Cheese-Stuffed Baked Potatoes

FamilyFun.com

Simple and yummy for your tummy. Makes a great side dish to just about anything, and its great reheated the next day.

Ingredients

• 4 baking potatoes
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup mild salsa (or medium, if your child likes it hot)

Instructions

1. Scrub the potatoes and put into a 450 degree oven. Bake until tender, 45 minutes to an hour.
2. Meanwhile, blend the cottage cheese and milk in the blender until they are smooth. Put into a bowl and stir in the mozzarella and salsa.
3. When the potatoes are done and are cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh into the bowl of cheese and salsa. Mix well. Put shells on a baking sheet. Spoon the cheese mixture into the potato shells and return them to the oven for 15 or 20 minutes, until they are brown and crusty. Makes 4 to 8 servings.
   

The business, which also publishes U.S. News and World Report, created the list from Castle Connolly’s database of Top Doctors recommended by other doctors for their clinical skills and individually vetted by a physician-led research team that looked at training, achievements and appointments, among other credentials. Consumers can search for a Top Doctor by location, hospital affiliation, and a full range of specialties and subspecialties.

Knoxville doctors on the list included neurologist Dr. David Brandes, gastroenterologist Dr. Richard Cohn, gastroenterologist Dr. Mark Jackson, urologist Dr. Edward Kim, gastroenterologist Dr. Robert Pollack, internist Dr. Gregg Rader, neurosurgeon Dr. William Reid, family medicine physician Dr. Andrew Smith, internist Dr. Robert Thompson and urologist Dr. William Bedford Waters. Dr. David Kalwinsky, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist at Johnson City Medical Center, also made the list, as did a number of doctors in the Chattanooga, Nashville and Memphis areas.

Almost 30,000 peer-nominated U.S. physicians, including 320 from Tennessee, are in the free searchable directory available at http://www.usnews.com/top-doctors. Consumers can search by doctor’s name, specialty, preferred gender, hospital and city/state.

The directory builds on the Best Hospitals rankings, http://www.usnews.com/best-hospitals, which U.S. News updated last week. That list ranks the top five hospitals in the Knoxville metropolitan area as Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, University of Tennessee Medical Center, Parkwest Medical Center, Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and Blount Memorial Hospital in Maryville.

“For decades, the Best Hospitals rankings have helped guide patients who need an especially high level of care to hospitals that excel in providing it,” said Avery Comarow, U.S. News Health Rankings Editor. “Top Doctors has a similar mission. We want to help consumers find the doctors in their area who come highly recommended by other physicians.”

A new report is once again naming Tennessee are number one in the country for that kind of industry. “Business Facilities” lists Tennessee as number one in the nation for automotive manufacturing strength.

In all, more than 860 automotive suppliers, original equipment manufacturers and ancillary manufacturers are located in Tennessee.

Those locations include places like Denso in Maryville. Tennessee also earned honors for economic growth potential and business climate.

For more information on the honor or to see the other states that made the list, visit the Business Facilities website.

by Kate Rope

Play It Safe

Though “statistically kids don’t get injured much more on camping trips than they do at home,” according to Aist, certainly safety can be an issue for parents (particularly novice campers), who may worry that their child will get sick or hurt. Picking a campground close to a city or town with medical facilities may provide ease of mind. (Aist also recommends that parents become certified in CPR and take a first aid class, whether they camp or not.) Tilton always checks a campground upon arrival for a landline to call 911 if necessary, and he consults with the camp’s staff about any potentially dangerous wildlife or conditions.

Other safety tips to keep in mind:

• Pack a good first aid kit—you can buy one ($47.50, rei.com) or assemble your own (go to rei.com for first aid packing suggestions)—along with any medications you or your family may need.
• As soon as you drop your gear, have everyone walk around the site together. Establish strict rules and safety boundaries. Use easily identifiable landmarks, such as fallen trees, to mark any areas that are out of bounds. “It is very unusual for a child to get into serious trouble if they don’t wander away,” says Tilton.
• Point out possible dangers like poison ivy and remind kids not to feed or touch wild animals and to watch where they put their feet and hands.
• Review proper fire safety: Children should keep a good distance from the pit to avoid tripping into it, and they should never put anything into the fire without adult supervision. Adler recommends involving children in building the fire (gathering and setting up the wood, for instance) so “they get the idea that it’s not an abstract thing, and that you have to respect it.”
• Give every child a whistle to wear around his or her neck. If kids get separated they should find the nearest tree, sit down, and blow the whistle three times. Adults should return the call with one whistle to let the child know they are on their way. “You can blow a whistle for a lot longer than you can shout, and the sound is more distinctive and carries farther,” says Tilton.
• Wear long pants tucked into socks during tick season.

