How (and Why) to Incorporate Apple Cider Vinegar Into Your Diet

If you’re looking for an affordable miracle product that can reportedly detoxify your digestive system, reduce acid reflux and high blood pressure, support weight loss, whiten your teeth, and even brighten your skin, it’s time to hop on the apple cider vinegar bandwagon.

The benefits of drinking raw, organic apple cider vinegar (known as ACV) come from its natural doses of potassium, magnesium, probiotics, complex enzymes, and acetic acid, which acts as an antibiotic for “bad” bacteria while fostering the growth of “good” bacteria for skin and digestion. People across the country swear by the benefits of drinking ACV, particularly from the brand Bragg, on a daily basis. The only downside? Drinking straight up vinegar isn’t exactly enjoyable. But if you follow these simple tricks to incorporate it into your diet, you can reap the benefits of ACV without gagging at the taste.

Mix it with juice

The easiest and most popular way to get your daily dose of ACV is to mix one or two tablespoons of it with fresh juice in the morning. Orange, grapefruit, and cranberry juice work well, but definitely avoid any juice cocktail or brands with added sugar. You can also add a splash of sparkling water.

Add it to tea with honey

Another easy way to down ACV is to add it to your morning tea. Try adding one tablespoon to a cup of hot green or oolong tea, and don’t forget to add honey to help it go down smooth.

Try Dr. Axe’s Detox Drink

One of the most popular recipes for ACV online is for this super-healthy drink from Dr. Axe. It contains ACV, lemon juice, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper, which can help you lose body fat and boost energy. He recommends drinking it three times daily 20 minutes before meals, but in my expert opinion once a day is enough.

Make a salad dressing

Replacing the red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar in your salad dressing is an easy way to sneak ACV into your daily meals. Try a salad dressing with some honey and a little mustard to mask the harsher vinegar taste, like this one. Add it to salads (obviously), roasted veggies, grilled chicken, or your favorite grain bowl.

Make homemade ketchup

This recipe is an unexpected and easy way to replace something processed in your diet with something extremely healthy. All you need is ACV, tomato paste, onion powder/oregano, maple syrup, and salt. And beyond homemade ketchup, you can add a splash of ACV to any tomato sauce or salsa for a healthy, vinegary kick.

Make a marinade

Marinating your meat, or even veggies, with a slightly acidic marinade will help tenderize your dish and lock in moisture. Try this recipe, which uses ACV and herbs to create marinade magic.

Be brave and take a shot

Sometimes, there’s just no time for games. Mix one tablespoon of ACV with two tablespoons of water, plug your nose, shoot it back, and don’t forget a chaser. Honestly, this is my favorite way to drink ACV—it makes your stomach feel like it’s on fire for a few minutes, but it’s the easiest method. However, never shoot ACV completely straight without water. If you don’t dilute it, it could damage your tooth enamel and cause stomach aches.

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How to Use Tomato Soup as Pasta Sauce

I wake up early because the baby is sick and can’t sleep. After cleaning up one mess after another (all before 8 a.m.), we hustle out the door, running late (of course), to get him to grandma’s before I head to work. After putting out one fire after another all day, having consumed only an apple and a cup of coffee over the last nine hours, I swing by to pick up my wife and my son before heading home for the evening. I’m tired, I’m hungry, I’m cranky, and I have to feed the family. Ugggghhhhhh!

Does this sound familiar? If so, I’m sorry. But there’s hope! Cooking does not need to be complex, involved, or over-complicated to be good—especially on a weekday night. Sure, it would be great to have elegant, gourmet, farm-fresh meals every night. But if we’re talking like this, it’d also be nice to have a live-in chef or a driver to cart us from one restaurant to another, where we’d indulge in prix fixe menus in private dining rooms. These things aren’t realistic, though, so on an average Tuesday night, it’s okay to simply put food on the table that fills the belly and goes down easy.

