Everybody knows that certain foods are regarded as having a positive effect on the libido, with things like oysters and chocolates flying off the shelves at times when romance is supposed to be in the air. While there are some scientific reasons why these things can have some effect on the sex drive (oysters, for example, contain zinc which is good for fertility, and chocolate has mood-boosting properties) a lot of the reputation around these aphrodisiac foods is based more on tradition than anything.

There are, however, some surprising foods that scientists have found increase sexual desire in men or women, along with some supplements that can help those with a low sex drive. Here are some of the natural aphrodisiacs you may not have heard about before:

Cucumbers

Cucumbers have been shown to increase sexual desire in women, and before you laugh, it’s not the shape that does it – it’s the smell. The smell of cucumber has been shown in laboratory tests to increase blood flow to the reproductive organs of women, and also induce feelings of sexual arousal. Eating cucumbers isn’t the only way to get their smell, of course, there are plenty of skincare products, body washes and cleansers that contain cucumber and have a cucumber fragrance, because it is also refreshing and hydrating.

Candy, Popcorn and Pizza!

Women also respond to the smell of licorice, whereas foods that illicit a positive effect on the sex drive from men by their smell alone include buttered popcorn and cheese pizza! The blood flow to the penises of men engaged in a trial increased by up to 9% when exposed to these aromas. While this all sounds very odd, it was proven by scientists!

Damiana Leaf

Damiana is a plant that has been used in remedies for libido problems for centuries, and has survived as a traditional aphrodisiac which many fans of natural supplements rave about. Damiana leaf is said to not only boost the sex drive of both men and women, but also have a similar effect on energy levels to caffeine. One of the easiest ways to try using Damiana Leaf, if you are interested in testing it out, is to buy a Damina tea. This is a pleasant and side-effect free way to add it to your diet.

Yohimbe

Yohimbe is an African herb which is often marketed as a natural alternative to Viagra. It is derived from the bark of a tree, and while it has been shown to help sexual performance in males in lab tests, it is not something that is standardized which makes it difficult to know if you are going to get the results you want. Doctors claim that many of the Yohimbe products on sale as natural alternatives to sexual performance drugs don’t have enough of the active ingredient in them to show a positive result. This is largely because too much Yohimbe can be highly dangerous, and the tolerances of different men vary.

About the author: Whilst researching natural aphrodisiacs, Emma decided to give Damiana Leaf tea a try. She really enjoyed the taste and is planning on introducing it to her boyfriend when she next sees him.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Social Power. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’m going to step away from the topic of food for a minute and talk about change. More precisely the power to effect change. We have that power today as we have never had before. Social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus connect more people than at any time in human history. Now a company called Social Power is using that connection to solve real problems in the world around us.

Social power works like this: You identify an issue that you feel can be solved and introduce it to the world, then you share the issue with your social networks. Other people that think your initiative needs to be addressed share it with their networks, and so on.

When the issue reaches 1,000 supporters on the network, Social Power turns your issue into an initiative and submits it to a group who can resolve it. Yep. They produce an actual resolution. Social power is an organization that helps normal people make a differencein the real world, all through the power of social media.

I think that this is a great idea.  Real change has already come about through twitter and Facebook, but to my knowledge there has never been a group or service of this kind. Take a moment to look over the video that explains what they do and how they do it:

I decided I’d see how much influence an average issue (though granted, it’s one on a grand scale) could generate, so I created one. No, not about food, though it relates to it in a general manner. I created an initiative to have WalMart treat its employees with more respect.

Why WalMart? Well, I’ve worked for them in the past and have experienced their employee policies first hand. I’ve also witnessed the treatment their employees receive from management while in the store. It’s a disgrace for someone who makes so little to be treated so badly, and it needs to change. You’d think the world’s largest retailer would figure that out on their own, but they haven’t.

If you agree, pop over to Social Power, sign up and back my initiative. Or you can back the initiatives for more school lunch choices, autism awareness in schools or any of the hundreds of other issues on the table. Who knows, you could help change the world just a little.

