Well, some of you Bed & Breakfast innkeepers missed a golden opportunity. I went to websites of inns best known for their food, but no entrees were even mentioned. How can it be that an award-winning inn for their breakfast doesn’t describe any breakfast? So I went to websites that proudly described their dishes. Here are a few of them.

The Buttonwood Inn is in a small New Hampshire town called North Conway, but nothing about their breakfast is small. They may begin with some Pumpkin-Walnut bread or Apricot-Orange scones, Maple Cinnamon rolls, Blueberry-Walnut Crumb Coffee Cake, or warm Fruit Crisp with granola, accompanied by cool, fresh fruit topped with raspberry sauce . That would be enough breakfast for me, but the chef is just getting warmed up. Next comes a savory dish like Mushroom-Sausage and Cheddar Cheese Strata, Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese and Chives and a side of roasted Red Bliss Rosemary potatoes. Then comes the sweet entrée: Baked French Toast Casserole with Pecan and Wild Maine Blueberry topping. Or Light Yeasted Belgian waffles under fresh blueberry sauce. Hail to Buttonwood.

Mission Oak Inn of Henry, Illinois offers some wonderful breakfast dishes like French Banana Crepes and fabulous Blueberry Pancakes, but it was their dinners that snapped me to attention. How about a Pizza of roasted chicken, onion, and cheese atop a dreamy creamy sun-dried tomato sauce? Or tender meat medallions served in a cream, brandy, maple and mustard reduction? Or grilled salmon on fresh greens with original sauce and topped by bacon, green onions, parmesan cheese, and walnuts? Or pork tenderloin marinated in apple cider, grilled, then smothered with homemade apple/peach chutney?

Then I happened to catch Jane of the Hawk Valley Retreat on the phone. When I asked about her most popular dishes, her voice became secretive and sultry and she led me lovingly down the list: German Baked Apple Pancakes, Baked Peach French Toast, pancakes with a brown sugar/strawberry compote, Green Onion and Spinach Cheese Quiche with hash brown crust, and Eggs Benedict with her own secret Hollandaise sauce recipe. The names of her entrees didn’t bowl me over. But as she described every detail, every ingredient and spice, I knew cooking isn’t just fun for her, it is a luscious adventure. There’s a difference. Jane is a master of simple baking.

Like many of these top inns, the chefs at the Bloomsbury Inn use only fresh local farm products. I never expected a South Carolina inn to be full of such scientifically talented people. But they’ve experimented with hundreds of dishes, and the creativity of their top picks boggles the imagination: hot apple soup, poached pears and baked peaches with toasted peanut butter rolls, creamed eggs in a puff pastry, baked cinnamon-raisin French toast, toasted bacon-pecan bread, homemade biscuits with chocolate gravy, peppered praline bacon, and their own version of Eggs Benedict: a delicate crème sauce over croissant, wilted spinach, peppered ham, avocado, and poached egg. Exquisite.

Sue of the Harbour Ridge Inn in Osage was not about to be outdone. She emailed me with her choices, and I appreciated the personal attention. Sue serves fruitinis in martini glasses with a white chocolate mousse base on which she slices banana. Then she pours in Chambord-soaked strawberries with a dollop of whipping cream and a mint leaf for garnish. She does the

Bloomsbury Inn one better by nesting her Cinnamon-Raisin French toast atop a whipping cream custard base accompanied by sausage loaf and delicate poached pears in red wine and orange juice. Another popular French toast starts with fresh grilled pineapple slices, country ham, sliced cheese. Add sourdough bread soaked in French toast batter, grilled and served with a strawberry-jalapeno pepper jam. She also makes egg casserole to order with choices of fresh stuff like roasted red peppers, leeks, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, spinach, diced ham, cheeses and fresh basil and dill. I was impressed. Nice email.

