'Worse than herpes': Restaurant owned by Lady Gaga's parents

Lady Gaga was wearing meat not long ago (photo below) but now the singer enjoys eating food so much she blames it for her sudden weight gain.

  

Well, let's get back to the real story here.

The Italian restaurant owned by her parents just keeps getting slammed, this time by the New York Daily News, which called Joanne Trattoria 'worse than herpes'.

But how bad can it be?

Lady Gaga blamed her family's restaurant for for her recent 25lbs weight gain, she told radio host Elvis Duran: 'I’m dieting right now, because I gained, like, 25 pounds... My father opened a restaurant. It's so amazing... it’s so freaking delicious, but I’m telling you I gain five pounds every time I go in there.'

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But since Joanna Trattoria opened its doors in February, it has received terrible reviews.

There are nasty rumors that diners were paid to write great reviews on Yelp! and Zagat.

New York Post's Steve Cuozzo showed up for what he called 'a 2 1/2-hour meal that seemed like as many days,' and even The New Yorker, which waited five months after the opening was dissapointed.

Leo Carey, the magazine's senior editor, described a homemade focaccia as 'good in the same way that the garlic bread at Domino’s is good.'

He continued: 'The squid in the grilled-calamari salad, though bearing the browned marks of grilling, has none of the charcoal richness you might expect - indeed, it has almost no flavor at all.

He did say a few of the items were 'creditable,' like the lasagna, 'an overwhelming paving-stone slab of meat and ricotta with micro-greens on top,' but he calls the more 'ambitious dishes' as going 'uniformly awry'.

'Osso buco is more or less just osso, and such bone marrow as there seems to be is oddly chewy,' he writes.

Then there was Michael Kaminer, a dining-out critic at the New York Daily News, he called the Italian restaurant 'an incomprehensible imitation of a restaurant.'

'I came with an open mind, despite the fact that most of my colleagues have portrayed Joanne as the worst thing since herpes,' he says.

Then there's the restaurant's prices, he says: 'A dry lemon chicken ($28) did have a discernible taste, but only in its zesty skin. 

'The meat itself came closer to those supermarket birds in foil bags. And people: That $28 doesn’t include sides. The only adornment is a shriveled lemon segment perched atop the meat. Sauteed spinach or rosemary fingerling potatoes will set you back $9.'

He continues: '[The] “Expresso” - yes, with an “x” - for $5 on Joanne’s menu... is more like concentrated Sanka, but you’ll need it to avoid choking on a tiramisu cake ($14) whose desiccated base holds gelatinous cream tasting vaguely of plastic.'

Restaurant critic Gael Greene also had concerns about the pricing.

Writing for The Insatiable Critic: 'Aside from the fine focaccia, a lush lasagna (too small, too pricey) and my $38 veal osso bucco, much needs to be reconsidered. Okay, the meatballs and spaghetti were fine - but $23?'

(Celebrity chef Art Smith, who for years was Oprah Winfrey's personal chef)

Well, from the looks of it, Lady Gaga enjoys the food.

Study Says: Fast-Food Logos 'Imprinted' in Children's Brains

There is yet another idotic study that claims fast-food logos are branded into the minds of children, and now they will all be obese.

New research is making the claim that the problem of obesity may be because fast food companies and their marketing campaigns are branding logos into the minds of children from an early age.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has more than tripled over the past 30 years. 

The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the University of Kansas Medical Center, showed children 60 logos from popular food brands, like Rice Krispies and KFC and 60 logos from popular non-food brands, like BMW and FedEx. The children were aged between 10 and 14. 

Then, using a functional MRI scanner, which measures blood flow to different areas in the brain, they watched the brains of these children react to the different logos.

Does it shock anyone that the purpose of advertising is to imprint logos? 

What is it about advertising these researchers don't understand?

Over the years advertisers have tried everything, including subliminal techniques.

Advertisers have  attempted to manipulate our vulnerabilities since the 1940's, so this imprinting revelation is nothing new.

Anyway, when showed images of fast food companies, the parts of the brain that control pleasure and appetite lit up. The brains did not do the same when showed images from companies not associated with food.

Really? Our eyes light up when it's about food, like most food loving people.

Besides, how many kids buy BMW's or get involved with FedEx?

When the kids were asked to taste a hamburger from a box with no label, and a hamburger from a box labeled McDonald's, the children overwhelmingly preferred the McDonald's burger.

Researchers' concern is that marketers for these companies are tapping into the reward portions of the brain long before children develop self-control. In addition, most of the foods marketed to children are high in caloric content, sugars, fat and sodium.

