IT'S FUN FACTS FRIDAY!

If there was a way I could try all the new restaurants around the country without gaining weight, I would be a happy camper. Meanwhile, a girl just has to dream.

Zagat rated a few of the top new restaurants to check out while you're on vacation/staycation this summer, but there are 2 that really caught my attention.

ADVENTURES IN FOOD
DALLAS TEXAS 
Prohibition Chicken 
Come on now, with a name like that, it makes me want to run to catch the first flight to Dallas.  As the name suggests, they specialize in fried and smoked chicken AND prohibition era drinks. Doesn't that sound naughty?  Come hungry, because they serve their meals Family Style, so you may have to waddle out once you're done.  Call ahead if you like to:  214-222-3302

NEW YORK CITY, NY
Nur
Wanna experience the exotic food of the Middle East without a passport?  Check out treats that are plentiful enough to share, then sit back and relax.  Call ahead to: 212-505-3420

If you've been reading this blog, you've probably noticed my obsession with Columbo, played by Peter Falk.  Ok, he's not real, but his detective work is the  most brilliant in the world. If he starts to leave your house after asking some questions, then comes back and says, "Just One More Thing", you may as well get your affairs in order because you're going to straight to jail without collecting $200!(lol)  

Did you know the very first episode called Murder by the Book in 1971 was directed by a now very famous celebrity.  If you guessed Steven Spielberg, you go to the head of the class.  Did you also know that the perpetually tanned George Hamilton played a murderer twice in the series?

SUN TIPS
As a kid, I had the brilliant idea to tan really quickly by using baby oil, so you already know I was fried in no time.  I had to peel my skin off like a pink shrimp, and boy was it painful!  But you can be much smarter than I was back then by grabbing an ice tray from a yard sale, or The Dollar Store, filling it with 100% Aloe Gel, and freezing it.  Use those cubes to instantly soothe your sunburn.  

WATERMELON RUM PUNCH
By the way, you already know that watermelon is comprised of about 92% water, but it does have nutrients, including the antioxidant lycopene.  If you want to choose the best one from the pile, it should feel heavy and have a yellow spot where it ripened in the sun.  Enjoy this super simple recipe!

INGREDIENTS
8 Cups Seedless Watermelon Chunks, plus wedges for garnish
2 Limes to use as Garnish if you like
1 Cup Light Rum of your choice
1 Cup Fresh Orange Juice
1/4 Cup Lime Juice
1 Bottle Ginger Beer

DIRECTIONS
1.  In a blender, puree the watermelon until smooth, then pour through a fine mesh strainer into a large pitcher.  Stir in the rum, orange juice and lime juice, then keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

2.  To serve, add the ginger beer, then serve on the rocks with watermelon wedges.  This works for about  servings and is about 145 calories.  If kids are at your party, replace the rum with limeade or lemonade and it will taste just as flavorful.

BRAGG'S ORGANIC APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
A few weeks ago while walking the aisle in Wal-Mart, a manager checked to make sure there was enough Bragg's organic Apple Cider Vinegar on the shelf.  He told me that people asked for it all the time, and they frequently ran out.  I thought he was just trying to get me to purchase a bottle, but I did some research to get the skinny.  The price ranges from $3.2 to $6.8 per bottle in various locations, and here's what it includes according to Bragg's website.

Certified Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is unfiltered, unheated, unpasteurized and 5% acidity. Contains the amazing Mother of Vinegar which occurs naturally as strand-like enzymes of connected protein molecules.Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar also is made from delicious, healthy, organically grown apples. 

What does it do exactly?  Helps you lose weight, can be used as a clarifying rinse to balance the scalp's pH level and really deep clean hair, and helps with digestion, insomnia, lowering blood sugar and heartburn.  Uh...and you're gonna go to the bathroom whether you want to or not. (lol) Look at reviews and other websites, and people rave about this product. Wow - Sign me up!

FURNITURE DECLUTTER
Now that summer is coming, are you thinking about making some decorative changes at home, or to clean out some clutter and earn some extra vacation cash?  Do you want elegant vintage, or modern contemporary and Craigslist makes you nervous? Dare to be different and try one of the sites listed below.

Chairish - Find your treasure trove from any era, or sell the things you can live without.

Krrb  - Vintage, handmade goodies and more.  Sell or buy?  That is the question.

Lushpad - Do you have lots of modern designs that someone will love?  This marketplace is just for you!

BEAUTY BOXES
Everyone is jumping on the beauty box wagon, and there are lots of new ones available for you to check out.

Square Hue – $21 a month for 3 polishes, $16 a month for 2 polishes.

 Allure Beauty Box – $15 a month

Play! by Sephora – $10 a month

DONALD DUCK DAY
In case you didn't know, June 9 is Donald Duck Day which celebrates his cartoon debut in 1934.

FIRST CHRISTMAS STAMP
Did you know that the very first Christmas stamp produced in the United States was produced in 1962 and cost just $ 4 cents? The US Post Office was super nervous about releasing this stamp because of the controversy over church versus state.  Despite that, 350 million stamps were printed and that wasn't enough!  By the end of 1962, the total printed increased to 1 billion.  If you happen to have one of these laying around in the drawer,  it's not worth much.  You may be paid a whopping $ .35 cents for your trouble.

Dare to fall in love again with Meg Donahue's Every Wild Heart.