Booze news you can use!

• Flavonoids in grapes can stop the chemical reaction that causes skin cells to die when hit by UV rays - The Telegraph

• Wine may also help you unwind after a long day - The Awl

• A glass of vino may also slow your advancement toward decrepitude on those exceedingly rare occasions you can't get it together to haul your keister to the gym - The Atlantic

• Wine may lower your risk for breast cancer (or increase it depending on your genetic makeup) - Wine Spectator

Come summer, it’s not unusual for me to fall apart during dinner and shed a few tears. No, there’s need for cheering up, thank you, but please pass the tissues.

The waterworks come courtesy of cowhorn peppers growing contentedly in a big flower pot outside my window and burning my mouth to a crisp every time I take a tiny bite out of one or add a sliver to my favorite sauce.

I’m not a spicy food person. I know a lot of people will go out of their way to order anything with the “hot” symbol on the menu, but I’m not one of them. I have a low tolerance for it and I’ve never been big on breathing fire at dinner.

Yet here I am, choosing to turn all red and teary-eyed during home-cooked meals - something I wouldn’t dare do in a restaurant.
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During the month of Ramadan, which begins today and continues through August 30th, from dawn to dusk observant Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex in order to purify themselves, learn humility, pray and concentrate on Allah's teachings.

Throughout this ninth month of the Islamic calendar, at sunset, the family will gather to end the fast with iftar - a communal meal that often starts with the consumption of a date, as the Prophet Muhammad was believed to have done. Dishes vary according to regional and familial traditions and tastes.
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While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday.

A sweet slide into August - August 1 is National Raspberry Cream Pie Day!

Ding-dong, it's gonna be a hot one! With the arrival of August on our doorstep this morning, it's time to dig out those icebox pies that keep us content and cool. Raspberries are pretty fantastic on their own, but adding them to an ice cold pie makes for a dog day delight.

Keep it free and easy feelin' with the Pioneer Woman's quick-whipped pie, this no-bake delight with chocolate chips in the mix or a simple berries and cream fix.

After all, Raspberries want to be with you.

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