Image courtesy USDA

Food. You gotta have it, and one way or another; you have to pay for it.  Food can be a major budget-buster for all sorts of reasons.  Some people spend a small fortune on restaurant meals and coffee shop drinks.  Others are all about convenience foods, and end up spending a lot of money to have someone else do the chopping and seasoning.  And some people want to make sure that everything they eat is organic, sustainable, fair trade, locally-sourced… that can get very expensive too.

How can you keep your grocery budget within reason, while still eating well?  Ultimately, the goal should be to eat nutritious food that makes you feel good and keeps you healthy.  Unfortunately, that basic premise eliminates using a large chunk of the coupons that are available in the newspaper on online.  Many – but definitely not all – of them are for packaged, processed food that are full of mystery ingredients, too much sodium, trans fats, excessive amounts of sugar and artificial sweeteners, food colorings… it’s probably better to pass on the coupons for dubious food and opt for better nutrition instead.  Don’t worry – you can still stick to a budget without clipping coupons!

It’s hard to set goals and measure progress if you don’t know your starting point.  It also might surprise you to see how much you’re spending on groceries, dining out, and drinks.  So for at least a month, keep track of all your restaurant, coffee shop, and grocery store spending.  At the end of the month, tally it up.  Next step is to healthy it up a bit, and lower the total cost.

Where you make cuts depends a bit on your personality and what really makes you happy. But one way or another, it’s important to remember that eating and drinking at restaurants basically involves employing someone to prepare your food.  If your finances aren’t in a position to do that, try to limit dining out to special occasions.  Give yourself a dining out budget for food/drink that you can live with, put that amount of money in an envelope, and use it throughout the month.  It’s relatively easy to curtail your dining out expenses in this manner, because you can just eat at home once you’ve run out of restaurant funds.

It’s a bit harder to manage overall food expenses this way – you can stop dining out halfway through the month, but you can’t just stop eating.  So what can you do to eat healthfully and not blow your budget?

• It’s great to buy organic food as much as possible, but if you learn the difference between the “dirty dozen” and the “clean 15” you can save yourself some money with conventionally grown produce from the clean 15 list (conventional produce that has little or no detectable pesticide residue).  Here are the clean 15:  onions, avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, mango, sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi fruit, cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit and sweet potatoes.
• Get to know the produce, dairy, deli and meat managers at your local grocery store.  Don’t be shy!  Ask when they get in new shipments of food and when they’re likely to put out marked-down food that needs to be sold quickly.  You might find that your store always has a pile of discounted produce a few times a week, if you know when to shop.
• Use Craigslist to find a local farmer who has extra eggs, meat, vegetables or fruit for sale.  You might be able to get pastured, truly free-range eggs from a local farmer for less than the “cage-free” eggs at the grocery store.  You may also find people with fruit trees who offer free fruit to people who are willing to come and pick the fruit from their trees.  And some small-scale farms will let you trade labor for food: you spend some time each week working on the farm, in trade for a box of fresh food.
• Consider a membership to a warehouse like Costco.  If you have storage space for dry goods and frozen food, you can stock up several times a year and have staples on hand all the time.  This prevents “emergency” trips to the grocery store and gives you more ability to budget your food costs over a longer period of time.
• Plant a garden.  Even if you think you don’t have enough space, you can grow at least some food.  A few window boxes or balcony containers can be used to grow herbs and baby greens, and all sorts of veggies grow well in pots as long as they have plenty of water and sunlight.  If you do have space in your yard, put in a few raised beds and plant a few fruit trees and berry bushes.  Not only will they reduce your grocery bill, but you’ll have full control over their growing conditions and the food will be as local as it gets.
• See if there’s a food co-op in your area that sells dry goods in bulk.  You might be able to get a discount on things like dry beans, rice, quinoa, millet, nuts, seeds, coconut, etc., just by getting a membership at the co-op and buying in bulk.

Have fun with this!  Set a food spending goal for the month and see how close you can come to it.  See how little food you can waste each week – wasted food is wasted money!  Challenge yourself to avoid buying processed food and instead purchase whole foods and turn them into fantastic meals.  Simple is good – you don’t have to make 5 course meals with 30 ingredients.  Figure out a few go-to recipes, plan your meals around what’s on sale, and be creative in scouting out ways to get good quality food without breaking the bank.  You might find that you never want to go back!

