Down to Earth Festival 2010

The Mid-South’s largest Earth Day celebration is back! Though Earth Day is officially on April 22^nd, the festival is slated for April 25^th, beginning at 10 am at Shelby Farms.

There will be live music and entertainment, games, activities for the kids, guided tours and hikes with experts, buffalo talk, an Eco-Art market, a bicycle, and tons more!

Admission is FREE, and they are accepting $2 donations for parking.

There are so many different ways to have fun and be informed while protecting our Mother Earth. So why not come on down to the Down to Earth Festival 2010, and see what all the fuss is about.

Let’s go green!

6 Tips for Keeping Foods Fresh

I love it whenever I buy fresh fruits and vegetables from the market. But a couple of days later, my joy is gone as my produce loses it’s freshness. I’ve been searching for ways to revitalize different foods for years.

A while ago, a friend of mine introduced me to a nice little technique: sprinkle a few drops of water on certain foods such as pizza or muffins that you want to retain moisture, and heat it up in the oven or microwave for a few minutes. This will create steam and restore moisture.

Here are a few other tips:

• 1. Refresh flat champagne or sparkling wine with a couple raisins in the bottle; the natural sugars will bring back the bubbles.
• Freeze your cheese! Put leftover cheese back in its original package and wrap it tightly in plastic before putting it in the freezer. Pull it out to defrost the day before your next party, and your good to
• To restore crunch to radishes, celery, or carrots, drop them in a bowl of iced water with a slice of raw potato.
• Keep crispy cookies crispy by storing them separately from chewy ones so the moisture doesn’t diminish the crunch.
• To make herbs last longer, place whole, washed bunches in a sealed plastic bag and store them in the freezer to keep them fresh for up to a month. Bonus: They’ll be easier to chop when you need them, and will defrost quickly in a hot pan.
• Prevent mushrooms from getting slimy by wrapping them in paper towels before refrigerating.

Are there any home remedies that you use to put a kick back in your cooking?