A number of Americans are calling 2022 the year of the road trip. A recent survey showed that more than 80% of participants were planning to hit the road in the next few months, and that they couldn’t wait to explore more of the United States. The US is a fantastic country for landscapes, cities, and most importantly, food! So, get your car ready and head to the following destinations to enjoy the best culinary experiences America has to offer.

I know some of my readers live in Europe where you can also find great food. One of my recommendations is to visit Greece and try Athens food tours where a tasty culinary experience awaits you.

Road Trip Safety

Before embarking on an exciting road trip, it’s important that you do a little bit of pre-trip planning. There are three things you need to check before you set off. Your car, your route, and the weather. Ensure that your car is running perfectly, that you have enough oil, water, and gas, and that your tires are properly pumped up.

However, even if you do all of this just remember that a car can always break down unexpectedly, and you need to prepare for this too. That’s why it’s important to have an idea of how much it’s going to cost you to get your vehicle to a repair shop safely. Towing services generally cost between $75 – $125 based on your location, so be sure this is in your budget. With your car prep ticked off the list, it’s time to plan your route and check the weather, as this can affect your driving time and conditions. Then, it’s time to go!

Sample Seafood in Maine

Maine has become famous for its appreciation of good lobster. If you love seafood, then you’ll be in heaven here. There are an abundance of restaurants and food trucks serving lobster and you just need to know whether you prefer yours with hot butter or cold mayo.

The Historic Barbecue Trail in North Carolina

The North Carolina Barbecue Society Historic Trail has become a staple travel destination for food lovers in America. It includes over 24 stops around the state where you can try different smoked meats and drinks with the locals. Southerners pride themselves on their smoked pulled pork sandwiches, and they’re well worth a drive.

The Wisconsin Cheese Tour

The state of Wisconsin has made sure that its incredible dairy pastures never go to waste by producing some of the most unique and interesting cheeses the United States has to offer. The region produces around 2.8 billion tons of cheese a year. This means that no matter when you visit, there will be a great selection of cheeses to try. Plus, many local eateries offer cheese and wine pairings, making this a foodie road trippers paradise!

With summer just about upon us, a lot of people will be breaking out their blenders and swapping lunches and afternoon snacks for smoothies and other lighter meal options. Most who have this tendency are familiar with popular smoothie ingredients: berries and bananas, kale and spinach, juice and milk (and milk alternative) bases, and perhaps the occasional kiwi or squirt of lime juice. The great thing about smoothies, though, is that beyond the basics, you can easily toss in some very healthy ingredients that you might not otherwise get much of in your diet.

Let’s take a look at some fun and healthy options for your summer smoothies:

Chia Seeds

Apart from being famous for the plant “pet” you bought from the infomercials in the ‘80s, chia seeds are also extremely healthy for you. Every 25 grams of chia seeds nets you 4.1 grams of protein, 158 mg of calcium, and 8.6 grams of fiber, according to BBC Good Food. Protein is an essential part of day-to-day diets, and that fiber content can help with digestive health –– and may reduce your risk of developing Type-2 diabetes. And there’s really no reason not to tap into these benefits!

One of the great bonuses of chia seeds is that they don’t alter the flavor of your smoothie, so you can essentially add them into any blend you’d like. For that matter, you can throw some on your morning fruit salad or into your cereal while you’re at it.

Apple Cider Vinegar

If you like sweet smoothies and “vinegar” sounds unpleasant, don’t worry: ACV doesn’t change the taste much. (It does, however, taste incredibly strong when you drink it in just water. Don’t do that.) Plus, you’re only meant to have 1-2 teaspoons per day, according to an overview at the Forbes Health platform. More than that can corrode the enamel on your teeth. But just that small amount in your smoothie can be beneficial to your health. Specifically, vinegar has been shown to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It also may offer antimicrobial benefits.

Maca

Maca is a root veggie native to Peru, and it’s usually sold as a dry powder. Peruvians use it for alleviating menopause symptoms, improving mood, and maca may help to increase sex drive in men & women. Per a scientific examination at Hindawi, it can also help women who are suffering from antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction.