When my day looks like the one I described above, I’m looking for a couple things: 1) What’s quick and easy; 2) What’s inexpensive; and 3) What do I have around the house? Looking through my cupboards, it’s a pretty safe bet I’ll have tomato soup and pasta, and looking through my fridge/freezer, I’ll likely have some sort of meat. Luckily, that’s all I need to make a great, simple, quick, and inexpensive meal at home. Before I move on, I have to give credit where credit is due. My mom, and her mom before her, made the meal I’m about to outline on a regular basis. So, this is a decades-tested dish made generation after generation that I recommend adding to your repertoire. They called it Creamettes and ground meat.

Can you guess what was in it? Pretty obvious, huh? They used Creamette-brand elbow pasta, and ground meat, of course! But there’s one essential non-named ingredient that turns this pasta dish from bland and dry to tasty. So tasty that it was a favorite meal of my sister during our childhood. Guess what it is. That’s right, tomato soup. Impossible, you say? Very possible. One can of condensed tomato soup is all you need. It’s so easy, so cost effective, and so good you’ll be wondering why you haven’t been doing this for years! Here’s what you do:

1. Take one pound of your favorite ground meat and brown it in a pan. For more flavor (but higher fat content), use ground chuck. For a leaner (though less flavorful) option, use ground sirloin or ground turkey.
2. Cook 8 oz. of your pasta of choice in a larger pot.
3. Combine the browned ground meat and the cooked pasta in the larger pot.
4. Add 10.75 oz. (one can) of condensed tomato soup to your pasta and meat over heat. Do not add water. The consistency of the condensed soup is perfect.
5. Mix until warm and evenly distributed. Salt to taste.
6. Serve with Parmesan cheese (if you have it) on the side (alternative: bake or microwave with your cheese of choice on top).

You’ll get 3-4 servings from this recipe, depending on portion size. Still skeptical? Try it out. If you’re looking for something with a bit more pizazz from time to time, give these things a try:

1. Add some sautéed onion to the mix. I prefer yellow or red. The flavor complements the meat and sweetness of the tomato soup.
2. Mix in some cayenne pepper to taste. This will add some extra spice—that is, of course, if you think spice is nice.
3. Stew some cherry tomatoes and add with the soup. This will give the sauce some tomatoey (spell check recognizes this as a word, so I’m going with it) texture.
4. Add sauteed zucchini, peas, or even asparagus for some veggie content. Be aware that the water content of a vegetable like zucchini, or even the cherry tomatoes mentioned above, might change the consistency of the sauce. You may also want to adjust down your meat or pasta content or adjust up your soup content to account for the added ingredient(s).
5. Mix in some Parmesan cheese with the tomato soup and let it melt as the soup is warming. This will give your sauce a richer, saltier flavor and a thicker texture.
6. Warm the tomato soup with some milk or half-and-half prior to adding it to the pasta and meat. This will give your sauce a creamier texture and taste. However, it will also thin out the sauce. If you like it, great! If not, you can work around this in a couple ways. You can reduce the sauce, letting some liquid evaporate, or mix up a cornstarch or flour slurry to thicken it up prior to adding it to the pasta and meat. For a great discussion on thickening techniques, check out this discussion.

There you go! The next time you have one of those days, don’t worry. This pasta dish, using regular-old-condensed-tomato soup as sauce, is something you can whip up without breaking a sweat, your spirit, or the bank. And if you have kids, there’s a solid chance they’ll like it too!

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Pressure Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes

After making mashed potatoes every kind of way, these days, it’s all about the electric pressure cooker. The potatoes come out perfectly every time, and it’s so, so fast!

Whether you’re making mashed potatoes for a weeknight dinner or a big holiday spread, this is my favorite method for a perfect bowl of spuds.

Continue reading "Pressure Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes" »

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Johnsonville Premium Breakfast Sandwiches

Johnsonville's new Premium Breakfast Sandwich Collection is made with high-quality ingredients, innovative flavor combinations, and is designed to expand all-day breakfast and grab-and-go menu options for c-store operators.  

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Mars Wrigley Introduces More Than 20 New Products

Top new products featured at the show included: Alert™ Caffeine Gum, EXTRA® Chewy Mints, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® Sweet Heat, DOVE® Chocolate-Covered Dusted Nuts, and SNICKERS® Peanut Butter Crisper.

