. Blue Smoke (Flatiron)

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Ain't no thing, but a… ?: @stuffbeneats

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19. Sweet Chick (Williamsburg and Lower East Side)

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Cinnabun waffles ?

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20. Coppelia (Chelsea)

Hmmmm, nobody said White Castle…

Got any of your own suggestions? Share them in the comments!

The post 20 of the Best Restaurants in New York City, According to Foodies appeared first on UberFacts.

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20 of the Best Restaurants in New York City, According to Foodies

NYC is paradise for food lovers. Any kind of food at any price, they have it.

Heck, even the street food is amazing.

Buzzfeed asked their community to share their favorite restaurants in New York City – the one’s that everyone absolutely should go visit – and here are 20 that people feel very strongly you should add to your list next time you’re in the Big Apple.

1. Emily Pizza (Clinton Hill & West Village)

2. Via Carota (Greenwich Village)

3. Grimaldi’s (DUMBO)

4. Wo Hop (Chinatown)

5. Hagi Sake Bar (Midtown)

6. Xochimilco Family Restaurant (South Bronx)

7. Momofuku Noodle Bar (East Village & Midtown West)

8. Joe’s Pizza (Greenwich Village)

9. Zero Otto Nove (Multiple Locations)

10. Roberta’s (Bushwick)

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Pre pizza party pizza with Joj

A post shared by Katie Parla (@katieparla) on

11. International Wings Factory (Upper East Side)

12. Alice’s Tea Cup (Upper East Side)

13. Levain Bakery (Upper West Side)

14. Ess-a-Bagel (Gramercy and Midtown)

View this post on Instagram

?Ess-a-Bagel – New York I got the signature favorite on everything bagel! It was absolutely delicious – one of the best bagels I’ve ever had?? There was more than plenty of cream cheese and fillings (onion, tomato & salmon) which made the whole bagel more flavorful. ?TIP: Order online on their website and skip the line! It was fresh when I picked it up and I enjoyed my bagel at the store without a single wait☺ 먹어본 베이글중에 제일 맛있었어요! 줄이 어마무지했지만 온라인으로 주문하고 픽업하니까 너무 간편하더라고요. 크림치즈랑 안에 들어있는 재료 모두 듬뿍 아낌없이 주셨어용ㅎㅎㅎ? . . . #food #foodporn #foodie #yum #delicious #foodstagram #foodlover #likeforlikes #buzzfeast #dailyfoodfeed #tryitordiet #eeeeeats #jmt #맞팔 #좋아요 #좋아요반사 #일상 #데일리 #먹스타그램 #먹방 #맛집 #소통 #먹스타맞팔 #bagel #breakfast #베이글 #아침 #nycfood #nyceats #뉴욕

A post shared by Ji Won’s Food Diary? 먹스타그램?? (@jeejeats) on

15. Queens Comfort (Astoria)

16. Blanca (Bushwick)

17. Dirt Candy (Lower East Side)

18. Blue Smoke (Flatiron)

View this post on Instagram

Ain't no thing, but a… ?: @stuffbeneats

A post shared by Blue Smoke (@bluesmokenyc) on

19. Sweet Chick (Williamsburg and Lower East Side)

View this post on Instagram

Cinnabun waffles ?

A post shared by HUNGRYHUNGRY™ (@hungryhungry) on

20. Coppelia (Chelsea)

Hmmmm, nobody said White Castle…

Got any of your own suggestions? Share them in the comments!

The post 20 of the Best Restaurants in New York City, According to Foodies appeared first on UberFacts.

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This Is How to Crack an Egg Perfectly Every Time

If you’re someone who panics when it comes time to crack that egg into a skillet or a pancake batter or a batch of cookies, afraid of getting shell into food that you or someone else is about to dig into, well, keep reading!

It turns out that it all comes down to the method of cracking, and that only about a quarter of American cooks are doing it the right way – on a flat countertop instead of the edge of a bowl or pan.

So, the flat countertop method is the way to go if you want to avoid bits of shell, according to America’s Test Kitchen, Real Simple, and Reader’s Digest…but why?

Three reasons:

  1. The sharp edge of the bowl or pan actually pushes the shell inside the egg, increasing the risk that small pieces of shell will get inside the egg’s liquid.
  2. Cracking the egg directly on or over the bowl or pan increases the chance that broken shell will fall directly into your mixing bowl/pan.
  3. Cracking the shell on a sharp edge actually breaks through the shell’s thin inner membrane, destroying the safety net that catches broken pieces of shell. Cracking on a flat surface keeps the membrane intact, adhering to the loose pieces of shell.

Which is not to say that plenty of people – even professional chefs – have long gotten along cracking on the edge of a bowl.

But if you’re not confident, or if you find yourself or your guests frequently picking shell out of your food, well, you might want to switch it up.

Give it a try!

The post This Is How to Crack an Egg Perfectly Every Time appeared first on UberFacts.

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15+ Things Europeans Think They Do Better Than Americans (And They’re Not Wrong)

There are many reasons why you should be proud of being an American, but there comes a time when you just have to admit that other countries do it better.

What, exactly, is it? Well, these 17 things are an awfully good start.

17. Seriously this should be a thing everywhere.

Comment from discussion ColdPuffin’s comment from discussion "What are Europeans better at than Americans?".

16. No elaboration needed.

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15. We are a nation of prudes.

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14. Who has time for lifestyle changes?

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13. Having fun.

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12. Building restroom doors.

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11. Cheese and bread.

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10. This actually makes me want to cry.

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9. You mean there’s more than one?

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8. I’ll need to taste test to confirm.

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7. Change starts at home and all that.

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6. Drinking in public.

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5. I was repeatedly advised I was ordering too much food when in Europe.

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4. I mean they’re not wrong.

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3. Being less annoying.

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2. Taking holidays seriously.

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1. Baby stuff.

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Time to do some more traveling!

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