You can add maca powder to juices and smoothies as well as warm drinks like coffee. As with cayenne or apple cider vinegar, a small quantity won’t affect taste much.

Beet Juice

Beets are ideal for smoothies, as they’re very healthy. They are high in nutrients such as nitrates (for reducing high blood pressure), betalains (which have antioxidant properties), and vitamin C (which is helpful for your immune system), among others. Studies have also indicated that beet juice is associated with improved muscle endurance and better performance in resistance training, which may make it particularly useful for that pre-workout smoothie.

As for what sort of mix to go for, it really comes down to whether or not you like the flavor. But combining beat juice with your traditional smoothie base of juice, milk, or water –– half and half –– is a great way to get a good amount of it into your diet.

Cayenne

That’s right: A small bit of cayenne pepper can be added to smoothies, even if they’re sweet ones. Chances are, you won’t even notice it. You may notice the benefits, though, which include clearing congestion and diminishing pain. Cayenne is also high in several vitamins, and in particular vitamin A, which plays a role in preserving vision and strengthening immune systems.

Just don’t touch your eyes after handling cayenne, regardless of what form you use it in.

Ginger

Up next, ginger adds a bit of a kick to your smoothie without being overly spicy. It’s a well-known remedy to calm a sour stomach. A study from Food Science & Nutrition suggests that it can reduce nausea and vomiting. This makes it a recommended choice in particular for those dealing with morning sickness during pregnancy (or who may have chronic nausea for other reasons).

Ginger goes well with leafy greens and citrusy elements such as lemon, lime, grapefruit, and orange.

Yogurt

A lot of smoothies call for milk or a milk alternative, such as almond milk or coconut milk. However, yogurt also has a place in smoothies. With probiotics that aid digestion and many flavors to choose from, yogurt goes perfectly well with smoothies.

Some of the most popular flavors are vanilla, blueberry, and raspberry. Use any to thicken up your smoothie base, add those healthy probiotics, and boost the flavor all at once.

There’s no end to what you can do with a smoothie recipe. But you can always keep the kale and still explore some healthy, fun ingredients like these to liven things up! We hope we’ve given you some good ideas for those summer smoothies, and for more smoothie recipes, visit my website.

Huge changes to consumer habits in recent years mean small independent businesses are rising in popularity. There are loads of reasons why you might be interested in creating a food stall, but there is no denying that this is one of the most exciting times to join the small business party!

There has never been a better time to explore your passion for cooking by sharing your food with customers, and building your own successful small business in the process.

If you are a star baker or a master chef, and want to let others enjoy your food, creating a food stall is a great way of sharing your passion. Because food stalls can take full advantage of seasonal produce, there’s scope to make them a year-round attraction.

From Halloween-themed cupcakes, through Christmas gingerbread, to Easter tray bakes, you can ring the changes with your food stall throughout the year. If you are ready to take the plunge but you are not sure where to begin, read on to find some tips on how to get started.

Who Are You Going to Target?

Consider first who you want your target consumer to be. Are you better at baking impressive and unique birthday cakes? Or do you have a passion for eat-on-the-go street food? Do you prefer seasonal food like Christmas cake? Or do you specialize in international cuisine?

Whatever you prefer to cook, focus on honing your offering in that area in order to find those customers who absolutely love your niche. Your customers will be able to sense the passion in your food, making it all the more tasty. 

Think About your Packaging

Packaging plays a huge part in your customers’ perceptions of your brand. It is the first thing they see when you hand them their food, and the last they see once they have finished with it. So your packaging is a key part of your food business’s identity and if you haven’t selected your brand logo here’s a tool to create your free logo generator online.

If you are searching for a packaging company in the North West that provides attractive, biodegradable packaging options, you should take a look at Pirate Packaging. With bespoke and personalized packaging available, you can make the presentation of your packaging entirely your own!

Appearance is only one aspect of packaging. You need to make it appealing to customers in lots of other ways too; otherwise you may lose out on some business. In today’s world, consumers are increasingly concerned about the environment.

