Say Cheese!

If you're looking for any old excuse to celebrate today, fear not!  It's National Cheesecake Day!  Do with that valuable information what you will.  I'll not say another word. 

PB -- Breakfast of Champions

If you're happiest when the end of your arm is attached to a spoon that's sunk into a jar of peanut butter, here's some good news.  The British Journal of Nutrition reminds us that peanut butter's unique combination of protein and fat makes it a perfect breakfast option that will keep us satisfied for hours.  Enjoy it either on toast, with an apple, or straight from the jar.  So the next time you need a midnight PB fix, try to hold out until breakfast!

How Much Do I Love Corn On The Cob?

Corn on the cob is my most favorite thing about summer.  No, wait!  My most favorite thing about summer is getting in the pool every day.  No, wait, wait!  My most favorite thing about summer is not having to warm my car up for five minutes on cold mornings.  No, wait, wait, wait!  My MOST favorite thing about summer is that no one else wants to spend it here in the desert and we Zonies get most of the state all to ourselves for a few months.  

Okay, let's start again.  My most favorite EDIBLE thing about summer is definitely corn on the cob.  Is there anything that tastes more like July?  I was raised on Silver Queen white corn in Virginia, but here in the southwest we enjoy Olathe sweet corn from Colorado, and I'm still a happy girl.  Whether you grill it, boil it, or zap it in the microwave, it's all good.  Enjoyed with sweet butter and black pepper, a squeeze of lime and a little chili powder, or full-on Mexican street corn with mayonnaise, lime juice, and cotija cheese, it's all delicious.

Do you have any unusual ways to enjoy corn?  I'd love to hear them.  Leave a comment!

A Silly Little Thing That Will Make You Feel Like A Kid Again

Okay, it's hot. I don't know exactly how hot it is where you are and I don't care because I live in the desert and I will always be able to beat the socks off you in any I'm-more-miserable-than-you-are temperature comparison, so don't go there.  But let us not spat.  Let's just figure out a way to ease the pain, shall we?  

Fortunately, I have the perfect solution, one that you probably knew but may have forgotten.  Brace yourself:  POPSICLES.  That's right, Popsicles.  Remember when we used to chase down bell-chiming trucks with nickels clasped tightly in our sweaty little fists just for the thrill of ordering a Bomb Pop or a Barney Google?  Well, it's easier than that now, and absolutely no running is required.  Simply walk to your freezer and pull out a Popsicle.  They still come in all shapes and sizes and colors and flavors, they still take a good 15 minutes to eat, and they're still coooooooooool.  I go for the sugar-free variety at 15 per pop because you could lose your mind and eat an entire box and still not do much damage.  Do read your labels.  Some of those bad boys are nothing but sugar and 100+ calories each, which moves them out of the Innocent Treat category right into the Dietary Danger Zone. 

(This would be the perfect place for me to add that if you'd rather go a more natural route, frozen grapes, berries, or chunks of peach or pineapple also make satisfying, cooling treats.  It doesn't hurt to have those kinds of things in the freezer anyway for breakfast smoothies and adult summertime beverages.) 

So next time you're at the grocery store, take a stroll down the frozen food aisle (and memory lane) and pick up a box of chilly summertime treats.