"The brains of children are 'imprinted' with food logos," said Dr. Amanda Bruce, who led the study. "Without the necessary inhibitory processes to aid in decision-making, youth are particularly susceptible to making poor choices about what to eat."

We have decided that this study is really a stupid.

Over the years,all of us have been imprinted with logos like Tootsie Rolls, Coca Cola, assorted beer brands, Joe Camel, Hostess cupcakes, Sugar Pops, Bazooka bubblegum.

Marketing imprinting is everywhere, it's been around forever.

It's laughable to ask a kid to taste a hamburger from a plain box with no label, and a hamburger from McDonald's and to draw ridiculous conclusions when the children overwhelmingly preferred the McDonald's burger.

This whole study is really just a waste of time, but if we were going to suffer through this stupidly, we wanted you to join us.

 

There really was a time when kids rode bikes, played sports, watched television and movies that weren't loaded with pop culture trash.

There was also a time when we allowed kids to be kids.

Global Pork shortage 'now unavoidable' in 2013

 

Pork lovers beware, the end for pork, as we know it, is near.

In fact, we strongly advice to start buying pork because the world shortage of pork next year is now unavoidable,' warns an industry trade group.

There are fewer pigs because of increased feed costs, the result  of poor harvests for corn and soybeans.

The drought ruined corn and soybean crops, so, pig farmers had to decrease herd sizes.

The announcement by the National Pig Association, is another sign of a global problem facing the industry and pork lovers everywhere.

It's no surprise that the corn and soybean meal prices which are set to rise because of the drought, that hog producers will cut herd sizes trying to control losses in their operating costs.

This year U.S. pork producers have been sending their hogs to slaughter in big numbers.

The nation’s pork supply hit record levels in August, rising 31% to 580.8 million pounds.

All this pork came as farmers reduced their herds as feeding the animals became increasingly expensive.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts that the nation's per-capita supply of pork will drop in 2013 to its lowest level since 1975

Next year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts that the nation’s per-capita supply of pork will drop to its lowest level since 1975.

The decline in production could be worse in Europe.

British Pig Executive Mick Sloyan told European retailers that pork losses could be as high 10 percent in the latter half of 2013, which could double pork prices.

Enjoy it while you can, the end is near.

We thank the people at Sugar Mountain Farms for this great  chart.

Student almost dies after 'alcohol enema' at college frat party

Alexander Broughton, 20, (photo below) was brought to hospital unconscious where he almost died after being given an 'alcohol enema' at Pi Kappa Alpha House, University of Tennessee. (photo below)

Alexander was rushed to hospital unconscious after a rubber tube was inserted into his rectum and alcohol poured in.

This method of partying is known among students as 'butt chugging'.

Using the enema speeds up the alcohol entering the blood stream because it bypasses the liver's filters.

As a result, Alexander was found to have a dangerously-high blood alcohol level of 'well over' 0.4.

Hospital staff treating the unconscious student at first thought he was the victim of a sexual assault when they examined his body.

(that's because he made an Ass out of himself)

but later the hospital staff learned from his friends that he had been given the crude alcohol enema at the frat house in Knoxville.

Doctors at the UT Medical Center said the student had ingested so much alcohol he could have died from alcohol poisoning.

University officials have now suspended the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity while police investigate the drinking party.

Broughton, who is from Memphis, was taken to hospital by a friend in the early hours of Saturday morning, according to a police report.

The student appeared to be 'extremely intoxicated and showed signs of physical and possible sexual assault'.

He was transferred to the hospital's critical care unit after his blood alcohol reading was put at 'well over' 0.4.

Police said: 'Upon extensive questioning it is believed that members of the fraternity were using rubber tubing inserted into their rectums as a conduit for alcohol as the abundance of capillaries and blood vessels present greatly heightens the level and speed of the alcohol entering the blood stream as it bypasses the filtering by the liver.'

A spokesman for the University of Tennessee said: 'University officials are currently conducting an investigation into allegations involving the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity chapter and incidents that occurred over the weekend.

'Due to the gravity of the allegations, interim sanctions have already been imposed upon the chapter and will remain in effect until the investigation is concluded and final reports are available.'

It is not the first time this fraternity has been involved in trouble at the university.

In 2008, the chapter was placed on administrative suspension after a hazing incident where pledges were allegedly asked to do push-ups on broken glass.

Three students were later hospitalized with staph infections. A member of the fraternity said pledges were asked perform a 'lateral ab movement' known as 'bows and toes' on the bathroom floor.

Those Crazy School Lunches Again

It's not that we are picking on the First Lady and her lunch rules, but Wisconsin, high school athletes are complaining that they are simply not getting enough to eat each day.