The Judge Porter House in Natchitoches (where?), Louisiana it not to be missed. The first course at the judge’s might be peach or apple dumplings, bread pudding with warm maple sauce, Peach Crisp baked with a coconut-pecan topping, Apple Brown Betty topped with vanilla yogurt, pecans, and cinnamon, or Berry Puff Pastry stuffed with fresh berries, drizzled with raspberry sauce, and topped with whipped cream. The second course may include delicious pancakes, waffles or French toast, but I featured those things in other reviews so let me emphasize the egg dishes. One baked egg dish features eggs with savory mushrooms and crème Francais cradled in Black Forest ham crisps. Another favorite is Southwestern egg mixture baked in individual ramekins and topped with hearty salsa. Then there’s the Queen Anne Quiche, but the chef was very hush-hush about it. Guess you’ll have to visit the judge’s to check it out.

The two most attractive things Bed & Breakfasts offer are cozy, top rate lodging and the best breakfast ever. Check out these terrific inns.

Debra Fortosis

Want an energy boost to your system that will not give you the jitters or keep you awake at night? Some herbs will boost your energy levels and are easy to add to your diet. Sometimes it is what you do NOT eat that gives you a boost in energy! So what are some alternatives to that third cup of Starbuck’s Coffee?

1. Digestive enzymes break down proteins, fats, carbohydrates and fiber making it possible to benefit from the nutrients found in those foods. Enzymes turn the food we eat into energy and unlock this energy for use in the body. Did you ever notice that children can eat a big meal and then go play, but adults who eat a big meal usually need a nap. By the time you hit forty you have lost most of your body’s natural ability to manufacture enzymes. You get tired because it takes a lot of energy to digest that meal. Where do we get enzymes from? There are two basic sources: The raw food we eat contains enzymes to help break down that particular piece of food. Our body also produces some enzymes. The two glands providing the majority of digestive chemicals utilized by the gastrointestinal tract are the liver and the pancreas. The more cooking and processing of food destroys all or most of the enzymes. The more diet consists of raw foods like salads, the more natural energy you will have. Since most of the foods we eat are cooked or heavily processed in some way and the raw foods we do eat contain only enough enzymes to process that particular food, our bodies must produce the majority of the digestive enzymes we require. Again, we also lose the ability to produce these enzymes after we reach forty. For these reasons it is recommended that we supplement our diet with enzymes. Many enzymes have also been shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect which is a bonus.

2. Cayenne. There is no other herb which increases your blood flow faster than cayenne. Cayenne moves blood. It is a circulatory tonic and helps improve circulation. More blood means more oxygen racing through your body. This is just what your metabolism needed. Because it is a natural metabolism booster many diet supplements now add cayenne to their formulas. Cayenne also supports heart health, improves the immune system and is a huge aid to the digestive system.

3. Ginseng. Ginseng has long been used as a total systemic tonic. Ginseng is commonly used as an adaptogen, meaning it normalizes physical functioning depending on what the individual needs (for example, it will lower high blood pressure, but raise low blood pressure). It is also used to reduce the effects of stress, improve athletic performance, boost energy levels, enhance memory, and stimulate the immune system. Ginseng is known as a preventative herb as well as a curative herb. It is said to remove both mental and physical fatigue. Most people who use ginseng over a two to three month period experience a sense of well-being and stamina and say it improves both mental and physical performance. Ginseng has been said to improve erectile function, help relieve stress and help with stabilizing blood sugar levels for diabetics. It is a very common addition to any energy or diet product and comes in many shapes and forms. Like other herbs and supplements potency varies from product to product. I suggest always buying a fresh, reputable and potent brand.

4. 24 hour fast. The body spends up to one third of your energy on digestion and elimination. By avoiding solid food and only taking in liquids like water and fresh organic juices you give the body a break. It can now use some of its stored energy to fight disease and eliminate toxins in the body. By eliminating toxins the body is dumping them into the digestive tract to be eliminated. If the digestive tract (colon) is not clean and working well the toxins will just get reabsorbed into the bloodstream making you fell sick. If your colon is clean and you properly eliminate those toxins you get a general feeling of wellness, more energy and more mental clarity. Fasting, even just one day month will help eliminate salt and sugar cravings. After a fast you are usually hungry for food that has high nutrient content, like green vegetables..

