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Is Buttered Popcorn your favorite jelly bean flavor? Survey says, probably

Americans eat more than 16 billion jelly beans every year on Easter, and while some people happily gobble them down by the handful, others are more particular about their flavor choices. Candystore.com analyzed more than 10 years of sales data as well as SurveryMonkey and Facebook polls of more than 12,000 candy consumers to determine the most loved flavor in each of the 50 states and the most loved flavors overall. With the results in, it’s clear that Buttered Popcorn is America’s favorite jelly bean flavor. It’s smooth, salty flavor is an interesting cross of savory and sweet. Despite the number of people who despise black licorice, the controversial flavor came in second place. Other top polling flavors included cinnamon, watermelon, cherry, juicy pear, orange, and green apple. Source: CandyStore.com Individual states could either love or loathe their results. Alaska, Minnesota, North Dakota, Colorado, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and New Jersey all put…

8 Foods you can carve that aren’t pumpkins

Be original this year and forget about pumpkin carving. There are other fun foods you can turn into jack-o-lanterns just as easily. You could start with an unusual looking squash — one of those green and bumpy ones you see at the farmers market, or you could take it totally weird and think citrus. Here are eight creative carving ideas for Halloween. Apples Apples are another symbol for fall, so why not give them the jack-o-lantern treatment? Their firm flesh and thin skin make them a perfect candidate for going under the knife. If you plan on keeping them around for longer than a few hours, try spraying with a bit of lemon juice to keep from turning brown. Bonus points for turning your creation into the best fall apple of them all — candy apples. https://www.instagram.com/p/BMO8G07jQfy/?tagged=carvedapple Oranges A grapefruit spoon will help you tackle the delicate job of gutting an orange. Carve…

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…

5 watermelon recipes to try before the end of summer

What would warm weather be without big, sloppy slices of watermelon? Given that this summer essential is more than 90 percent water, it’d be easy to assume that it has little or no nutritional value. But the low-calorie fruit is filled with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that soothe sore muscles, improve cardiovascular health, and pack about one-third of the daily recommended vitamins A and C, and lycopene that can even combat cancer. August through October is watermelon harvest in most of the country, so there are usually lots of great, local picks at farmers markets and grocery stores this time of year. But how can you be sure you’re selecting the perfect melon? To avoid mushy melons, a good rule of thumb states that you should choose the one heaviest for its size. The melon should also have a deeply colored cream spot on the bottom — the color signifying the watermelon had plenty of time to…

Watermelon, mulberry, lime smoothie is light and refreshing

Smoothies are a great way to use up extra watermelon. With so much juice inside, there’s no need to give your blender any more liquids to power through the other ingredients. Mulberries are about 85 percent juice anyway, so be prepared for a light, refreshing summer smoothie. And don’t let the dark color fool you. Mulberries aren’t as strong as other common berries, so they won’t crowd out the watermelon flavor. The two flavors are enjoyed in perfect harmony — and hopefully outside on a sunny porch somewhere. Enjoy! Watermelon, mulberry, lime smoothie Serves 2 Ingredients 4 cups ripe watermelon, seedless 1 – 1 1/2 cups mulberries 1 half lime, juiced 2 cups ice Directions Combine all ingredients in blender. Mulberries have a dark juice that easily stains, so be sure the lid is on tight! Blend on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour over ice and enjoy this…

Watermelon layered popsicles are a perfect summer treat

Kitchens with appliances and gadgets for everything tiny task bring to mind one thing — A&E’s Hoarders. Not to say all are appliances are bad, but unless you have unlimited shelf space, surely you don’t have any real need for an separate appliance for making hotdogs. This week I broke that rule — but I’m not even ashamed. I now own a popsicle mold. But in defense of my new purchase, it seems like a perfect opportunity to make healthier version of the sugary store-bought treats, but also as a great way to use up leftover fresh squeezed juices and smoothies. (More on that in a coming post). I had a giant watermelon already cut in my fridge, so I decided to start there. Watermelon is a perfect popsicle fruit since it has such high water content. It purees and freezes easily. In one bite, I became a believer. The sweet watermelon pairs perfectly with just the…

Simple watermelon salsa is sweet, mildly spicy

Who would have thought watermelon and jalapeño would be such a delicious pair? What’s better, is that this quick condiment only requires six ingredients. I’ve been experimenting with a lot of watermelon lately, so get ready for quite a few juicy recipes coming up.. This one was one of my favorites, since it’s a perfect match-up of sweet and spicy, combined with saltiness from the chips. I’ve only tried it as a salsa so far, but I could see this going great with grilled chicken or fish, or atop a grilled vegetable dinner. Watermelon Salsa Serves 6-8: Prep time 10 min Ingredients 4 cups watermelon (seedless, or seeds removed and chopped) 1 cup cucumber, chopped 1 cup red onion (about 1/2 large onion, chopped) 2 medium jalapeños (remove seeds for less heat, chopped) 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 1 lime, cut in half salt (to taste) Directions Add watermelon, cucumber, onion,…

Cool down with mint this summer

When days heat up, a dish prepared with light, crisp mint leaves will taste delicious. The cooling, sweet flavor of mint goes great with both sweet and savory dishes — try it with anything from omelettes to ice cream. While mint is easy to find at your local market this time of year, it’s simple enough that you should be growing it yourself. Seriously. It’s one of the easiest herbs to grow. It’s fragrant and fast-growing and requires a very minimal time commitment. Plant in a  container on your porch for easiest maintenance, since mint grown directly in the garden soil has a tendency to spread in weed-like fashion. When choosing your location, find a spot where the plant will receive morning sunlight and partial afternoon shade. Mint is pretty resilient, so the natural rain water might be all you need, depending on where you live. Just keep an eye on the pot’s soil. If it starts…

Watermelon salad perfect for summer

It’s unlikely that you’ll make it through the next five months without finishing a meal with watermelon juice running down your arm. Nothing says ‘warm weather is here’ quite like a thick slice of this quintessential summer fruit. You’re likely very familiar with watermelons sliced or in slushies, but chances are you’ve never had one in a salad. While it won’t go running down your sleeve, this sweet and savory, salty and spicy salad will definitely make it on your menu rotation this summer. It would also be a great dish to take to any summer get together. Watermelon is about 92 percent water and six percent sugars, but you benefit so much more than those figures let on. Adding more melon to your diet means a lots of vitamin C and A and betacarotene. Watermelons are second only to tomatoes for lycopene content — an antioxidant effective in preventing some types of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The thick-rinded fruit is also low…