Saw this one and it is a winner on hot summer days! Add some iced tea on the side and it is magic.

Summer Cobb Pizza

Ingredients
1 (11-ounce) can refrigerated thin-crust pizza dough Cooking spray 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled blue cheese, divided 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided 2 slices applewood-smoked bacon 8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast cutlets 1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes 2 tablespoons chopped red onion 2 cups lightly packed mixed baby greens 1/2 cup diced peeled avocado Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Unroll dough on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat dough into a 14 x 12-inch rectangle. Lightly coat dough with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 8 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven; sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons cheese. Set aside.
3. Combine oil, vinegar, mustard, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.
4. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble bacon into oil mixture. Wipe pan clean with paper towels. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; chop into 1/2-inch pieces.
5. Add chicken, tomatoes, and onion to oil mixture; toss gently to combine. Add greens; toss gently. Top crust evenly with chicken mixture, avocado, and remaining 2 tablespoons cheese. Cut into 8 pieces.

Kathryn Conrad, Cooking Light
AUGUST 2010

This morning at 4:30am woke up from a sound nights sleep to the noise my cell phone alarm singing. Quickly we had our first cup of coffee and ran out of the house to go to the top of the 65 ft tall bridge connecting the Kennedy Space Center with the mainland of Titusville, FL. Just a few minutes before 6am two sonic booms rang out shaking the souls of the thousands of other crazy people on the great span of the bridge. We witnessed the space shuttle Atlantis making its final landing at the Kennedy Space Center. This was the end of USA’s shuttle program. Just moments before its landing, the International Space Station, glowing like a bright white star, few overhead to bid the shuttle fair well. What a moment. God Bless America!

NASA Photo of Atlantis July 21, 2011 landing.

Olives...A member of the fruit family.

Olive are a member of the fruit family and grow on trees that were first cultivated over 5,000 years ago in Syria and Crete. In the 1700's, monks brought olives to Mexico and then to California by way of missions. The first cuttings of olive trees were planted in 1769 at the San Diego Mission. The commercial cultivation of California olives then began in the late 1800's. Today, California over 100,000 tons of olives are produced each year.

Worth the Eating!

Eggs...High in Fat but High in vitamin benefit.

Even though egg yolks contain fat, the also contain vitamins A, B, D, and E. There are 6 grams of fat per egg, but, the other benefits make it worth the eating.

Missing the POP?

Your popcorn won't pop? The usual reason that popcorn does not pot enough is that it is too dry. Simply soak the kernels in water for 5 minutes, drain them, and try again. Here is a tip that I learned from my grandmother. An almost certain way to make them pop is to freeze them and pop them while they are still frozen. My grandmother just stored her popcorn in the freezer until she was ready to pop.

Clear as Crystal!

Do you ever have air bubbles in your ice cubes and wonder how you can make them like the ones you purchase at the convenient store? Well now you can do just that, air bubble free ice cubes. All right, here is what you do. Next time you want to make crystal clear ice cubes, boil the water first, pour it into the tray, let is cool to room temperature, and then put in in the freezer. Magic...No Bubbles.

Possible Listeria Contamination

Hawaii Firm Recalls Convenience Meals for Possible Listeria Contamination

Recall Release CLASS I RECALL
FSIS-RC-047-2011 HEALTH RISK: HIGH


WASHINGTON, July 6, 2011- Warabeya U.S.A., Inc., a Honolulu, Hawaii establishment, is recalling approximately 1,550 pounds of convenience meals that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The following products are subject to recall:

"10.3-ounce packages of "7-ELEVEN FRIED CHICKEN BENTO"
"11-ounce packages of "7-ELEVEN TERIYAKI CHICKEN BENTO"
"10-ounce packages of "7-ELEVEN BREAKFAST SCRAMBLE BOWL"
"17.75-ounce packages of "7-ELEVEN BIG BENTO"
"7.25-ounce packages of "7-ELEVEN LITTLE SMOKIES SNACK PACK"

Each package includes a best eaten by date and time of "06/30/11 11:30 AM". The packages also bear "EST. 12444" or "P-12444" inside the USDA mark of inspection. The products were produced on June 28, 2011 and distributed to retail stores in Hawaii.

The problem was discovered as a result of microbiological testing conducted by FSIS and may have occurred as a result of the products becoming cross-contaminated through contact with a food scale pan. FSIS and the company have received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products.

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This should scare you!

How much sugar is there is common candy bars? Well, I will tell you that I really love a good Milky Way bar. Make me want to think twice.

Percent of sugar by weight:
Candy corn: 89.6%
3 Musketeers: 76.8%
Milky Way: 71.6%

Oreo cookie: 39.4%

Got milk? Next time I get a sweet tooth, give me an Oreo cookie and a glass of fat free milk.

Is Raw Sugar Raw? Or just cost more!

Raw sugar, despite its name, is almost exactly like refined white sugar. Don't be fooled by its color or name. Raw sugar is partially processed and a little molasses is left on the surface to give it that light brown color and the grains are often larger. There is no advantage in using raw over granulated sugar. And guess what? The price is often higher than that of granulated sugar. And did you notice the labeling of raw sugar? "Natural" All sugar can be labeled with the term "Natural". This is just a marketing trick to make you think that it is more healthful than it really is. So next time you want to purchase sugar and think of "Raw"...think again!

Maritime Services Available

For the past eight years, we have been training the ServSafe® course to stewards and cooks, as well as other aspects of safe, efficient, and cost effective galley operations. Our firm also assists in the updating and development of Steward Department Operations Policy Manuals and Steward Crew member handbooks using the current FDA Food Code. Training food safety to the maritime steward department takes more than being proficient in the training process. Knowing the maritime industry, understanding the steward department’s everyday operation and applying sound food safety principles to address the on-board challenges is critical to proper training. If your maritime company needs on-board or on-shore food safety training, contact us at 321-567-4644.

Fat Matters...Really

Have you ever tried to use reduced-fat margarine, margarine spreads, and whipped butter? Well, fat matters...really. You should not use these because they have too much water and air in them. This will cause your cakes or cookies to collapse or flatten out. Always use the type of fat called for in the recipe. NEED RECIPE HELP? HAVE A FOOD SAFETY QUESTION? E-MAIL US AND ASK THE EXPERT!