Dr. Paul Bragg states: “… fasting is not a cure of any disease or ailment. The purpose of the fast is to allow the body full range and scope to fulfill its self-healing, self-repairing, self-rejuvenating functions to the best advantage. …Fasting is probably the fastest and safest way or means of regaining health ever conceived by the human man. … Fasting puts the body in a condition where all the Vital Force of the body is used to flush out the causes of body miseries.”

5. Colon and parasite cleanse. If you are over the age of thirty and have never done a colon cleanse you are in for a tremendous health boost. If you do your cleanse and eat a healthy diet with mostly fruits and vegetables and very little red meat or no meat at all you will feel lighter. You will focus easier. Your memory will improve and your energy will go up. You will just feel better over all. You have probably heard the saying that death begins in the colon. Well, good health and more energy also begin in the colon!

6. Superfoods. Superfoods are foods or food products that are high in nutrient density. Superfoods are usually green superfoods, high in both vitamins and minerals. Why are superfoods so important to natural energy levels?

One reason is that our soils are so depleted and over-farmed and we, as a country, elect to only replace the Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorus. These are the macro nutrients our foods need but not the micro-nutrients (trace minerals) which are essential to our energy and immune systems. Superfoods usually contain sea minerals from Blue-Green Algae, Spirulina, Kelp and Chlorella and other mineral dense foods that help to ensure that we are getting all the nutrients our body needs to fight disease and not run out of gas.

Marty Meshek
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/top-six-natural-energy-boosters-90672.html

Picture this–you are a forty year old man reading the newspaper on a Sunday morning. You used to enjoy this weekly ritual, but you feel irritable today. Actually, you haven’t felt like yourself recently. You are happy with your job and your relationships, but you feel tired and depressed and you don’t know why. You haven’t been sleeping well and your sex life isn’t what it used to be.

Before you reach for another cup of coffee, ask yourself–have I had my testosterone levels checked to see if I have andropause?

Understanding Male Andropause:
Andropause is a medical condition caused by low testosterone levels in men. Low testosterone levels affect some men in their late 20s, and all men experience the symptoms of andropause to some extent in their 40s and beyond. Andropause in men is similar to menopause in women, except the symptoms of andropause (and the intensity of those symptoms) can vary greatly. It is estimated that at least 95% of men in their fifties experience the symptoms of andropause.

Andropause has received little medical attention until recently, as doctors attributed the symptoms of andropause to old age or depression. However, andropause is a real condition and it can be treated. The symptoms of andropause vary from male to male, and the top 5 symptoms are listed below.

The Top 5 Symptoms of Andropause:

1. Depression
2. Sweating and hot flashes
3. Decreased libido and erectile dysfunction
4. Fatigue
5. Poor concentration and memory

Andropause may be accompanied by other symptoms. Below are additional symptoms.

More Symptoms of Andropause:

- Decreased muscle mass
- Sleep disturbance
- Osteoporosis
- Body fat gain, particularly abdominal weight gain
- Aches and pains
- Loss of height

Ways to alleviate the symptoms of andropause:

There are several uniformly accepted changes to human behavior that can have a noticeable impact on the effects of the progression of andropause. Three basic, but trusted principles are:

- Exercise regularly
- Eat well
- Moderate consumption of alcohol

Exercise:
Andropause symptoms directly correlate with depression. Exercising will improve your mood and make you feel better by increasing endorphins. Consider these suggestions: go for a run, play tennis, make a trip to the bowling alley, or grab a basketball and head to the court.