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COYO Vanilla Bean

The product is made with five ingredients: coconut cream, organic vanilla bean extract with vanilla seeds, tapioca, pectin and probiotic cultures.

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11 Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes, Traditional to Trippy

It wouldn’t really be a true Thanksgiving without turkey. Unfortunately, it’s often cooked poorly and is not that delicious, but if there isn’t a bird on the table there will be mutiny. So if you’re looking for something new to do to the bird, or for a fool-proof classic recipe, we’ve got you covered. Some add flavor, some cut down the oven time, and some are just fun to try. Just keep it classic for the first year with the in-laws. Then you can fly free.

1. CLASSIC ROASTED TURKEY

This is the bird that is perfect to present to your table of guests. It looks great, you get to admire it through the oven glass, and no one will be disappointed. Total crowd-pleaser.

2. SMOKED TURKEY

No, not the turkey disaster of ’98, this one is supposed to taste smoky. A great way to get some flavor into the bird and free up oven space, but it’s a strong statement to your guests. Also requires an outdoor grill.

3. TURKEY TWO WAYS (ROASTED BREAST AND CONFIT)

Epicurious

Why cook a turkey one way when you can do two? A gourmet’s alternative to a plain old roasted bird: brined, roasted breast and the legs cooked confit-style. Guaranteed to impress those in-laws.

4. EASY BRINED TURKEY WITH CREAM GRAVY

Serious Eats

Brining a turkey yields consistently juicy, perfectly seasoned results, but the method can seem like an ordeal, hoisting the turkey into a chest cooler to cure out in the garage. Our recipe suggests using your refrigerator’s crisper drawer which makes brining virtually hassle-free.

5. BACON-WRAPPED TURKEY

Bacon has jumped the shark in the food-verse, but probably not in your parents’ house. So why not—on a day dedicated to eating allofthethings—just go for it.

6. DEEP-FRIED TURKEY

Succulent and juicy, with a perfect crispy skin, this one is worth the trouble. It’s fun, it gets everyone outside (and out of the way!) for a bit, and it’s drop-dead easy.

7. TURCHETTA

You know who you are, craft queens and cooking chemistry dynamos. This one’s for you. If you think you might end up with a #nailedit joke, have a backup plan. But if you do pull it off? Heroic and delicious.

8. TURKEY CAKE

I am obligated by my editors to include this one, but please, do not make this. Some creations cannot be unwrought. Have mercy.

9. SPATCHCOCKED TURKEY

For the is-it-done-yet crowd, this is the fastest way to cook your bird in the oven. And the breast stays unfathomably moist while the legs cook through. Pro tip: Get thee some kitchen shears.
Photo/Recipe: Bon Appétit

10. BRAISED TURKEY

Cook your bird low and slow in flavorful stock for a slammin’, nontraditional, but juicy set-it-and-forget-it (at least until after football) approach.
Photo/Recipe: Food Network

11. CONFIT TURKEY

Another long cooking time with miraculous results: Cook your turkey parts overnight in duck fat. Because why not? It’s Thanksgiving after all.
Photo/Recipe: Amateur Gourmet

No matter which you choose, the leftovers will be the best part. Happy Thanksgiving.

Photos by Chris Rochelle for CHOW.com unless otherwise noted.

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Easy Roman Braised Artichoke Hearts (Carciofi alla Romana)

Carciofi alla romana is one of Italy's most famous artichoke recipes. It's made with little more than olive oil, wine, garlic, and herbs, but the result is gently cooked, supremely tender artichoke hearts in a fragrant bath of their own cooking juices. Get Recipe!

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Hostess Molten Lava Ding Dongs

The launch of Molten Lava Ding Dongs® follows last summer’s release of Hostess® Deep-Fried Twinkies®.

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Watch Five Adorable Kids Taste Test This Year’s New Halloween Candy

Put a piece of candy in front of a kid—no matter what it is—and he or she is going to eat it, right? Wrong. Kids these days are pickier than ever. Whether it’s because of their opinionated parents or the evolution of more sophisticated palates, it seems like humans—both young and old—are certainly more difficult to please.