Keep Boredom at Bay

There may come a moment when you’ll need to ward off an “I’m bored!” or two, so be prepared with a pack of cards and some books and favorite board games. Aist even lets her kids bring along a few tech items, recognizing that an iPad-obsessed 9-year-old may have a tough time going cold turkey. “I let my kids listen to story recordings as they go to bed,” she says. Load your phone with cool apps for tracking animals through scat identification (Aist likes Backyard Scat & Tracks, free, itunes.apple.com) or using GPS to find stars (Aist’s pick is Sky View: Explore the Universe, $2, itunes.apple.com). “Use that love of technology and skill set and apply it to the outdoor world,” she adds. Or try sending kids on a low-tech scavenger hunt around the site. Hostetter gives her children Baggies and a list of things to gather: pinecones, a rock with stripes, a wildflower, a stick that looks like a slingshot, etc. You can also make a checklist of items to find and mark off, such as a bird’s nest, a chickadee, and an anthill.

Pro secret: When booking at a national park’s campground, Aist always asks if it has a Junior Ranger program (most of them are free). Here, young campers meet with rangers, then follow a workbook to do a series of nature-focused activities that allow them to explore the park. A completed book, checked and certified by park staff, earns children a Junior Ranger badge.

Above All, Play

“Something magical happens when you are outside that doesn’t happen in other places,” says Aist. Research backs her up: “Studies show that when kids play in a natural play-scape they are far more likely to invent their own games,” says Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder ($15, amazon.com). What’s more, “kids who are normally on the sidelines at the playground join in when they’re in the natural environment.” Which is one of the best parts of camping for kids: making new friends.

“Kids find camaraderie with other kids they might not normally meet,” says Adler. “They go on adventures together, and there’s a whole new vocabulary of make-believe to embrace. A lot of fast friendships are made on camping trips.” And if an adventure involves, say, putting a hike on hold to spend 20 minutes watching ants bring home dinner, don’t worry. “There are no deadlines when you’re camping,” says Adler, “except when to eat.”

Pro secret: Get over the dirt factor when it comes to your kids, says Hostetter. “A little dirt’s not going to kill them. They are going to have grimy hands and faces, and that’s okay. Clean them up with wipes before bed and then [really] clean them up when you get home.”

The Roman Senate named the month ‘Julius’ in honor of the Roman Emperor. Ceasar was born in July in the year 100 B.C.E. While July is the seventh month on the Gregorian calendar, it was considered the fifth month of the Roman calendar. Before being named Julius, July was called ‘Quintilis’ by the Romans, which means ‘fifth’.

Did you know that the birthstone for the month of July is the ruby?

Rubies are naturally red, varying from light pink to dark maroon, and often with a purplish cast. Rubies have long since been associated with love and passion, making the ruby a universally popular gemstone — even for those without July birthdays.

Did you know that those of you with July birthdays share your special month with the late Princess Diana (July 1)?

Also actor Tom Cruise (July 3), the 30th U.S. President Calvin Coolidge (July 4), the 43rd U.S. President George W. Bush (July 6), former Beattles drummer Ringo Starr (July 7), actor Tom Hanks (July 9), novelist Ernest Hemingway (July 21), female pilot Amelia Earhart (July 24), actress Sandra Bullock (July 26), and former First Lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis (July 28)?

Did you know that on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved?

Also on July 2, 1937, Amelia Earhart (born July 24) and her airplane were lost in Pacific Ocean. Other famous historical events in July include Astronaut Neil Armstrong becoming the first man to walk on the moon on July 20, 1969; the invention of the ice cream cone during the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis on July 23, 1904; and the first telephone conversation, which occurred between New York and San Francisco on July 29, 1914.

