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Restaurants with handwritten menus are seen as healthier, study says

From the dim lighting to the trendy tunes, there are countless factors beyond the food that influence what you think about a restaurant. Now, a new study claims that even the font chosen for a menu can influence your perception. The study, led by Stephanie Liu, an Assistant Professor of Consumer Sciences at The Ohio State University, suggests that restaurants with handwritten menus (as opposed to machine-written/professionally printed) are seen as having better tasting food. Research found that the imperfect handwritten font generated more favorable attitudes toward the menu overall. Furthermore, the food was perceived as being healthier. The findings are explained in the abstract of the paper, published in the Journal of Business Research: “The results show that handwritten typeface creates a competitive advantage by conveying a sense of human touch, which subsequently induces the perception that love is symbolically imbued in the restaurant’s offerings.” The researchers then determined that…

Get your ice cubes to stop sticking with this easy trick

If you’re like many Americans, the ice cube maker on your refrigerator is broken no less than 364 days a the year — and that’s if you’re lucky enough to have one. Most of us still rely on the ancient technology that is ice cube trays. But even trusty trays come with problems. With only 12 cubes per freeze (24 if you’re fancy and have two trays!), you’re out of ice in no time, especially if you are entertaining. You probably freeze cubes ahead of time and store then in your freezer’s side bid or even a plastic bag. But right when you go to gather the fruits of your pre-planning labor, you find your cubes have fused together into an enormous indoor iceberg.  Yuck! Avoiding this situation in the future is a total cinch. Don’t let your ice cubes stick together in the first place. Here’s how: Also see, the difference…

Supermarket psychology means you’ll spend more per visit

Have you ever gone into the grocery store looking for one or two items and ended up leaving way over budget? You have forces working against you beyond your own cravings. It turns out, supermarkets have plenty of tricks and strategies they use to get the most money out of every consumer visit. According to the Food Marketing Institute, the typical supermarket sells about 40,000 different products. Moving all these fresh foods and packaged goods along before they hit expiration is imperative to the store’s success, so they don’t leave their sales simply up to chance. The layout of the store is very specific, from the fresh flowers and produce up front to the dairy in the back and packaged goods in the center aisles, everything is where it is for a reason. The best ways to avoid letting the supermarket get the best of you is to make a grocery list, stick to it,…

9 unusual ways to use mayonnaise in your home

I recently witnessed a friend stick her newly engaged finger in a jar of mayonnaise — much to my surprise. As I applauded her for worrying more about losing circulation than about getting a little grease on her shiny, new bauble, I got to thinking, what other little miracles could everyday mayo perform? It turns out, it definitely earns its shelf space in the fridge. Here is a list of 9 ways to maximize your everyday mayo: 1. Gets gum out of hair Forget the thick, gunky peanut butter. Take a bit of mayo and run through your strands of hair and around the gum. It will create a slick surface for you to gently slide the gum out. 2. Mini mayo manicure Mayonnaise can soften cuticles. Dip fingers in a bowl of mayo and let soak about about 5 minutes. Nails and cuticles will be soft and ready for shaping. 3.…

Alton Brown’s Genius Way to Juice Watermelon

Alton Brown, the master of kitchen hacks, leaves us in awe with his many time-saving tips, so it’s no surprise he has a genius way to juice watermelon, too. His method involves a biscuit cutter, a knife and an immersion blender. Since prepping a watermelon using involves a fairly large, juicy mess on the cutting board, Alton’s hack is one worth adopting. Since less juice will end up on your countertop, you’ll have more of the sweet stuff for your beverages and recipes. You’ll also save cleanup time overall, since the rind will remain in one piece. Check out his video here, complete with dramatic music. Because, everything is a cutthroat competition in the world of Alton. https://www.instagram.com/p/BV3TbZelUtz/?taken-by=altonbrown Start by situating the watermelon comfortably on one end, so it won’t tip over. Place the biscuit cutter on the top of the watermelon, and press into the rind so it creates a circular outline. Remove…