Address your customers’ environmental concerns by making sure you have sustainable packaging options. Not only is this good for your business, it is also much better for the environment, and today there are wide choices available for most types of food packaging.

Branding your Business

As we outlined earlier, creating a brand that represents you and your food stall is crucial. Consider your target customer, combine that with what you want from your packaging, and come to a conclusion about what kind of brand you want to create.

Pirate Packaging can help you create an attractive brand appearance that you will feel proud of. It is not always enough to rely solely on your fantastic food, and eye-catching printed packaging is a great tool in your sales armoury.

With the popularity of social media, people want food that looks good in photos. People want to show their followers what they are eating, so making your packaging social media-friendly encourages them to spread the word about your food business online.

Whether you are hoping to impress baked goods lovers, sandwich connoisseurs, or takeaway fanatics, creating an attractive brand through appealing packaging can give your small business a boost online. Making a brand that translates amazingly onto social media gives you free advertising, and the potential for substantial exposure to a wide range of customers.

Get Licensed

Make sure you are sticking to the law in making your food stall as safe as possible for your customers. People want to buy from genuine and reliable businesses, so being able to provide the paperwork is really important. Not only does it ensure that everyone stays safe, it also means that your customers remain happy, reducing the risk of complaints and cutting your food waste.

Most importantly, it is against the law to serve food without the relevant hygiene accreditation, so don’t hold back your food stall dreams. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations lay out the food safety management procedures that are necessary, so make sure you do your research before opening your stall. 

Just Take the Plunge

If you have followed all of our advice, and have created an excellent (and legal) food stall brand, and backed it with some amazing packaging, then there really is no need to delay. Now is the perfect time to take the plunge into your new small business venture, and to open your pop-up stall for customers.

We can’t wait for you to start sharing your delicious and beautifully presented food. We’re sure it won’t be long before the customers start flocking in.

I don’t know a single person whose day wouldn’t be improved by getting up 5 minutes earlier and taking the time to make a great cup of coffee.

But that’s got to be really expensive right? That’s where you’re wrong. You can make a truly great cup of coffee in the morning with just a few tweaks to the routine.

Buy Your Coffee Fresh

The best coffee roasters put the roast date on the bag because coffee is best consumed when it’s fresh (i.e. within 6 weeks). After that it’s still fine to drink and tasty enough but the coffee loses a lot of the sparkle it has when fresh.

Now in the grocery store you almost never see this info, absolutely nothing about when it was roasted. So for all you know, the coffee has been sitting in a warehouse for months and months before finally getting into your coffee maker.

So this is the easiest change you can make. Find a local roaster and support them and their business while treating yourself to a truly superb cup of Joe in the morning. In addition to refining your morning coffee ritual, consider exploring natural stimulants to elevate your morning routine.

Use Bottled Water

Do you drink the tap water in your house? Does it have a weird sort of taste you don’t like? If you live in a city this is probably the case, so tell me…

Why do you put this water into your coffee maker and then drink it?

That weird taste is still going to be there. It’s masked by the coffee sure, but it’s just going to ruin your cup of coffee, if not directly then subtly.

Do yourself a favor and start using bottled water in your coffee maker, whatever type of machine you have. Discover the ease of crafting a cup of coffee with advanced machines on Coffeeness.

Drink It Straight Away and Avoid Flasks

Fresh is always the theme. When you make your coffee in the morning, drink it straight away (after it cools a touch, of course). Don’t put it into a flask and take it all the way to work so you’re drinking it hours after you made it.

Because what does that do but ruin the flavor? Or at least lessen the flavor, and you get that slight metallic taste as well which can’t be un-tasted once you know it’s there.

Thermal flasks are great for when they’re needed – hiking, long car trips, etc., but they shouldn’t be one of the only ways you consume your coffee.

Grind Your Own Coffee If You Can

This one can be a little expensive buying the equipment so I’ll be brief. Basically, just as freshly roasted coffee is the best tasting, freshly ground coffee is also superior.

But you have to trade off the fact that the grinder you buy won’t be as good as the one coffee shops and roasters use, and a decent burr grinder can be a big purchase.

So this is one to consider if you want a truly great cup of coffee but it’s the final step.