Frugal Babe is a mid-30s American wife and mama who has been careful with money since childhood and loves the flexibility that her frugality has given her. She is the face behind the Frugal Babe website and a contributor to the CareOne Debt Relief Services blog, a community that provides debt consolidation and money-saving advice.

Disclaimer: Pepperidge Farm sent us a sample of these chips to try. We were not compensated in any other way. There was no exchange of funds, favors, or small, yet adorably cute animal toys for my kids. All opinions are 100% my own.

Now that we have that out of the way. If you’ve been longing for a better, lighter, crispier and healthier tortilla chip. One that isn’t heavy, greasy or overpowering and has a wonderful crisp snap when you bite in to it, I’ve found it for you.

You’re welcome.

I’m going to make this short and sweet, folks. Run, don’t walk, to your local store and grab yourself a bag or ten of Pepperidge Farm’s Baked Naturals Tortilla Chips. Yes, now. Finish reading this when you’ve got a bag of these things in your hand. Seriously, they’re that good.

Baked naturals are to tortilla chips what PopChips are to potato chips. They’re what Porsche is to Volkswagon. Sure, you can compare the two, but the difference so vast that you might as well compare a rowboat with an aircraft carrier or the jewelry department at the local superstore to Tiffany’s.

The Simply tortilla chips are light, airy but wonderfully crisp with a very mild flavor that will let your salsa (or hummus, in our case) shine without being the slightest bit oily or overly salty. They’d be brilliant used in tortilla soup or nachos, and I think I may just use the rest as breading for something.

The Nacho Cheese chips are, hands-down, the best nacho flavored chip of any kind I’ve ever had. Unlike most other flavored chips, these are subtle. You won’t have some strange scientifically engineered cheese powder all over your hands when eating them, just a massive smile on your face.

Oh, and they’re 100% gluten free, guys.

Also, because they’er baked they’re lower in fat.  since I’m not a nutritionist, I’ll hand you the official numbers from Pepperidge Farm:

Baked Naturals Tortilla Chips contain 43 percent less fat than the leading tortilla chip (4.5g total fat/28g serving compared to 8g total fat/28g serving)

Well, what are you still doing staring at your smartphone, tablet or computer? You gotta try these things! And if your local store doesn’t have them, ask the manager to order them. You’ll be very glad that you did.

No-bake treats are my speciality. Mainly because it doesn’t require a whole lot of cooking skills. Because when it comes to cooking, I am terrible. I mean really terrible. I know people say that, but I have reason to believe I am the worst of the worst. I once evaporated a pot of boiling water. I left the pot just boiling away on the stove for a few hours because I totally forgot about it. That’s how bad I am. So whenever a recipe says “easy” or “simple” I always give it the ol’ college try! This particular recipe is for anyone who loves red velvet brownies and for anyone who is as bad at cooking as me.

You will need:

Red food coloring

1 stick of melted butter

White sugar

2 eggs

Cocoa powder

White vinegar

Vanilla extract

A dash of salt

First…

Preheat your oven to the standard baking temperature 350 degrees. You will need to melt your stick of butter in the microwave. Then, you will mix it in with the rest of the ingredients. Here’s how I measure it out: a cup of white sugar, a cup of cocoa powder, one tablespoon of white vinegar, one tablespoon of vanilla extract, one tablespoon of red food coloring, and just a dash of salt. Oh, and don’t forget the two eggs! The food coloring might seem a little weird but if you don’t use it, these brownies will come out of the oven looking like a reddish brownish ick color. It won’t look appealing to anyone! After all is said and down, you will throw in about 3/4 cup of flour into this mixture. Swirl it all together to make sure all of the ingredients are mixed completely.

Next…

It’s time to make the cheesecake portion of the brownie. All you need is one 8 oz package of cream cheese, 1 egg, a tablespoon of vanilla extract, and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar, depending on how sweet you want the middle of your brownie to be. Mix all of that together as fast as you can. Now comes the fun part!

Finally….

