Oops: National Gummy Worm Day, which was yesterday, flew by before we had a chance to post this recipe.
The dessert, “Dirt In A Box,” was created by Ruby Foo’s restaurant in Times Square, New York City. It’s a no-cook “dirt pudding” or trifle, decorated with Gummy Worms.
You can make the recipe more elaborate, or turn it into a dirt cake, by preparing it in a small casserole or cake pan. Our preference is to use a small, clean flowerpot (we ran ours through the dishwasher).
Get the recipe and plan to surprise your family. Just don’t wait a year until the next official Gummy Worms Day.
You’ll also learn the history of Gummy (Gummi) Worms.
When purchasing meat and poultry, you need a plan. Cook it or freeze it: Those are your choices with fresh chicken. Whether whole or in parts, the chicken should be cooked or frozen within two days.
While it’s difficult to throw out “good food,” if you’ve exceeded the two days, it’s best to err on the side of safety and dispose of raw chicken. If the chicken is cooked, the same two-day rule applies: You can safely freeze chicken within two days of cooking.
Cooked or raw chicken can be stored for six months in the freezer, properly wrapped in freezer paper and plastic wrap or in containers suitable for freezing.
Find our favorite chicken products and a coop full of recipes in our Gourmet Poultry Section.
Get one for yourself and one as a gift.
Photo courtesy Kuhn Rikon.
The most whimsical gift for the summer season must be this nonstick Melon Knife from Swiss premium cookware manufacturer Kuhn Rikon. Not only is it a conversation piece; it makes it easy to safely slice through thick melon skins.
With function and flare, this handy kitchen tool with an 11″ serrated blade cuts the largest of melons (and small ones, too) easily.
Made of high-quality Japanese carbon steel, the blade has a nonstick coating. The seed-shaped cut-outs prevent sticking and help the sliced melon slide off the blade easily. The ergonomic handle helps to maintain a firm grip while applying pressure to cut through tough melon skins.
The red safety sheath makes the knife easy to store and to transport to picnics.
Many Americans want healthier foods and more veggies in their diet. Yet, many of us are in a rush and prefer to grab grub at fast food restaurants.
Wendy’s has merged the two concepts with its reinvented Garden Sensation Salads line: a fresh and flavorful quartet featuring Apple Pecan Chicken, BLT Cobb, Spicy Chicken Ceasar and Baja.
The goal was to bring the quality of a restaurant salad to fast food so each salad is made to order. There’s no premade salad waiting in a refrigerator case. As a result, the warm chicken, bacon and other proteins make these freshly-made salads real comfort food, as well as a fiber- and vitamin-packed meal.
We recently tasted three of the four new salads, and give them a thumbs-up. Each contains one-to-two cups of vegetables. Atop a mixture of crunchy romaine and other lettuces and greens are:
Three of four fast salads, made to order.
Photo courtesy Wendy’s.
Apple Pecan Chicken: This fan favorite combines fresh-grilled chicken, chopped red and green apples, crumbled blue cheese, dried cranberries and spiced pecans.
Baja Salad: Instead of chili with a side salad, here the chili and cheese go atop the salad. Pico de gallo, guacamole and tortilla chips add south-of-the-border flavors.
BLT Cobb Salad: Our personal favorite—we’re happy to know that we can enjoy a Cobb Salad wherever our travels take us. The ingredients include grilled chicken, crispy applewood smoked bacon, crumbled blue cheese, hard-cooked eggs and tomatoes. Avocado, an ingredient in the classic Cobb Salad, appears here in the form of avocado ranch dressing.
Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad: We didn’t try this one, but Caesar salad fans are in for a treat. The Asiago cheese is fresh shaved—no powdery Parmesan from a can; the croutons are made from baguettes.
Next time you want a crunchy salad for lunch—or are having a snack attack—you can head to Wendy’s. The chain will continue to offer its Garden Side Salad and Caesar Side Salad.
Save your investment: Freeze meat properly!
Photo courtesy Allen Brothers.
Do you purchase meat and toss it straight into the freezer in the flimsy packaging it came in? If so, you’re leaving it subject to freezer burn— dehydration and oxidation from the air that gets in through non-airtight packaging.
Follow these steps to conserve that pricey meat:
1. Discard the supermarket packaging.
2. Rewrap the meat tightly with plastic food wrap or aluminum foil.
3. Place it in a heavy-duty plastic freezer bag. While sealing the bag, squeeze out as much air as possible.
4. Remember to slowly defrost the meat in the fridge prior to cooking (see why in this prior post).
5. You can re-use the heavy-duty plastic freezer bag—it’s environmentally-friendly and cost-saving. Wash the bag with soap and water, rinse thoroughly and invert it on a tall bottle to dry.
Want to know more about the cuts of meat? See our:
