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The Sea Salt Trend: As Hot as the Low-Carb Fad?

Susannah Chen — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 05:50:42 PST

If you pooh-pooh generic table salt, you're not alone. As USA Today reports, sea salt is so hot right now. In 2010 alone, it's been introduced to 1,350 new food products - a substantial jump compared to several years ago.

Trend analysts at research firm Mintel believe sea salt, which is known among culinary professionals for being flakier, crunchier, and larger in surface area than its table salt stepsister, "has the potential to grow as fast as low-carb did."

Campbell's, Whole Foods, and Target's Archer Farms all proudly offer products with sea salt on the ingredient label, be it in soups, chips, or sweets.

Wendy's is the latest to join the club, announcing it'll overhaul its fries for the first time in 41 years with a new sea salt-seasoned version, out in all its stores by the end of next week. Its explanation for the addition? "There's a halo around [sea salt]. People associate it with good, natural things." What do you think of the craze? Do you find the trend worth its salt?

Source

National School Lunch Has Lower Standards Than Fast Food

YumSugar — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:50:35 PST

If you can't fathom putting fast food into your body, then imagine what it must be like to eat lunch at one of our nation's public schools. According to an investigation by USA Today, when it comes to food safety, fast food chains such as McDonald's, Burger King, and Jack in the Box perform more diligence than the USDA does with the National School Lunch Program.

The top two burger chains test their ground beef five to 10 times more frequently than the USDA tests beef made for schools, and other chains, like Jack in the Box, set limits for bacteria in burgers that are 10 times more stringent than what the USDA sets for school beef. Reporters also found that the USDA has spent upwards of $145 million on spent-hen meat for schools - that's meat from old birds past their egg-laying prime that might otherwise go to compost or pet food.

In 2010, Congress will review the Child Nutrition Act, which oversees the National School Lunch Program. I've always supported initiatives like Slow Food's Time For Lunch Campaign, and now they seem more necessary than ever. Are you surprised by the standards for school lunch?

Martha Expands Her Empire

partysugar — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 10:57:53 PDT

With a brand new home collection at Macy's under her belt - have you seen the commercials with Tim Gunn? - Martha Stewart has announced another partnership, this time with E.J. Gallo Winery. In this partnership, she will be producing her own collection of wines known as Martha Stewart Vintage. According to USA Today, a spokeswoman for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia explained why the venture was a natural fit.

Wine is an important part of entertaining and cooking. We have a lot of credibility and a strong brand equity in these categories.

The wines, a Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvingon, and Merlot, are all produced in Sonoma County, but will only be available in select cities nationwide. If you live in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Denver, Phoenix, or Portland, come January you can have a taste of Martha's wine. It will retail for $15 a bottle.

I'm wondering what's next for Martha? What hasn't she done? A line of solar powered cars?

Source

Geek Tip: USA Today Adds New Travel Widget

GeekSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 15:00:00 PDT

Get instant updates on all latest travel news with the new travel widget from USA Today. With three widgets to choose from including: Top Travel Stories, Travel Deals and Destinations and Today in the Sky with Ben Mutzabaugh, you'll be able to click on headlines for top travel stories that link to the main USATODAY website.

Rumor has it that more widgets for other topics are in the making. To get started, click on the travel widget link above and then "put this widget on your page" for whichever one you want. Each widget has been designed to work with a variety of social networks, blogs, personalized pages and websites.

via mashable

Relax Already: Stop Dwelling on the Past!

FitSugar — Wed, 09 May 2007 14:30:00 PDT

Are you a dweller? If so then you may want to start living a little more by letting things roll off your back.

A new report from USAToday.com suggest that those who ruminate a lot may have higher blood pressure and heart rates, less effective immune systems, surges of stress hormones that strain the heart, more depression and perhaps even shorter life spans. No one wants any of that so here are some tips to stop fretting and start relaxing with these after a stressful event:

Put on some soothing music to distract your brain.
Pick up a lighthearted book and read.
Head to the gym and work the tension out of your body and brain.
Call a friend or love one and see what is going on in their lives rather than going on and on about what is going on in your life.
Volunteer -- It is hard to dwell on a stressful occurrence when you're helping others who are in far more stressful situations.
Watch a funny/happy movie. Nothing gets me into a happy place like the movie Serendipity.