Pour half of your brownie mixture evenly into a pan. Now, spoon out as many dollops of your cream cheese mixture as you can and place them on top of the brownie batter. Lastly, pour the rest of the brownie batter on top. Swirl it all together to make sure the ingredients are mixed evenly together. Place it in the oven for 25 to 28 minutes and when you hear the timer buzz, all you have to do is wait a few minutes for your freshly made red velvet cheesecake brownies to cool before you take a heavenly bite!

While this recipe does call for an oven, there are tons of other no-bake treats that you can make that don’t require much of a cooking effort. Trust me, I understand how hard it can be to even remember something is on the stove or in the oven. So if you want an easier way to cook some treats for your next birthday or office party, try a no-bake recipe!

About the author: Carly is a blogger for Smith Monitoring, a provider of the Houston alarm. She lives with her sister and loves to make treats. However, she isn’t allowed to bake in the house anymore since she and her sister started gaining weight from all the no-bake goodies.

Meat prices are rising, and rising fast. For some families that just means eating less expensive meat. For other families it can mean that they can’t afford to buy enough protein for their families. If you’ve foregone meats because you chose to, that’s one thing. But if, like us, you’ve cut back based solely on cost, I’m going to show you how you can put more meat in your freezer, for a lot less money.

What I’m going to suggest might sound counterintuitive, but bear with me. If you buy a large (and at first glance expensive) primal cut of meat and trim it down yourself, you’ll save money. A lot of money.

We’re going to show you how. Step-by-step.

This is the first in a series of posts designed to help you save a ton of cash on food, specifically meats, by buying primal cuts and portioning them out yourself. This may sound daunting at first, but it’s really no more difficult or time-consuming than making potatoes from scratch once you get used to it.

This post will show you how to turn a $20.97 purchase into somewhere between $35 and $40 worth of prepackaged food. That’s up to a 50% savings, depending on prices in your area. (This will vary. In some places the savings will be far more significant, slightly less in others.) And it all starts with a brisket.

Continue reading: How-To: Turn a Whole Beef Brisket into 7 full meals and save a ton of money

Before you dive in, I need to state for the record that I am not a doctor. I have studied the topics below, but if you think your child or someone you know has a food allergy, seek medical help. I’m not an expert.

I’m a foodie, I’m a cook and I talk about recipes a little too often for most people’s sake. I’m also the father of six wonderful kids. Two of those kids are in the Autistic spectrum but most notably, this post refers to our youngest son, Lil’ B, who happens to be mildly Autistic. Therefore, this post isn’t so much about a recipe as it is about a series of events that spawned a very strong reaction for me.

These events occurred on the same day. Both ere unrelated in and of themselves, but I’m sure that the parents of any special needs child will understand why, for me at least, they felt very much the same.

First, I ran across an article on BlogHer titled “The Cult of Organics: Is it Worth the Extra Money?“. The post itself made sense. Julie Gunlock did a wonderful job of spelling out the pros and cons of organic foods from the perspective of a normal household with a normal budget. She was thoughtful, insightful and genuinely engaging. (Great post Julie!) My issue wasn’t with her post. It wasn’t with the writing and it definitely wasn’t because of her opinion on the subject. I expressed similar views in a post titled “This is Probably Going to Make you Angry.” No, my issue wasn’t with the post.

My issue was with the comments.

Not just that people expressed that an unprocessed food diet is more healthy. I think that’s something that we can all agree on. I would be foolish to argue otherwise. What got me fuming was the tone that many of the people leaving comments took. it was as if this was their chance to educate the author on just why her statement that:

Food writers (and celebrity psudo-cooks) might consider easing up a little on the guilt so often directed to parents who might occasionally need to throw a frozen pizza in the oven on a busy night or commit the mortal sin of stopping by a fast-food restaurant (gasp!).

Was a sin against health and wellness…

Seriously? I mean… Are you friggin’ kidding me? It’s a busy world. Sometimes convenience does win out over the need to prepare from scratch. Even our family is guilty of having a package of frozen burritos in the freezer. They’re there for times when we need something fast. That’s the nature of convenience food. It’s. Um. Convenient.