The new school lunch menu regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture and First Lady Michelle Obama is getting more complaints everyday.

Students across the country are complaining about the new school lunch regulations and they are preparing themselves for

an all-out revolt.

With the new regulations the lunches have increased in price, up to 25 cents per more per plate.

Some students are throwing away their vegetables while others are working the black market.

In New Bedford, Massachusetts, students have created a black market - for chocolate syrup, smuggling in bottles of it and selling it by the squeeze.

Nancy Carvalho, director of food services for New Bedford Public Schools said that hummus and black bean salads have been tough sells in elementary cafeterias. 

Government officials are pointing the blame on the students.

"One thing I think we need to keep in mind as kids say they're still hungry is that many children aren't used to eating fruits and vegetables at home, much less at school. So it's a change in what they are eating. If they are still hungry, it's that they are not eating all the food that's being offered," USDA Deputy Undersecretary Janey Thornton said.

Ms. Thornton blames the students for not accepting the force feeding of the new diet.

Well, you can lead, threaten or force a horse to water, but you can't make them drink.

Halloween - The Celtic Festival of Samhain

As our favorite holiday gets closer we would once again like to share with you The Festival of Samhain - Halloween.

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain,  It's an Iish Gaelic word and depending on where in Ireland it can be pronounced as sow an, soow an, or sow en.

The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1st.

This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death.

Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. 

On the night of October 31st they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future.

For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

To celebrate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.

During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and told each others fortunes. When the celebration ended, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.

By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.

The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1st as All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. 

It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. 

The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2nd All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. 

It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.

The American tradition of "trick-or-treating" probably dates back to the early All Souls' Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called "soul cakes" in return for their promise to pray for the family's dead relatives.

The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits. The practice, which was referred to as "going a-souling" was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money.

The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both European and Celtic roots. 

Hundreds of years ago, winter was an uncertain and frightening time. Food supplies often ran low and, for the many people afraid of the dark, the short days of winter were full of constant worry. 

On Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes.

To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits.

On Halloween, to keep ghosts away from their houses, people would place bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter.

Swallowing live fish, special herbs for asthma sufferers. Who knew?

In Hyderabad, a city in southern India, swallowing live fish covered in a special herbal formula is believed to help asthma sufferers’ with their breathing problems.

Thousands of people line up to receive this treatment.

After swallowing the live fish, "patients" are told to follow a strict diet of 25 particular foods for a period of 45 days. These include normal items such as rice, white sugar, lamb, and spinach.

The herbal formula remains a secret that was supposedly a recipe from a Hindu saint 170 years ago, who warned not to reveal the formula.

McDonald’s Calls Police - Man Dressed As The Burger King

Police we're called to a McDonald's in Rome,Ga. because a man was dressed as the Burger King.

Police say that the Burger King danced, handed out free hamburgers to customers, and stopped to take pictures with several children.

One child ran away from the King in fear.

The McDonald’s manager told authorities she had approached the King before calling police. When asked what he was doing, his Excellency told the manager he was collecting money for charity.

The manager told the police that at no time did his Magisty collect money while inside the McDonald’s.

It's McNoodles!

Yes, McDonald's will start serving up popular Asian food in Austria with, you guessed it, McNoodles.

McDonald's has announced that it will be serving up noodles to customers all across Austria in order to meet the country's growing demand for Asian food.

Even though McDonald's serve noodles in other parts of the world, this will be the first time the dish has been crowned  McNoodles.

The meals will come with vegetables and salad, chicken pieces and either sweet and sour or curry sauce and be available for a limited time.

The company says it has spent more than a year developing the product for the thriving Austrian market.

Top 10 Oktoberfest beers

From Fox News we read about Oktoberfest and beers that make the festival what it is:

Even if you can't make the trek to Munich this year, you can still enjoy some of the same beers being served across the Atlantic. In fact, three of the breweries featured here are among the six that are allowed to serve beer at the Bavarian Oktoberfest. The Oktoberfest style, also known as Märzen, was originally brewed around March (Märzen derives from März, the German word for March) before modern refrigeration, when brewing during the summer was problematic due to high temperatures that could result in bacterial infections. The beer was lagered (kept in cold storage) over the hotter months and brewed at a slightly higher gravity (or alcohol content) to help it maintain stability against the summer heat. This German lager style tends to be full-bodied, malty, toasty, dark copper-hued, with just enough hops to balance the malty sweetness and a slightly higher alcohol content (5-6 per cent ABV rather than the standard 4 per cent). While sweet malt is the dominant flavor, some American versions of the style impart a stronger hop presence. 

Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen

Brauerei Aying 

Aying, Germany

Märzen / Oktoberfest

5.8 per cent ABV

Price: $3.29 (16.9 oz.)

