Juicy Grilled Corn on the Cob

Just watched an episode of Top Chef where the chefs (working in teams of 4) had to prepare a healthy school lunch on a very limited budget (less than $3 per student). What amazed me was how many of the teams paid little, to no attention, to fruits and vegetables. In one particularly bad example, a team making bananna pudding didn’t like the taste, so they added 2 lbs (!) of sugar to sweeten it (it should come as no surprise that this team lost).

Anyway, with summer here, and simple, healthy fruits and vegetables on my mind, I thought I’d share this easy summer BBQ dish – grilled corn on the cob. Although many people prefer to grill corn still in the husk, I find this more often leads to dried out corn with burnt kernels. Here’s a quick tip to keep your corn juicy and sweet.

Start with 6 ears of corn, remove the husks and as much of the silk as possible.

Place all of the corn in a large pot and cover with cold water for 10 – 15 minutes (you may need to put the lid on to keep all the ears submerged).

Remove the corn from the pot one at a time, do not remove any exces water, and immediately wrap in aluminum foil (twist both ends to create a fully sealed package for the corn to steam in).

Place the wrapped corn on your grill and let roast for ~20 minutes, turning once half way through.

The water will not only help to keep the corn from drying out, but will also provide the steam to help it cook.

Once cool enough to unwrap, add a little butter (or margarine) and enjoy.

• Childhood obesity rates have tripled in America since 1980
• 16% of all children aged 6 – 19 are obese 
• 70% of obese adolescents will be obese as adults
• Obesity leads to increased risk of heart attack, stroke and early death

Children’s Health magazine recently determined the 20 Worst Kid’s Foods in America.

If you’re in the food industry, the color of money isn’t green-it’s beige.

Parents know that the majority of their kids favorite foods, from french fries to white bread to chicken nuggets, are beige. Beige is the color of highly processed foods, which means cheap, calorie-rich, nutritionally bankrupt food.

Next time you’re at your favorite fast food restaurant and your child is checking out the kids menu, steer them clear of those monochromatic clusters of cheese sticks, dinosaur-shaped chicken and fried potatoes.

When eating out, follow this simple rule: all kids dishes must come with at least two colors (and ketchup doesn’t count).

In case you’re interested,  the #1 Worst Kids Meal in America is the Uno Chicago Grill Kids’ Kombo with French Fries

• 1,250 calories
• 79 g fat (11.5 g saturated)
• 2,850 mg sodium

The moderately active 8 year old only requires 1600 calories and ~60 gms of total fat (17 saturated) per day! Add to this 150% of your child’s recommended daily allowance of sodium (salt) and you can see why this is the worst kid’s meal in America.

Should you find yourself at Uno’s with a hungry child, have them try this instead;

Kids Pasta

• 300 calories
• 3 g fat (0 g saturated)
• 270 mg sodium

It’s getting close to the time of year when we all dust off our favorite family recipes in hopes of making something truly memorable for the Holiday’s. For most, this ins not a big deal, but for some, it’s nothing short of a disaster waiting to happen.

This year, have no fear. No matter what your recipe, when it comes to desserts, we’ve got you covered with a list of the most helpful Holiday Baking Hotlines available.

Whether it’s pies, cakes or cookies, these experts are on call to answer your most vexing questions (not only during the Holiday’s, but year round).

Crisco Pie Hotline

Phone: 1-800-766-7309
Pre-recorded answers to FAQs and option to connect to live pie expert

Hours of operation: Monday – Friday 9am – 7pm EST
Except for: Nov. 13 – 22 (8 – 8 EST) and Dec. 18 – 22 (8 – 8 EST).

Land o Lakes Holiday Bakeline

Phone: 1-800-782-9606

Hours of operation: 9am – 9pm CST 7 days a week

Betty Crocker

Phone: 1-888-ASK-BETTY (888-275-2388)

Hours of operation: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CST 7 days a week

Nestle Toll House Baking Information Line

Phone: 1-800-637-8537
Pre-recorded answers to FAQs and option to connect to live pie expert

Hours of operation: 8am – 8pm EST (Mon – Fri only)

Pillsbury

Phone: 1-800-775-4777

Hours of operation: Monday – Friday 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. CST

Duncan Hines

Phone: 1-800-362-9834

Hours of operation: Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST

King Arthur Flour

Phone: 1-802.649.3717

Hours of operation: Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time
Saturday – Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time

If you have other non-baking questions that you need help with visit Holiday Cooking Hotlines to find out who to call.