Did you know that on the first Independence Day, commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the US had consisted of 13 colonies under the rule of England’s King George III?

At the time, there were approximately 2.5 million people living in those 13 colonies. This 4th of July, there will more than 304 million people in the United States.

Did you know that July is the hottest month of the year in the Northern Hemisphere?

Average temperatures are in the 90s across most of the United States. In the Southern Hemisphere, July is the height of the winter season.

According to Food Network’s Encyclopedia, “Tea grew wild in China until the Chinese determined the leaves helped flavor the flat taste of the water that they boiled to prevent getting sick. All tea plants belong to the same species, but varying climates, soils, etc., combine in different ways to create a plethora of distinctive leaves.”

Whether enjoyed plain, sweetened, flavored or spiked, sip down this cool drink with one of these recipes:

Giada’s Sweet Apple Iced Tea
Thai Iced Tea
Ellie’s Lemon-Ginger Iced Tea With Berry Cubes
Iced Tea With Grenadine

Alcoholic:
Bobby’s Whiskey Spiked Peach Iced Tea
Blackberry-Bourbon Iced Tea (pictured above)
Sandra’s Porch Swing Iced Tea
Aaron’s Flying Eagle Iced Tea

Long Island Iced Tea: In case you don’t know, Long Island Iced Tea has nothing to do with tea, just a whole lot of alcohol and cola. Watch this video as Ina explains.

Food Network Magazine asked Food Network Star Judge Bobby Flay and last season’s winner, Aarti Sequeira, to mix up their best iced tea. Who makes the better drink? Check out their recipes and vote here.

Browse more of Food Network’s iced tea recipes.

The International Biscuit Festival brought between 15,000-20,000 Biscuit lovers to downtown Knoxville, Tennessee this Memorial Day weekend.

Guests enjoyed food, fun, music and more throughout the three days of the Festival. More than tripling the attendance of last year’s inaugural event, the 2011 celebration of the Biscuit also added new restaurant participants, more vendors and more performers.

Congratulations to our Biscuit Bake off Grand Prize Winner, Kim Randall, for her Sweet Potato Casserole Biscuit. Full results are posted below.

Cafe 4 is the winner of the 2011 People’s Choice Award for the favorite Biscuit on Biscuit Boulevard with their Orange Cranberry Streusel Biscuit!

Also, congratulations on Miss Biscuit 2011- Sarah Quall, whose poise, fashion sense and Biscuit song styling’s made her the judge’s favorite.

Jimmy Brown Johnson’s “Hawaiian Biscuit” took top prize in the Biscuit Songwriting Competition.

The winners of the Biscuit Bake Off categories were:

Grand Prize Winner: Kim Randall of Hixson, TN for her Sweet Potato Casserole Biscuits

Traditional Biscuit Category winners:

1st place: Doris Bolalek of Greensburg, PA for her Buttermilk-Yogurt Biscuits
2nd place: Mat Merten of Knoxville for his Atomic Biscuits
3rd place : Jody Currin of Erwin, NC for her Mrs. Picky’s Spritzy Biscuits

Kids’ Biscuit Category winners:

1st place: Parker Davis of Knoxville, TN for his Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
2nd place: Miela Hurst of Knoxville, TN for her Salmon-Nori Biscuits
3rd place; Becca Dailey of Knoxville, TN for her Angel Biscuits

Dessert Biscuit Category winners:

1st place: Kim Randall of Hixson, TN for her Sweet Potato Casserole Biscuits
2nd place: Casey Littell for her Drunken Sweet Peach Biscuit Shortcake
3rd place: Jack Walker for his Maple Shack Bacon Delight Biscuits

Most Creative Biscuit Category winners:

1st place: Jackie Hardin of Sevierville, TN for her Bacon, Lettuce and fried green tomato biscuit with chipotle mayonnaise
2nd place: Shawn Banks of Alcoa, TN for his Blackened Steak and Eggs on a a Blue Cheese Biscuit
3rd place: Jocelyn Roberts for her Chikin Faheeter Biscuits

Hear our guests talk about their experience at the Festival.

This year, we were also proud to join with Share Our Strength and Second Harvest to raise funds for programs to eliminate childhood hunger in this country.