The Ayinger Brewery, founded in 1878 and located in the Bavarian village of Aying, is no stranger to brewing medals. It regularly brings home gold medals from the World Beer Championships and its Oktober Fest-Märzen is one of the most medaled and highly respected Märzens in the world. It pours with a golden color tinted with amber and a nose of floral hops balanced with slightly sweet malt. Flavors of caramel and nutty malt form the backbone and it's balanced with just enough hops to prevent it from coming off as too sweet. Its medium body and moderate alcohol (5.6 per cent ABV) is not overpowering, making this an easy drinking beer that will pair nicely with roasted chicken, fish, sausage or sauerkraut. 

Bell's Oktoberfest

Bell's Brewery

Galesburg, Michigan

Märzen / Oktoberfest

5.5 per cent ABV

Price: $9.99 for a six-pack of 12 oz. bottles

Founded by Larry Bell in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this respected craft brewery has been churning out a variety of beer styles since 1985. This 5.5 per cent ABV product is light on the hops, with medium body and an aroma of bread-like freshness. The Oktoberfest lager pours bright orange, reminding us of the colors of fallen leaves in the fall. Typical Oktoberfest flavors of caramel and malt dominate. Without a lingering aftertaste, it's easy drinking, so you may find your beer disappearing quickly. Pair it with grilled or braised poultry, sausages or pizza.

Heavy Seas 

Clipper City Brewing Company

Halethorpe, Maryland

Märzen / Oktoberfest

5.25 per cent ABV

Price: $9.99 for a six-pack of 12 oz. bottles

In 1989, Hugh Sisson opened Sisson's, the first brewpub in Maryland, which grew exponentially and transformed into the Clipper City Brewing Company in 1994. The nautical-themed brewery has scored big with this offering, capturing seven medals at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup from 2006 to 2012. Typical for a Märzen, it pours a copper orange color and is well balanced with just enough Noble hops to allow the Crystal, Vienna and Munich malts to dominate with flavors of caramel and toasted bread. Pair it with pizza with buffalo sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni and salami.

Lakefront Oktoberfest

Lakefront Brewery

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Märzen / Oktoberfest

5.7 per cent ABV

Price: $8.99 for a six-pack of 12 oz. bottles

German culture is strong in Wisconsin (the home of Lakefront Brewery), where many Germans immigrated to in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Just as strong is the Wisconsinites' appreciation for good beer. Upon pouring you'll notice a light copper hue and an aroma of toasted malt. Like its German counterparts, subtle flavors of toffee sweetness and earthy nuttiness shine through. Since Wisconsin produces more cheese than any other state, consider pairing with gourmet cheeses produced in the cheese capital of the U.S.

Hacker-Pschorr Original Oktoberfest

Hacker-Pschorr Bräu GmbH 

Munich, Germany 

Märzen / Oktoberfest 

5.8 per cent ABV

Price: $9.99 for a six-pack of 12 oz. bottles

Hacker-Pschorr is one of Bavaria's pre-eminent breweries, having been in existence since the fifteenth century, and one of the breweries commissioned to brew beer at the original Oktoberfest in 1810. It's one of only six Munich breweries that are allowed to serve beer at the Munich Oktoberfest and the brewery claims its Oktoberfest lager is similar to the brew introduced at the first Oktoberfest. This traditional version utilizes natural spring water, dark- and light-colored malt from two-row Bavarian summer barley, a traditional Hacker-Pschorr centuries-old exclusive yeast strain and Noble Hallertau hops. Amber color, rich and clean toasted malt flavors, a sweet hop aroma and strong carbonation are descriptors of this brew, and at 185 calories per serving, it's nearly a light-calorie beer. Try it with sausages, pork chops or summer salads.

Hofbräu Oktoberfest

Staatliches Hofbräuhaus 

Munich, Germany 

Märzen / Oktoberfest 

6.3 per cent ABV

Price: $8.40 for a six-pack of 12 oz. bottles

Founded in 1589, the Staatliches Hofbräu brewery in Munich began as a court-owned enterprise run by a duke. The brewery hosts the largest tent at the Oktoberfest festival in Munich and is one of only six breweries permitted to serve its beer. Hofbräu imports beer from the same batches that are served at its tent, so you can enjoy the same beverage as the throngs at Oktoberfest. This version is very easy-drinking, with crisp flavor and a bit of sweetness. Not exactly the typical Oktoberfest brew, the hops are a bit more prevalent, the alcohol content is slightly higher (6.3 per cent ABV) and the appearance is a shade paler than the traditional beers of this style. Light caramel and malt flavors add to Hofbräu Oktoberfest's fine balance. This authentic Munich brew will taste best when accompanied by Bavarian traditional food such as bratwurst and Wiener schnitzel.

Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen

Paulaner Brauerei GmbH & Co. KG 

Munich, Germany 

Märzen / Oktoberfest

6 per cent ABV

Price: $9.50 for a six-pack of 11.2 oz. bottles

Paulaner happens to be one of only six Munich breweries allowed to serve beer at the Munich Oktoberfest, so if you can't make it to the German festival in person, the next best thing is to drink Paulaner's Oktoberfest Märzen. The brewery was founded by Minim friars in 1634, and they named it in honor of the patron saint of their own order, Saint Francis of Paola. Monks did the brewing until the early 19th century, after which operations were turned over to a non-religious brewmaster. Characteristic to the style, this 5.8 per cent ABV Märzen is amber-hued with a full malt aroma. There's something to be said for a beer that pours with a thick, creamy, foamy froth. The taste offers a decidedly nutty light roast with an emphasis on malt sweetness that's smooth and well balanced with subtle, but noticeable hop flavor. Good accompaniments to this brew include roast pork, roast chicken or spicy dishes.

Left Hand Märzen

Left Hand Brewing Company

Longmont, Colorado

Märzen / Oktoberfest 

6.6 per cent ABV

Price: $9.99 for a six-pack of 12 oz. bottles

The Colorado-based brewery begins brewing this Märzen in the spring and after cellaring through the summer, it's ready to be enjoyed in the first month of fall, just in time for the Oktoberfest season. Head Brewer Ro Guenzel is well prepared for brewing German-style beer, having worked for the Kaltenberg brewery in Bavaria before joining Left Hand in 2004. He has developed a complex, balanced lager with biscuity, rich bready malt flavor, thanks to a generous combination of Vienna and Munich malts. The label artwork merges traditional German elements of a blue and white checkered pattern, lions (a symbol of the state of Bavaria) and a gold ring signifying the marriage of Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese, for whom the Oktoberfest was first celebrated. Like many other American craft breweries, Left Hand is minimizing its carbon footprint by recapturing potential lost energy from its boiler flash steam recovery system, generating power through solar arrays and recycling spent grain, paper and plastic to minimize the amount of material going to the landfill. Pairing with a light chicken dish, such as a grilled chicken sandwich, salad or pasta will add some complexity.

Magic Hat Hex 

Magic Hat Brewing Company

South Burlington, Vermont 

American Amber / Red Ale 

5.4 per cent ABV

Price: $9.99 for a six-pack of 12 oz. bottles

Unlike most Oktoberfest lagers, this version uses a German ale yeast (instead of lager yeast), and while its light amber hue and caramel aroma is standard for a Märzen, additions of Cherry Wood Smoked Malt lend to a thin layer of smokiness. A decent bittering aftertaste at the end derived from Apollo and Hallertauer hops make it a bit fuller than some of the others of the style. Its uniqueness gives credence to the brewery's "Ourtoberfest" style name. The name and label artwork that depicts strange creatures sitting at a picnic table enjoying this beer suggest a merging of Oktoberfest and Halloween celebrations. Pair this brew with hearty beef stew; or even cook with it. Visit the Magic Hat Brewery on your next Vermont vacation.

Weihenstephaner Festbier

Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

Freising, Germany

Märzen / Oktoberfest 

5.8 per cent ABV

Price: $12.99 for a six-pack of 12 oz. bottles

Located just north of Munich, the birthplace of Oktoberfest, the Weihenstephan Brewery is no novice to brewing, with roots in beer-making going back to the year 768. Weihenstephan became licensed in 1040 and is recognized as the world's oldest working brewery. Its Festbier is a true German brew, with malt and Noble hops from the Hallertau region in Bavaria. The result is a full, rich-bodied, mildly hopped seasonal lager. Crisp and refreshing, its appearance of a deep gold color is a bit lighter than most Oktoberfest lagers, but otherwise its full carbonation, 5.8 per cent ABV and 26 IBUs (International Bittering Units) make it a perfect fit for the style. Hearty foods such as roasts, poultry, game and cheeses will complement the carbonation and maltiness of this brew.

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/09/20/top-10-oktoberfest-beers/

Students boycott school cafeteria over new healthier lunch

The lean, green, healthier school lunches being served under new federal standards are being boycotted.

The new federal guidelines dictating what is to be served at school cafeterias have sent school districts everywhere reworking their menus to obey the new rules.

These changes include serving more whole grains, daily servings of fruits and vegetables, less sugar and salt, and only low- or non-fat milk.