Continue reading: Unprocessed Food, Special Needs Kids and Chicken Nugget Sliders

Going to Austin is one of the most exciting experiences for a family, couple or young person. There’s so much to do in this city, but it’s also about something else. John Steinbeck wrote it best when he said that “Texas is a state of mind.” Austin is just like that. With a bustling downtown filled with delicious restaurants, you can never go wrong going to Austin for a getaway and amazing food. Top chefs from around the world get started in one of the fine restaurants found in this thriving Texas city, so it’s no wonder that the cuisine is just as eclectic as Austin. From Japanese steakhouses to Mexican haciendas, there’s a little something for everyone among the hottest places to eat in Austin.

1. Uchi

Uchi is a thriving Japanese restaurant in the heart of Austin. This wonderful sushi restaurant is top rated because of its attention to detail, local flavors and exquisite cuisine. Chef Paul Qui is one of the best sushi chefs in the world and also owns Uchiko on North Lamar. Surrounding this restaurant, you’ll find some of Austin’s favorite bars, which makes it easy to grab a drink at Lustre Pearl or even an ice cream for desert at Amy’s. One of the greatest benefits of eating at Uchi is the fresh ingredients and chef personality. While sushi is one of the trademarks, you can also get a Bacon Steakie, a dish made from slices of pork belly. You truly experience some delicious sushi or Japanese cuisine, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Uchi has a sake social hour from 5:00 to 6:00 pm every night.

2. Fonda San Miguel

Margaritas, tacos and chile relleno, the spicier side of Texas can be found at Fonda San Miguel. After heading out to the gorgeous peak of Mount Bonnell, there’s nothing more satisfying than a grilled chicken fajita and some drinks. Fonda San Miguel is one of the most colorful places to eat in Austin. People come from all over to celebrate special occasions or just enjoy a beautiful meal at this hacienda off North Loop. It’s close to Crestmont Park and Highland Village, great for walking after or just enjoying the scenery while taking a bite of the delicious tortilla soup. Whether you want fajitas, spinach quesadillas, delicious chimichangas or something a little light and spicy, it’s all here in one of Austin’s favorite and top rated restaurants, Fonda San Miguel.

3. Green Pastures

Green Pastures has a history of amazing service and dining experience in Austin. Just off West Ottorf in South Austin near the Texas State Capitol, Green Pastures has an all-in-one sort of menu with a Texas twist. This is a wonderful treat for the family after an afternoon at the nearby Barton Springs, a gorgeous place to cool off and dive into Austin’s natural wilderness. From crab cakes to ancho-mace pork with roasted sweet potatoes, you can find just about anything unique and delicious on Green Pasture’s lineup. Service has been commended as one of the best trained waiters and chefs in the world, but it’s also the experience of the old house known as the 1894 Bouldin Creek estate. Green Pastures has a beautiful location amid lush green foliage and forest trees that make it quite magical when a peacock strides by. Perfect for a special occasion family dinner or a romantic evening for two, Green Pastures is definitely one of the top dining experiences of Austin.

4. Torchy’s Tacos

Texas college students love Torchy’s, but visitors to this area must stop by if they’re shopping around Union Park or finishing up a day at Lake Austin. It’s right around the corner! The tacos at Torchy’s are on the hot side, and if you love a flaming dish, get ready for a Mexican love affair with the Brushfire Tacos. Mr. Orange, a salmon taco, was recently added to the menu and adds a bit of spicy deliciousness that has gotten incredible reviews. Torchy’s has one of the prime locations in Austin because it’s right by the University of Texas at Austin, making it a sinfully scrumptious treat for college students. However, this is one of the places where you’ll find a mixture of families, athletes, couples and kids just hanging out enjoying great food and service. One major benefit is the price. Compared to other haciendas in the area, Torchy’s is priced just right, and while it is all about the tacos, you can find some other amazing dishes such as the Crossroads, which is a smoked beef brisket on a fresh corn tortilla.