Thank you to our guests, our partners and our participants for making the International Biscuit Festival such a huge success.

The International Biscuit Festival celebrates the heritage of home cooking through that most perfect of foods – the Biscuit

Meditation Resources

Why Meditate?
Meditation has many wonderful benefits for health and stress relief. If you haven’t read about them already, learn why the goal of regular meditation is worth every minute of practice.

Meditation For Perfectionists
Meditation can be especially difficult for perfectionists, at least at first. However, perfectionists are among those who could benefit the most from meditation, and perhaps may become some of the most committed to meditation once they master the concept. If you are a perfectionist (or if you just find meditation difficult), these meditation tips for perfectionists are for you!

FAQ: What If You Can’t Meditate?
Have you tried meditation, but find yourself getting MORE stressed? Here are some alternatives and techniques to try!

Meditation Techniques to Try
Here are some different techniques to try.

5-Minute Meditation
If you only have a few minutes, here’s a quick way to feel less stressed.

Walking Meditation
Combine the benefits of meditation with exercise–this is also an easier-to-learn form of meditation.

Mantra Meditation
This form of meditation may feel a little strange at first, but it’s simple to learn and works quite well.

Music Meditation
Music can really help relieve stress and get you into a serene place of meditation.

By Janet K. Keeler, Times Lifestyles Editor
Posted: May 10, 2010 05:27 PM

May is National Salad Month, so it seems as good a time as any to salute that random melange of veggies enhanced by punchy dressing and substantial bits of protein. Actually, the turn in Florida’s weather to summer humidity is the best reason of all to focus on salads. The less time the oven or stove is blazing, the better.

In recent years, the main-dish salad has been elevated from a ladies-who-lunch entree to dinner for everyone. Nearly every restaurant offers grilled salmon, shrimp, steak or chicken draped over its Caesar salad. Plus, who would ever argue that a taco salad or a chef’s salad overflowing with meat, cheese and hard-boiled eggs is lightweight fare?

But just like the tired side-salad trio of iceberg-tomato-cucumber, standard dinner salads can get old hat, too. Today, we offer 25 hearty ideas, most of which are plenty sturdy for dinner, and if you don’t think so, add chicken or seafood. These ideas are meant as guideline and inspiration. Feel free to substitute or add more or less of anything.

Salad Nicoise: Cooked green beans, grape tomatoes, black olives (such as kalamata), quartered hard-boiled eggs, quartered cooked and peeled red potatoes and chunks of canned tuna (packed in olive oil is tastiest). Dressing: Olive oil vinaigrette.

Chopped Mediterranean Salad: Whole-wheat pita cut into small squares, chopped romaine lettuce, canned chickpeas (rinsed and drained), peeled and diced cucumber, sliced scallion, halved grape tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese. Dressing: 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, and coarse salt and black pepper to taste.

Chicken Taco Salad: Shredded iceberg lettuce topped with kidney beans, black beans, black olives, shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, crushed tortilla chips and shredded rotisserie chicken. Dressing: Sour cream mixed with salsa, or prepared guacamole.

Bistro Beef Salad: Cooked penne pasta, baby spinach leaves, chopped tomatoes and sliced cucumbers topped with slices of leftover steak. Dressing: Ranch or sun-dried tomato vinaigrette.

Grapes and Greens: Spring greens, halved green grapes, chunks of Brie or triple-cream cheese and walnut halves. Dressing: Honey mustard.

Slider Caesar: Top a Caesar salad with skewers of mini-burgers cooked on the grill. Make croutons out of hamburger buns.

Outside at last.

It’s no wonder that for busy Americans hamburgers have long been a favorite meal. It’s so easy to form a patty and then simply grill it until the grease spatters and a delicious aroma fills the kitchen or swirls over your backyard grill. Load it with your favorite toppings and you’ve got a meal more American than apple pie.

We’ve got a few hamburger recipes on Stir It Up!, and they are not all hamburgers. Turkey, pork, and Asian-flavored beans also make the list:

The hamburger as a work of art pairs blue cheese with garlic-roasted mayo.

This turkey burger uses Asian flavors to spice things up.

A couple of chipotle pork sliders are perfect as starters or as your main meal.

And making your own veggie burgers are way better than thawing frozen patties.