Eating well:

Eating well can have a positive impact on your energy and mood. Try to incorporate Omega-3 fats, folic acid and B12, and Vitamin D into your diet, which have been shown to decrease depression. You can get Omega-3 fats from salmon, walnuts, and flaxseed, folic acid from oatmeal, broccoli, organs, and fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, B12 from cottage cheese, lean beef, and eggs, and Vitamin D from milk.

Alcohol:

Each body reacts differently to alcohol consumption. Be mindful of your current consumption levels and frequency of consumption and consider the following–alcohol lowers serotonin and norpinephrine levels, which acts as a depressant. Remember, depression is too often a misdiagnosis of andropause given by family doctors.

Methods of Andropause Treatment:

The most common andropause treatment is testosterone replacement therapy. Consult your physician to determine if testosterone replacement therapy is the right treatment for you–he will be able to measure the level of testosterone in your blood. If you area candidate for replacement therapy, your physician can explain the alternatives available for treatment, which include skin patches and creams among other sources.

Most men notice the benefits of testosterone replacement therapy within 2-4 weeks. The benefits are listed below:

- Reduced fatigue
- Improved quality of sleep
- Improvement in mood and sense of well being
- Increased energy
- Increased body mass, muscle strength, and bone density
- Increased male libido (male sex drive)

Too many men are being misdiagnosed and improperly treated by general family physicians. If you suspect you have andropause symptoms or want to learn more about andropause treatment, it is encouraged you do some independent research. There are several online sites that can provide information about andropause and male menopause solutions.

Jim Michels
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/a-male-menopause-top-5-andropause-symptoms-712707.html

Arthritis is a generic term for conditions involving inflammation of one or more joints. It is not a single disease. There are actually more than 100 different types of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis being the most common. Unfortunately this condition affects millions of people around the world.

A few common arthritis symptoms are; joint pain, swelling, and stiffness or limited movement especially in the morning. The area may also be warm or reddish in color. The sooner you see a doctor to verify your condition, the better off you will be. Once you know what you have, you can then move on to treat it with prescriptions and or alternative therapies.

One of the main factors with arthritis is that your joints are inflamed (irritated & swollen), so doctors frequently recommend you take either prescription or over the counter anti-inflammatories, depending on the severity of the condition. These will also help with pain, but could cause other side effects such as; stomach pain, over acidity, indigestion or worse ulcers. Taking these with food will help. Some additional side effects can be hair loss, flu like symptom, ringing in the ears, weight loss, fatigue and could cause kidney or liver damage.

Natural Arthritis Remedies

Keeping active increases your blood flow and can help a little with symptoms, but natural anti-inflammatories, as I will describe here, may be a better option for pain and swelling.

Green Tea

As it’s been hitting the headlines a lot these days, you may already be aware of the many health benefits of drinking green tea. If not, here are a few; it can lower your bad cholesterol and raise your good cholesterol, prevent abnormal blood clotting and strokes. Green tea is rich in anti-oxidants so it will also help prevent cancer by protecting your cells from free radical damage. One of green teas many properties is an anti-inflammatory, so drinking it can help with your arthritis symptoms. Caffeinated green tea has about half as much as caffeine as coffee and won’t raise your blood sugar as high as black tea. A good thing for diabetics. You can get premium decaffeinated green tea as well as regular many places on line.

Aloe Vera Juice

Aloe vera is a wonderful plant from nature which can soothe your insides, increase regularity, alkalize your body, help with hemorrhoids, help with many intestinal problems, increase circulation of the lymphatic system and so much more. Aloe vera juice also helps to reduce inflammation and can help your arthritis and other joint problems. Unfortunately the taste of 100% pure aloe vera juice isn’t always appealing to most. You can add it to juice to help mask the somewhat slimy consistency.

Mangosteen Fruit

Known for it’s many anti-oxidants, the mangosteen fruit contains some of the highest xanthone levels. Xanthones are a type of anti-oxidant which have a very high anti-inflammatory effect. It has been proven to be a cox-2 inhibitor and some say it beats the pants of Vioxx as far a reducing arthritis symptoms. Unfortunately the mangosteen fruit isn’t locally available for most. It is grown in tropical climates. You can buy mangosteen juice many places these days.