To prove this theory, we relied on five honest (and adorable!) test subjects to sample this year’s selection of mass market, sugary concoctions. From Pumpkin Pie Kit Kats to Caramel Apple Milky Ways, no bizarre flavor was left unwrapped, which yielded some pretty hilarious on-camera reactions.

Check out the video above for a full lowdown of which candies reigned supreme. And if you’re still convinced that adults can stomach more than children, think again. The Chowhound team put these sweets to the test and the results concluded that we’re all just picky big kids who will forever love Reese’s.

Pumpkin Pie Kit Kat

“I’m not opposed to the pumpkin spice chemical blend of the filling but it needs the milk chocolate coating of a classic Kit Kat to stick the landing.” – Jessica Gentile, Associate Editor

“It tastes like white chocolate bark mixed with canned pumpkin pie filling—grossly sweet.” – Guillermo Riveros, Senior Video Producer

“It’s less pumpkin-flavored than it is pumpkin-spiced chemical-flavored. Not even regular Kit Kats taste like real chocolate, per se, but I miss the familiarity. Also, it’s a bit waxy.” – Owen Stretch, Video and Social Media Manager

“I actually really enjoyed this. Feel free to change my name to ‘Basic Bitch.’ I deserve it.” – Joey Skladany, Senior Content Producer

Reese’s Ghosts

“I love you, always and forever. Even when you’re covered in white chocolate instead of milk or dark.” – Carleigh Connelly, Director of Content 

“Let’s just say that if the peanut butter is Alec Baldwin, the white chocolate is his brother, Stephen. They’re sometimes cute together, but we all know who’s superior.” – Joey Skladany, Senior Content Producer

“It tastes like the regular version, but just covered in white chocolate. I love Reese’s with a passion.” – Chike Ezeude, Associate Video Producer

“I wish the ghost shape was better, then it would be more appealing to me. White chocolate is a turn-off in general, but this tastes just like a regular Reese’s.” – Guillermo Riveros, Senior Video Producer

“Not even the faux-plastic taste of white chocolate can ruin a Reese’s. A+.” – Jessica Gentile, Associate Editor

Cauldron Skittles

“These taste like Skittles, alright! It seems the seasonal theme of these come solely from the spooky flavor names like ‘Lurking Lemon’ and ‘Gripping Grape.’ But I like Skittles, so I like these.” – Nathan Carpenter, Video Producer 

“Shocker: They taste like normal Skittles…which is a good thing.” – Carleigh Connelly, Director of Content

“I like Skittles’ approach to Halloween: Just change the product name and packaging without changing the candy itself. I will eat handfuls of these out of any cauldron.” – Jessica Gentile, Associate Editor

“These taste a lot like normal Skittles—which, great!” – Owen Stretch, Video and Social Media Manager

Caramel Apple Milky Way

“I’ve never been a fan of Milky Way. When I tried the apple candy-flavored version, it reinforced why I do not like Milky Way.” – Chike Ezeude, Associate Video Producer

“Gross. Apples only belong in pies, crisps, and cobblers.” – Jessica Gentile, Associate Editor

“I’m not really detecting much apple flavor in this. Not a big fan, though it is a nice change of pace from pumpkin-flavored stuff.” – Nathan Carpenter, Video Producer

“It smells like there’s fake cherry flavor added to the chocolate…like a cheap Russell Stover Valentine’s Day chocolate.” – Carleigh Connelly, Director of Content

Sweet Tarts Skull & Bones

“It’s Sweet Tarts shaped like skulls and bones. No complaints on my side.” – Guillermo Riveros, Senior Video Producer

“They’re Sweet Tarts, but they’re shaped like spooky skeletons! What’s not to like?” – Nathan Carpenter, Video Producer

“Sweet Tarts will forever be inferior to hard candies like Warheads, but I’d be a fool to turn these down. Yum.” – Joey Skladany, Senior Content Producer

“See, this is a smart play. Rather than mess with taste, they changed the form factor. The skeleton head? I chuckled.” – Owen Stretch, Video and Social Media Manager

“Can’t go wrong with Sweet Tarts. I love the taste, I love the color, I just love them.” – Chike Ezeude, Senior Video Producer

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Farmer’s Pantry Meal Snacks

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