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Food Recipes
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Top 5 hot food trends for 2013
(BPT) - Grab your fork and knife. Amateur and professional foodies alike highly anticipate the newest food trends, and 2013 will not disappoint. Throughout the country, restaurants and home cooks are utilizing their creativity to make food that satisfies the palate and leaves a lasting impression. Indulge your passion ...
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Simple steps to effortless entertaining
(BPT) - Whether you’re a hosting aficionado or a novice entertainer, planning a party at home can carry a certain level of stress. Sometimes, despite all the cleaning, cooking and decorating we do to prepare, it’s the easily overlooked little things that can cause the biggest unwelcome surprises. The No. 1 disaster exp...
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Six tips to keep your new year's resolution to lose weight
(BPT) - It’s probably the most commonly made new year’s resolution: lose weight and get into shape. In early January, the gyms are full, the sports stores run out of equipment, and the streets are teeming with new joggers. Many of us promise ourselves to lose weight to start the new year, and usually, within a month or ...
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Eating a nutritious breakfast is as easy as 1-2-3
(BPT) - Despite good intentions to prepare a nutritious breakfast, it’s often tempting to grab something on the run, only to fall flat when it comes to nutrition and energy. Yet making a nutritious breakfast is as easy as 1-2-3, according to Chef Devin Alexander, a health and wellness expert and best-selling author. “W...
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Seventies style is stayin' alive: tips to keep up with the trend
(BPT) - From home decor to fashion and food, the styles and trends of the 1970s have slowly been creeping back into the mainstream, and this year they’re out in full force. Don’t be alarmed when you see the vibrant colors, bold patterns and relaxed entertaining of the decade taking over in today’s world. There are many ...
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Dining out drives U.S. job growth
(BPT) - Did you know that when you and your family dine out, you are helping your community’s economy and the economy at large? That’s because restaurants employ millions of Americans nationwide. Overall, unemployment remains high as the nation slowly makes its way out of recession. One bright spot in the jobs picture ...
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The busy person's guide for entertaining on short notice
(BPT) - Ideally, you’ll have a few days notice to get everything in order when you’re hosting guests. But everyone knows that’s not always the case. Drop-ins happen and you can make a choice between panicking or embracing the spontaneity of a last-minute get-together with your friends and family. The key to being an unf...
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'Tis the sweetest season [Infographic]
The holidays wouldn’t be complete without candy. From gifting to stocking stuffers to baking and decor – candy is a key component to celebrating the holiday season. The Hershey Company recently distributed a survey to determine just how large of a role candy plays in holiday festivities. Some quick facts: Candy is the No. 1 stocking stuffer item during the holiday season – nearly 70 percent of people will receive candy in their stocking this year. Consumers love candy dressed at its holiday...
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How to use cinnamon sticks [Infographic]
Ever wonder what to do with a cinnamon stick? You know how to use and experiment with cinnamon in powdered form - just sprinkle it into whatever needs that warm, spicy flavor we all love. Cinnamon sticks are a different story. Technically, cinnamon sticks are pieces of hardened tree bark. In fact, they’re difficult to grate or grind unless you have something really tough, like a nutmeg grinder. But within each cinnamon stick you’ll find the freshest, most intense cinnamon flavor and aroma y...
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Turkey is tops for easy, everyday meals
(BPT) - At this busy time of year, it’s often difficult to get a meal on the table, especially if you’re multitasking between other priorities around the home. Consider including turkey burgers in your dinner menus - it’s a great way to add protein and create a delicious and convenient meal without having to be tied to ...
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Mrs. Claus shares tips for fun holiday activities
(BPT) - If you think you’re busy this time of year, imagine how busy the first lady of holiday cheer can be. Not only does she help the big guy get ready for Christmas, but she makes sure everyone in the North Pole has a memorable holiday season. From hosting parties to keeping the elves happy and healthy, this joyful t...
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Saving money during the holiday season can be easier than you think
(BPT) - If you are like most Americans, you will likely spend an average of $764 on gifts alone this holiday season, according to a Gallup survey. When totaling up the cost of gifts with extra trips to the grocery store, dinners out to toast the season and travel costs to visit loved ones, you’re looking at quite a holi...
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national news
More poor people now live in U.S. suburbs than cities - study

Newly constructed homes in an unfinished subdivision is surrounded by weeds in CoolidgeWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of people living in poverty in U.S. suburbs surpassed the number of poor in cities over the past decade, driven by strong growth in overall suburban populations, according to an analysis released on Monday. The change is posing a challenge to some traditional U.S. approaches to fighting poverty, which were aimed primarily at poverty in urban settings, the Brookings Institution study found. The number of poor people living in suburbs rose 64 percent between 2000 and 2011, reaching 16.4 million, it showed. ...


Mon May 20 11:55:15 UTC 2013
Powerful tornadoes strike in four central U.S. states

A tornado touches down southwest of Wichita, Kan. near the town of Viola on Sunday, May 19, 2013. The tornado was part of a line of storms that past through the central plains on Sunday. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Travis Heying)By Chris Francescani (Reuters) - A massive storm front swept north through the central United States on Sunday, hammering the region with fist-sized hail, blinding rain and tornadoes, including a half-mile wide twister that struck near Oklahoma City. News reports said at least one person had died. By 9:30 p.m. Central Standard Time, more than two dozen tornadoes had been spotted in parts of Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas and Illinois, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and local news reports. ...


Mon May 20 10:41:51 UTC 2013
Connecticut governor tells commuters to work from home this week while crash repaired
By Richard Weizel and Edith Honan MILFORD, Conn./NEW YORK (Reuters) - Thousands of Connecticut commuters faced delays and crowded trains on Monday as Metro-North workers scrambled to repair damage on the United States' busiest rail line, caused by the collision of two trains. Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy said commuters should expect "serious disruptions" throughout the week and encouraged riders to stay home if possible. ...
Mon May 20 11:42:52 UTC 2013
Tornadoes tear through central U.S., killing two
Less than a week after a string of tornadoes killed six people in north Texas, a massive storm system that tore through the center of the country on Sunday spawned at least a dozen tornadoes, killed at least two people, injured dozens and caused extensive damage from Georgia to Minnesota. According to the Oklahoma state [...]
Mon May 20 08:28:31 UTC 2013