Supplements

Some supplements to consider taking would be the Omega’s; 3, 6 & 9. You can get Omega 9 by using Olive oil in your cooking and salads. It has anti-inflammatory properties as well. Fish and nuts will supply your Omega 3 and safflower oil will give you Omega 6, as well as sunflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil and sesame oil. These oils will help lubricate your joints. Of course you can simply purchase a quality supplement on line or at your nearest health food store. It’s best to buy one that has all three. It should already be in the correct proportions that are best for your body.

Eating a healthy diet can really help you with your arthritis as well. Avoid foods high in sugar. Eat foods low in saturated fats, and higher in monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, take a multi-vitamin and drink 8-10 glasses of water per day.

If you try some of these natural anti inflammatories, I’m sure your arthritis will be much less of a problem for you.

Sandra Wellman
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/natural-arthritis-remedies-128716.html

It seems that we’re all fighting the battle of the bulge. Especially as we get older, it seems to get harder to keep the pounds at bay. We often think of women as being the dieters, but in fact, men are just as subject to weight problems as women.

As you’re looking for ways to make weight loss easier, consider the research that has been performed on the health benefits of tea. Tea has long been used in Asian cultures to prevent illness and protect health, and it seems that science is proving what Asians have believed all along: tea is good for you.

Lifelong tea drinkers have lower incidences of heart disease, high cholesterol and some forms of cancer. They are also less likely to suffer from diabetes or be overweight. Tea protects your teeth and may even have potential to prevent diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

We are beginning to learn a lot about the benefits of tea, but clearly there is much more to learn, so that we can pinpoint exactly how we can best use tea to help with medical needs.

One of the most promising areas of tea research centers on tea as a weight loss aid. Much research has shown that tea seems to speed up the metabolism and promote fat oxidation. Other studies have shown that lifelong tea drinkers are less likely to be overweight, have a lower percentage of body fat and have a lower waist to hip ratio.

In addition, studies have shown that when tea was part of a sensible diet and exercise plan, subjects lose more weight than those subjects who used a diet and exercise plan without tea as a supplement.

One study that is particularly interesting was conducted by the Beltsville Human Nutrition Center in Maryland in conjunction with the University of Tokushima in Japan. In this study, twelve men between the ages of 25 and 60 were evaluated. All participants were in good health, and the study was conducted over a period of one month. The target participants were those who consumed the caffeine equivalent of 2-4 cups of coffee each day.

Prior to the beginning of the study, each participant was evaluated with regard to their calorie expenditure per day without caffeine or tea. During the study, each participant was placed into one of four study groups. One group received a supplement of water, one group received water with caffeine, one group received half strength oolong tea and one group received full strength oolong tea.

For three days, the participants were fed the exact same diet. The diet was low calorie and free of caffeine, other than the caffeine in the beverage supplements. The beverage supplements were given to the participants five times per day.

This study found that the participants who drank full strength oolong tea and caffeinated water burned more calories in a day than the subjects who drank water or half strength tea. Drinking caffeinated water increased energy expenditure by 3.4% over those participants who drank water alone.

Drinking full strength tea increased energy expenditure by 2.9% over drinking water alone. Drinking half strength tea did not significantly increase energy expenditure over drinking water alone.

So, why not just drink water with caffeine?

You might ask why we wouldn’t just drink water with caffeine to help increase our metabolic rate. Well, according to this study, you could do just that. However, when you consider the many other studies that have touted the many other benefits of tea consumption, it’s clear that getting your metabolic boost from tea is far healthier than adding caffeine to your water.

Tea is full of anti-oxidants, which is believed to be why it prevents illnesses and protects health. Anti-oxidants are powerful fighters of free radicals in the body. Free radicals are oxygen containing molecules that are created as a by-product of our digestion process.