If In Doubt Get Take Out

Yup, that is in fact an option, and despite what the critics say a lot of the big chains do in fact make really great coffee.

Especially in the summer, which is just around the corner. Making iced coffee at home is its own kettle of fish, so why bother when you can get an iced coffee from somewhere like Dunkin Donuts? It’s delicious and ready to go.

Because sometimes a morning cup of coffee just needs to be easy and straightforward. Maybe not every day, but as a back up on a hot day, why not treat yourself?

Many people are familiar with the ketogenic diet, or to be more accurate, by its popular name: the Keto Diet. This diet is one in which a person gets more calories from fat and protein than they do from carbohydrates. Typically, a person increases the amount of fat they consume in their diet, all while they’re reducing their carbohydrates.

This short-term diet is most often used to lose weight, but it has also been used to treat certain medical conditions such as epilepsy. And initial research has stated that it might also help with acne or heart disease, although it should be stated that more research needs to be done before that can be proven definitively.

Of course, the traditional keto diet isn’t without its side effects. People starting on a traditional keto diet might have to put up with unpleasant side effects as their body adjusts to the new diet. These side effects may include indigestion, constipation, or low blood sugar. There can also be a cocktail of side effects that are routinely known as Keto Flu.

These side effects can be fatigue, headache, weakness, and irritability. This diet also requires people to micromanage all of their nutrients to ensure that they are getting the right amount of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. This may be a turnoff for people who want an easier diet solution.

Fortunately, there are lazy keto meals that allow people to enjoy the benefits of the ketogenic diet, and do it without some of the side effects of a traditional keto diet. Also known as Quick & Dirty Keto, this is a way of incorporating the key principles of the ketogenic diet, all without having to do a bunch of labor-intensive calculations. What’s the difference between a traditional keto diet and the lazy keto diet? Well, let’s take a quick look and find out the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

The Difference Between Lazy Keto & Traditional Keto

These two diets are very similar to one another, but there is one key difference that can make all the difference: focusing on just carbohydrates and not worrying about fats. A traditional keto diet requires a person to take in approximately 55-60% fat, 30-35% protein, and about 5-10% carbohydrates. With a lazy keto diet, all a person has to worry about are the carbohydrates, however. As long as a person keeps their carbohydrates under 10%, then they don’t have to worry about measuring fat and protein.

What Foods Can Be Eaten On A Lazy Keto Diet?

People looking at this diet for the first time may think that it’s overly restrictive, but it really isn’t. There are a variety of foods that can still be eaten while on this diet. This includes the following healthy foods we’ve listed below:

Keto-Friendly Foods

• Healthy oils such as avocado and olive oils.
• Meat, poultry, and seafood.
• Eggs.
• Dairy items such as cheese and yogurt.
• Non-starchy veggies such as green beans, eggplant, and broccoli.

Of course, since people can also make carbohydrates approximately 10% of their diet, you can enjoy some of the following foods as well; you just have to do it in smaller quantities.

Keto-Friendly Carbohydrates

• Whole grains such as bread, quinoa, rye, barley, and brown rice.
• Pulses such as black beans, kidney beans, lentils, and peas.
• Fruits such as strawberries and blueberries.
• Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, parsnips, and corn.

Just remember that the items from the above list of keto-friendly carbohydrates should only make up 10% (or less) of your total diet.

Foods To Avoid

Although there are plenty of foods you can incorporate into a keto or lazy keto diet, there are also other foods that you should avoid.

• White rice, bread, and pasta.
• Candy.
• Ice cream and other sweetened desserts.
• Drinks sweetened with sugar.
• Alcohol.
• Sauces and dresses that contain a lot of sugar.
• Packaged breakfast cereals.
• Snack bars.
• Cakes, pies, sweets, and pastries.
• Chocolate.
• Jellies & Preserves.

Although adhering to a keto diet can seem like a dramatic life change, you can lessen the shock of it by going on a lazy keto diet.  Both of these diets provide marvelous results, but a lazy keto diet might just be a little easier for most people to implement. Just be sure before you undertake any diet, you check with your physician first.