There is also calorie maximums, so, the amount of calories high school students eat is around 850 calories. 

These new restrictions all come from the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and are funded by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 – legislation promoted by Michelle Obama.

While the changes may seem like a good idea, many students (70%) last Monday, boycotted the school’s lunch.

 

It's not only are students upset with this lunch, but Mukwonago officials are on board as well.   Many say the new lunch guidelines are too abrupt and don’t take students’ unique lifestyles into account.

"I could not be more passionate about this," Pam Harris, the Mukwonago district food service supervisor and a registered dietitian, said.

"I want to solve this problem. But limiting calories in school lunch is not going to help the overweight kid. What happens at home is a major piece of that puzzle."

Mukwonago had students fill out cards about what they did and didn’t like about the new lunch. 

Maybe the lunch just sucks, we're just saying.

Below, is our thought and suggestion for a school lunch.

Finally, products you never knew about or needed

We all know how difficult it is to use a tea bag.

Well, here it is, the tea bag bird dunker assisting you through the complicated tea making process.

At last, something that automatically stirs your cup of coffee. This will ease the minds of those who struggle with this chore each day.

For those who just can't navigate an ice cream cone there is the

mechanical cones twisting your ice cream for you.

Even though the tongue usually maneuvers around the ice cream cone, now it's even easier.

Now the pain of cracking eggs is solved.

The twirling spaghetti fork takes the guesswork out of eating spaghetti.

Just imagine the entire family with twirling forks in there mouths with spaghetti and sauce spinning around and around, everywhere.

Caesar's $17million Bacchanal Buffet opens

The buffet is now open, with 25,000 square foot space with 500 dishes and NINE kitchens.

  

Yes, the Bacchanal Buffet finally opened at Caesar's Palace.

Executive chef, Scott Green, has created a buffet menu that will be prepared mainly before diners in nine kitchens.

Bacchanal Buffet's interior decor is contemporary and it can serve up to 600 guests.

Executive chef Scott Green says that 25,000 guests have already eaten at the new restaurant since its opening.

The price?

Breakfast is 19.99, $24.99 for lunch and $39.99 for the dinner buffet.

Dishes will range from fresh oyesters to red velvet pancakes to good old fashioned biscuits and gravy.

Named after the Roman god of wine, Bacchanal Roman feast Buffet's may represent indulgence in both food and drink, but that's okay with us.

In fact, in the next few weeks some members of the Voodoo Kitchen will be indulging at Bacchanal's Roman feast.

All hail Caesar.

Disney To Sell Beer And Wine

In it's 41-years, Disney World’s Magic Kingdom has never served alcohol, but it does now.

Disney says beer and wine will be on the menu when the new Be Our Guest restaurant opens in November as part of the Fantasyland expansion.

Disney officials said they’ve listened to feedback from guests who’ve said they’d like the option of being served beer or wine. 

Even though beer and wine will be served, it will only be served during dinner hours, and Disney hasn’t decided what time dinner service will begin.

The Be Our Guest restaurant is based on Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” and will serve French cuisine. 

Be Our Guest will offer 20 wines, almost all by the glass. The restaurant will serve several Belgian and French beers, but no domestic. The restaurant’s menu, including the full beer and wine list, is posted at DisneyWorld.com.

Disney’s Vice President of Food and Beverage Maribeth Bisienere says it’s all about the dining experience.

Other Disney World parks; Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot, also sell alcohol.

 

Bringing Home the Bacon

The great 'Bacon Barter' is all about comedian Josh Sankey's trip from New York to Los Angeles trading 3,000lb of bacon for food and lodging.

Josh (photo below) is trying to barter his way across the country, from New York to Los Angeles using only thick cut bacon as currency.

Sponsored by Oscar Mayer, Sankey will travel to 12 American cities trading some 3,000 pounds of thick cut bacon.

The promotion is Oscar Mayer's way of advertising their new brand of bacon.

The promotion includes searching for bacon lovers who will trade food, a place to sleep and whatever  he needs on his road trip for 'bricks' of the company's newest offering 'Butcher Thick Cut Bacon.'

The goal is to get to LA by September 23.

He says,'I'm driving from NY to LA with no cash and no cards -- just a trailer full of Butcher Thick Cut Bacon to barter with you for food, lodging and everything else I need.

'It's all to find out if America loves this bacon as much as money!'

Simplicity When Ordering

Halloween Food - Dig In

It's almost time for those Halloween treats and the gathering of souls who will devour them.

So, for those who respect the culinary talents of Hannibal Lecter, we submit the following.