These free radicals damage our cells and DNA if left unchecked. However, consuming anti-oxidants combats these free radicals before they can harm our bodies. Scientists have shown that consuming a diet high in anti-oxidants helps us to avoid serious illnesses and slows down the aging process.

In addition, there have been other studies that have suggested that tea promotes more weight loss through fat oxidation than other caffeinated beverages. It is believed that this too is the result of anti-oxidants. It appears that the combination of caffeine with the anti-oxidants in tea is a more powerful weight loss supplement than caffeine in other beverages.

Finally, research has shown that the caffeine in tea seems to be better tolerated than other forms of caffeine. Many people who are caffeine sensitive find that they can drink tea without the usual side effects of caffeine. The caffeine in tea often does not produce the irregular heart rate and nervous jitters that caffeine sensitive people experience from other caffeinated beverages.

So, adding tea to your diet plan may be a great way to speed up your weight loss. Tea is healthy, refreshing, inexpensive and readily available. So, why not add tea to your diet routine?

Marcus Stout
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/can-oolong-tea-help-men-lose-weight-114601.html

Sanka was first marketed in the United States in 1923. At the beginning, it was sold only in two “Sanka Coffee Houses” in New York, but soon it also came into retail.

With its bright orange label, the package was easily identifiable, and due to intensive advertising campaigns (and the General Foods Corporation taking over distribution in 1928), Sanka became a nationwide sales success by the late 1920s.

The bright orange label that made Sanka easily identifiable to consumers found its way into coffee shops around the country, in the form of the decaf coffee pot. Coffee pots with a bright orange handle are a direct result of the American public’s association of the color orange with Sanka, no matter which brand of coffee is actually served. (However, businesses that serve rival Folgers decaffeinated coffee usually have green-handled pots.)

Sanka was a sponsor of “I Love Lucy” during its initial run on CBS television in the 1950s.

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Therefore, it is time to go out and buy that perfect gift, but do you really want to face the hustle and bustle of all the other shoppers. There are good things to be said about traversing to the local mall, or department store. There they have holiday decorations everywhere, carols playing over the speakers, even the smells of the holidays are in the air thanks to cookies for sale, and candles scented like your favorite tree.

However much all of this sounds like fun, some people just do not want to deal with it, and so they shop early or maybe even shop at home online. Shopping online, can it really be as much fun as going to the local store; can you really find that perfect gift you are looking for? Well knowing what you are going to buy is half the battle.

Therefore, you have decided to try the internet, and you have not waited until the last minute to buy either. Ok, now what? First off get out the cocoa, light a couple of candles, my favorite is vanilla, slip on your house shoes, get out your favorite Christmas cd’s and turn on the christmas tree. Wait you do not have the Christmas tree out yet, your cd’s are buried along with all of the other decorations, and your candles are all burned out. Well all of this is all right the internet has you covered.

First of search for free internet radio, there you will find a holiday section just for you. Now for the lights, well that is easy too just look up holiday light displays and I am sure you will find the right picture for you. Now the candles can set a mood but the smell is what we are going for, so go into the kitchen get out the imitation vanilla, a coffee cup of hot water, add a tablespoon of vanilla, and let the steam relax you.

Therefore, the mood is set, the internet is buzzing and that gift you were looking for is right in front of you, and all you have to do now is hit click and pay. Are we done, just about, there is one other thing to consider, do you ship it to you, or do you ship to the person you are giving it to. Well on this one, I am afraid I cannot help. I like to have everything shipped to me first so I can make sure it is what I ordered, wrap it personally and hopefully be there to see the look of surprise when they open what is inside.

Now what does the hustle and bustle have above all of this? last minute shopping procrastinators, the ones who left everything to the thrill of doing it all in one day, or maybe you are like me and just enjoy getting out and facing the crowds as well as shopping from the comfort of home.

Dee Owens
http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/online-shopping-compared-to-the-hustle-and-bustles-of-store-88397.html