5. Piranha Killer Sushi

Visitors to the Austin Convention Center love stopping at Piranha Killer Sushi for a bite. Piranha Killer Sushi is one of the secret havens right in Downtown Austin. It’s a favorite for locals because of the happy hour and moderate priced dinners that don’t pinch on the quality of food or service. Most of the menu is comprised of sushi and sashimi selections that feature fresh salmon, yellowtail, grouper and tuna. Their simply seasoned seaweed salad is amazing and goes great with the White Lotus Roll, a mixture of shrimp tempura, masago, cream cheese, avocado and tuna that will simply melt your tastebuds. If you’re looking for a delicious treat and want something off menu, just ask. Piranha Killer’s Chef Kin loves to be spontaneous.

–

Author Bio: Kevin Caldwell is a travel writer at Austin Airport Hotel Guide, which helps people find hotels near the Austin airport. Kevin often writes about places to visits and things to see/do while traveling.

Remember that big ol’ bag of chicken leg quarters you picked up at the market? The one that’s taking up a ton of room in the fridge because you haven’t gotten around to packaging all the chicken up a and freezing it. Or worse yet, it’s lying in the fridge while you try to decide what to make with all that chicken.

Wait, you didn’t grab one? Why not?

At the rate that prices on meat are going up, chicken leg quarters are quite possibly the most cost-effective protein available now.  I’ve seen them locally for as little as $4.25 for a 10-pound bag in the meat department of the BigScaryMegaMart. That’s a lot of meat for very little money folks.  A Lot. About 4 dinners worth on average. You can’t beat that with a stick. But a lot of people just don’t buy them.

I suppose the reason is that people haven’t worked with leg quarters as much as they have chicken breasts or thighs. It’s not like most food shows on TV go to lengths to show you ow to cook them. Most of the examples you see use boneless, skinless (and often flavorless) chicken breasts. To be honest, I buy chicken quarters almost exclusively. They’re cheaper, they have more flavor and they cook just like any other chicken.

They also happen to look darned good on a plate, don’t you agree?

If you’ve held off buying leg quarters because you weren’t quite sure what to do with them, let me suggest this simple, one-dish recipe that’s sure to change your mind about this particular cut of chicken forever. You just need 3 ingredients and about an hour an a half to whip this out. You’ll get  rave reviews for it, too. Trust me. I got plenty of them last night when i made the dish pictured here.

When I say that this is simple, I’m not joking. You don’t need to be a chef to pull this off, or even an accomplished cook. This is probably the first chicken recipe I’ll teach my son, because it’s nearly foolproof as long as you can read a thermometer and the results are spectacular every time.

Just slice some onions and lay them in a skillet:

Sprinkle some salt and pepper on them, toss in a bay leaf and cover ‘em up with some chicken leg quarters:

Add some more salt and pepper, then you toss the whole thing into a hot oven for about 90 minutes. When they’re all done, you get this:

All you have to do is make a side dish and you’re all set. The onions and drippings are perfect over rice or tossed with pasta, so the sauce is already made for you, right in the pan.  Simplicity in action.

Continue reading: Baked Chicken Leg Quarters with Braised Onions, a one dish wonder

The grilled cheese sandwich is without doubt one of the greatest comfort foods, but there’s no reason you can’t jazz it up a bit. Imagine that same sandwich on homemade bread and packed with the sharp bite of sautéed bell peppers and the sweetness of lightly browned onions. It’s a staggering difference that still pairs well with a good bowl of tomato basil soup.

Of course there’s no reason not to up the ante on the cheese if you want to. The sandwich pictured here uses mild cheddar because it’s what we had on hand, but a good sharp cheddar, gouda or provolone  would make fine additions as well. You could even mix and match several cheeses for a one of a kind combination of flavors.

While you’re customizing, if you’d like a little more zing, use a poblano pepper in place of the bell pepper. You could even use a jalapeño if you’re not afraid of a good bit of bite. There really is no wrong way to make grilled cheese. It’s a sandwich so versatile that whole cookbooks have been devoted to it. (We’ll list some below.)

Add a little boost to a comfort food classic. It’s one I guarantee will make you swoon. If the aroma from the kitchen doesn’t get the family running for the table, nothing will. This is a quick and easy way to add something really special to something that everyone is already familiar with.

Continue reading: Grilled Cheese with Sautéed Onions and Bell Pepper