GHOSTLY CUPCAKES

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a mixing bowl, beat the egg with granulated sugar. You'll get a pale yellow foam and the texture of the egg will be thicker. Add the cinnamon extract.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, 3/4 teaspoon of salt and baking powder. Sift all the dry ingredients.

Cream 8 tablespoons of butter with the brown sugar (whisk using a stand-mixer to get as much air as possible into the butter). Add the egg mixture and the dry ingredients. Mix well. Add the buttermilk, pumpkin purée and the mini chocolate chips.

Place about 2-3 tablespoons of the pumpkin cake batter into 3 12-hole mini muffin pans. Plastic wrap the trays and place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes (or until you're ready to bake).

Remove the plastic wrap, then bake the cupcakes for 5 minutes at 375°F, then lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven. 

Let cool completely.

To make vanilla butter-cream frosting, combine the remaining butter, remaining salt, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Put the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe immediately onto the cupcakes, starting with a circle around the cupcake and finishing with a mound of frosting on top.

Decorate the frosting with sprinkles, forming ghost faces.

MUMMY HOT DOGS

1 (8 ounce) can Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ refrigerated flaky dough sheet

10 large hot dogs

Cooking spray

Mustard 

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Crescent Rolls: Unroll dough; separate at perforations creating 4 rectangles; press perforations to seal. Recipe Creations: Unroll dough; cut into 4 rectangles.

With knife cut each rectangle lengthwise into 10 pieces, making a total of 40 pieces of dough. 

Wrap 4 pieces of dough around each hot dog, stretching dough slightly to completely cover hot dog. 

About 1/2 inch from one end of each hot dog, separate "bandages" so hot dog shows through for "face."

 

On ungreased cookie sheet, place wrapped hot dogs, spray dough lightly with cooking spray.

Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until dough is light golden brown and hot dogs are hot. With mustard, create the eyes and anything else you want.

What collection of recipes for Halloween would be complete without some CRUNCHY COCKROACHES? 

Ingredients:

1/3 C. cream cheese, softened

1/4 C. walnuts, chopped semi-fine

20-30 dates, pitted

 In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and nuts til well mixed.

Carefully fill each date with cream cheese/nut mixture (you may have to split the dates a little.

For that realism effect, add several plastic roaches and a sign

reading:  "Fresh-caught Cockroaches."

We'll have more Halloween food ideas in the weeks to come.

How Donald Trump's grandfather started the empire in the restaurant business

Donald Trump's grandfather laid the ground work for the family success in, of all places, the restaurant catering business.

In fact Donald Trump's money had it's beginings with a restaurant during the Klondike gold rush by Donald's grandfather, Friedrich, (photo above) earning a fortune that gave birth to the family's dynasty.

German-born Friedrich Drumpf arrived in the United States in 1885, he was16 years old.

He spent six years in New York City, working as a barber and living in immigrant apartments with his sister and brother-in-law.

Eventually he decided to travel  west, to Seattle.

At age 22 he changed his name to Fred Trump and started his first business, a late-night restaurant in a rough part of town, but that was just the beginning for Fred.

In July of 1897, the big gold strike in the far north was spreading all through Seattle, Fred saw an opportunity and opened another restaurant catering to the thousands of Gold-rushers who were after their own fortunes. 

In March 1898, Fred set sail on a ship to Skagway.

He and his  friend named Ernest Levin set up a tent on the path known as Dead Horse Trail.

(Below is a photo of the Dead Horse Trail)

The pair began serving up hot meals to the prospectors passing through, with horsemeat one of their best sellers.

A few months later, the men had moved their business from the tent to a two-story building in Bennett Town they called the New Arctic Restaurant and Hotel. 

The hotel stood tall among the tents nearby and the restaurant was decadent.

Moving on from horse meat, now the menu included salmon and a variety of meats, including duck, ptarmigan, grouse, goose, and swan, as well as caribou, moose, goat, sheep, rabbit, and squirrel.

In addition to all the meat choices, the New Arctic served fresh fruit: red currants, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, even cranberries. 

By 1897, a railroad now linked Skagway and Whitehorse and their Bennett Town location was no longer a thoroughfare, so Trump rebuilt the New Arctic on Whitehorse's Front Street.

The new location was around the clock, serving as many as 3,000 meals a day.

After just over three years in the north, Trump ahead of the herd, cashed out and shipped out, as stampeders left the north in masses.

After the Arctic's success, Trump left as a respectable businessman with a enough cash to travel to Germany where he found a wife and returned with her to New York City.

In 1905, his son Fred Jr, Donald's father, was born. 

Apparently Fred Jr, inherited his father's entrepreneurial talent and his attitude towards hard work.

He continued on, earning hundreds of millions as a New York City real-estate tycoon.