Remember [cheesy quote alert]: Yesterday's the past. Tomorrow's the future. Today is a gift, that is why it's called the "present". So what do you do to get your mind off things? Tell us below.

Source

Mariah Accepts a BET Award From Nick and Her Tuxedo-Wearing Son While Michelle Williams Talks Blue Ivy Carter

Lauren Turner — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 10:01:29 PST

Last night's BET Honors in Washington DC was a family affair for Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon. Mariah was recognized with the entertainer award and her husband, Nick, and son, Moroccan, presented her with the statue on stage. Moroccan's twin Monroe stayed backstage though, since Mariah joked, "We were both sewn into our dresses, so she couldn't make it out." Yesterday was Nick's first public appearance since being hospitalized for a kidney problem earlier this month.

Also on hand for the big event was Michelle Williams, who chatted with USA Today about her friends Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z's new addition. Michelle said of Blue Ivy Carter, "She is absolutely gorgeous. We were all in love." She added that Beyoncé and Jay-Z "have already settled into their role of being parents, and it's just awesome to see."

Download of the Day: Newser

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:49:06 PST

Want to quickly get world news in the palm of your hand without shuffling through an undermanaged and wordy RSS feed? Download the Newser app (free). Drawing from the best news sources on the web including CNN, The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and BBC, Newser editors condense the news into bite-sized articles that you can read on the go.

Get stories in the customized grid format, or view in an easy-to-digest list, plus share with friends via email, Twitter, or Facebook, and browse through photo galleries with a few swipes of a finger. Just like Newser's tagline, you can read less and know more. Who can argue with that?

Link Time: Watch Larry David's Thanksgiving Special

Susannah Chen — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 10:15:20 PST

Don't miss Larry David's Funny or Die Thanksgiving special. - Eater
Guess what? Today's the fifth most popular day for pizza delivery. - The FN Dish
The farmer to blame for 2010's salmonella outbreak has left the egg industry. - Grub Street SF
Why 24/7 snacking is the next big food trend. - USA Today
How to carve a turkey in under five minutes. - Real Simple
Why there's a renewed interest in the varieties and flavors of freshly brewed tea. - QSR
Five hilarious turkey day fails. - Food Republic

Link Time: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup, Chili, and More

Susannah Chen — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 10:41:26 PST

Perfect for Fall: a tomato soup and grilled cheese recipe collection. - Saveur
Melissa Clark on the merits of chili discipline. - The FN Dish
10 lesser-known shellfish to try. - HuffPo Food
Where to get a free cuppa joe on National Coffee Day. - Bites on Today
A look at the newly redesigned BK Crown kids' meals. - USA Today
2011 Thanksgiving magazine smackdown! - Eater
Kimchi fried rice is the ultimate bar bite. - Food Republic
How do you know whether to bake something covered or uncovered? - MyRecipes

10 Retirement Savings Pitfalls That Trap Savers at Any Age

Bundle — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:15:11 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart Bundle story here on Savvy!

Twentysomethings and even teens just starting out in the workforce may aspire to become young billionaires like Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and retire early. But any retiree could tell you it's not as easy as youd hope.

The real trick to a comfortable retirement is to get serious and start early, ideally before home ownership and kids take center stage.

Pitfall #1: Starting too late

Young people should start saving now. Even if you wait till your mid-30s, you might not have enough to retire at 65. The younger you start saving, the more time you have to watch your savings grow. And the earlier you want to retire, the earlier you should start investing for retirement.

Pitfall #2: Assuming you can choose your retirement age

Would you rather retire early or retire comfortably? is it really retirement if youre in your 60s, 70s or 80s and you spend half of your day working? The definition of the word retirement is changing, according to Barclays Wealth.

And theres no guarantee that youll be able to stay in the workforce as long as you want to. Americans in their 50s have been forced out of the job market during a struggling economy and others have been forced to compete for positions traditionally filled by young whipper snappers.

Pitfall #3: Not expecting to live that long

When youre young, it may not be pleasant to imagine yourself as a retiree, but thats something youll have to do if you want to take an accurate look of your long-term financial picture and decide how much youll need to afford the kind of retirement you want.

The average life expectancy is about 78 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But keep in mind that a man who's 60 years old right now has a 20 percent chance of living to 95 and a 60 year old woman has a 30 percent chance, Wachovia advises.

Read on for more retirement traps.