Donald Trump continues the family empire to this day.  (that's Donald Trump photo above, in case you didn't know)

Japan’s Nissin to Offer Cold Instant Noodles

Nissin is famous practically everywhere for it Cup Noodle is introducing something we haven't seen before, cold instant noodles.

This product is prepared by mixing ice into the noodles, offering a unique noodle experience.

These iced versions come from the idea of promoting energy conservation. 

We aren't sure how these noodles fight power shortages and save energy, but the real question is, do they taste good?

Judge Tosses PETA Lawsuit Against California 'Happy Cows'

A California judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) wanting to stop California dairy farmers from running ads showing how happy, healthy and well-cared for dairy cows are.

PETA, filed the lawsuit in 2011 argued that the California Milk Advisory Board and the California Department of Food and Agriculture had violated state rules that bar misleading or inaccurate marketing with the “Happy Cows” ads.

PETA demanded that California dairy farmers prove that California cows are “happy cows,” as the milk board claimed in the ads.

As we see it, PETA probably can't prove the cows aren't happy, so they don't have a case.

Regardless of what we think, PETA says there are no happy cows.

According to court documents, PETA had specifically complained that “most California dairy cows are subjected to physical and psychological pain and stress caused by intense and uncomfortable dairying practices, have a high risk of suffering from a number of diseases, and die prematurely” and that “dairy producers take into account the animals’ wellbeing only to the extent that it is economically advantageous to do so.”

PETA also claims that the Milk Advisory Board was “lying about the condition of actual cows at actual California dairies.”

But in an Aug. 24 decision, Superior Court Judge Lloyd G. Connelly in Sacramento dismissed the suit, ruling that PETA had failed to provide any evidence that California dairy farms mistreat dairy cows.

That's what we are saying, they can't prove the cows are unhappy either.

The judge said that state agriculture inspectors and the state dairy board had “extensive experience and knowledge that provides strong evidentiary support” justifying the dairy board's claims that California dairy farmers “are very concerned about the health, comfort and safety of their cows” and “adhere to some of the highest animal welfare standards in the U.S.”

The judge also pointed out that the marketing statements in the promotion “are general assertions about the efforts of California dairy farmers in caring for their cows, not factual representations of the health status and comfort level of the cows or the particular practices and standards used by farmers to care for the cows.”

The California Milk Advisory Board was happy with the ruling saying:

“California dairy families take the well-being and care of their cows very seriously."

However, PETA’s director of litigation, Martina Bernstein, said in denying the petition, the judge had “excluded all the evidence from peer-reviewed scientific journals and U.S. Department of Agriculture surveys.”

“The evidence shows that disease and suffering is rampant -- more than 30 percent of cows suffer from udder infections, painful swollen knees, and hoof disorders, such as foot rot, ulcers, and abscesses, resulting in lameness and premature death,” Bernstein added.

But the Judge Connelly declared that  PETA had provided only general “declarations” about dairy farming and had provided no “data specific to California dairy farms, and no expert opinion testimony is offered to explain the data or relate it to the dairy farms.”

The judge also said that state veterinarians and agriculture officials regularly inspect California dairy farms, and are in a better position, scientifically, to know what condition the state’s cows are in.

(translated, that means better than PETA)

“(Their) evidence stands in sharp contrast to nonprobative anecdotal information about the condition and care of cows on six or twelve dairy farms among the more than 1,600 farms in the state,” the judge wrote.

“Statistical surveys and studies may be more detailed and systematic, but the aggregated experience and knowledge of Department personnel provides comprehensive and reliable information relevant to the care of cows on California dairy farms.”

PETA, meanwhile is not happy.

They said it is “continuing a review of the judge's decision in order to determine its next step.”

Mother POTTY TRAINS daughters in the nude on plastic toilets in restaurant

Somewhere in Utah a mother took potty training to a level where few have gone before.

In front of diners this mom had her twin girls using portable toilets as they ate in a crowded restaurant.

Other diners said at first they thought the toddlers were sitting in booster seats, but then realized that they were actually portable toilets.

The mom undid the jumpsuits until her daughters were completely nude, with the jumpsuits down to their ankles just eating their chicken nuggets, sitting on the potties.

Diners also said, "the more you thought about it, the more unappetizing everything looked."

Even though the restaurant said they received several complaints from patrons who witnessed the scene, the ever watchful restaurant staff didn't realize what was happening until the girls were already off their potties.

But they want us to know, if they had noticed they would have asked the mother to leave and take the potty training into the restroom.

The manager of the restaurant wasn't really sure what was going on, but she did manage to say:

‘I think state and local health codes were probably an issue, as well as just social norms."