What are the best eating challenges around your area? Here are two local with a couple on a TV show today.

Around Portland, OR:

Sayler’s Country Kitchen 72oz sirloin with trimmings in 1 hour, Portland, OR: http://www.saylers.com/steak-challenge.html
$65 if do not eat at: http://www.saylers.com/dining-room.html

Mad Greek Deli Progressive Challenge, Portland, OR: Eat a 24 inch Mad Greek Sandwich, 1 lb of Greek Fries and a 32oz drink. 1 hour time limit. $30 if unable to. If you can’t finish, 15 dollars goes into a pot, and the first one to eat it all wins the pot and then we start all over again. http://madgreekdeli.com/menus/

On the Steve Harvey Show today:

Bartolini’s Challenge, Midlothian, IL – 10 pound meatball sub: http://bartolinis.com/85bart.pdf

Al’s Char House 56oz sirloin, Lagrange, IL: http://www.alscharhouse.com/fromtheranch.html

Found a few websites with food challenges:

83 listed by state: http://blog.couponsherpa.com/place-your-bets-40-gut-busing-restaurant-challenges-for-free-food/

10 challenges:
http://www.delish.com/food-fun/restaurant-eating-challenges#slide-1

Detroit: http://news.yahoo.com/metro-detroit-food-challenges-where-big-appetites-eat-213200761.html

Texas: http://www.texashighways.com/index.php/component/content/article/116-no-see-full-article-footer/6274-ten-texas-sized-eating-challenges

Texas: http://texasfoodchallenges.blogspot.com/

Boston: http://boston.cbslocal.com/guide/bostons-best-food-challenges/

Alabama: http://www.yearofalabamafood.com/farm-to-table/alabamas-heartiest-food-challenges/

Mostly East Coast U.S. (one served on a shovel): http://bestfoodchallenges.com/

Tampa: http://www.813area.com/restaurants/food-challenges-in-tampa.html

Baltimore: http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bthesite/bs-b-baltimore-food-challenges-pg,0,6164247.photogallery

London: http://www.eatingchallenges.co.uk/food-challenges-in-central-london/

Toronto: http://www.blogto.com/eat_drink/2013/02/the_top_10_food_challenges_in_toronto_human_vs_food/

Chicago: http://www.conciergepreferred.com/chicago-restaurants/4362-chicago-eating-contests.html

Las Vegas: http://www.vegaschatter.com/story/2011/9/15/212218/332/vegas-travel/5+Eating+Challenges+To+Try+%28Or+Not%29+In+Vegas

Tampa Bay: http://www.tampabay.com/features/food/general/strong-stomachs-required-for-20-food-challenges-at-tampa-bay-restaurants/1179042

Sydney: http://www.au.timeout.com/sydney/restaurants/features/10879/sydney-food-challenges

Cincinnati: http://blog.roadtrippers.com/the-best-food-challenges-in-cincinnati-1/

Cincinnati: http://blog.roadtrippers.com/the-best-food-challenges-in-cincinnati-2/

Cincinnati: http://cincinnati.metromix.com/restaurants/article/you-vs-food-lots/2420790/content

Dayton: http://www.activedayton.com/news/entertainment/restaurants/dayton-area-restaurants-throw-down-the-challenge-1/nNBjz/

Around the world: http://www.yurtopic.com/food/cooking/...

Please add your links with details about food challenges where eating it is free or results in cash paid.

Any cabbage sliced fine slaw or with grated carrots. Grated carrots and beets with a little oil good-season's like home made would be tasty.

For slaw dressing: I often use 2 cups home made mayo (optional can use 1/2 cup EVOO with this), with 1tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper, 1T vinegar, 1 T fresh lime juice (lemon works in a pinch), 2 T sugar (evaporated cane juice), with one large onion minced as small as can get it. Can tune the sugar and vinegar to your preference. My favorite vinegar is rice vinegar. While can use any kind of vinegar combination including malt, wine, champagne, ... but only a little bit of good balsamic.

OPTIONAL: add your favorite chili pepper grind to the mix.

The combination with spicy sweet sour and good EVOO oil cutting it is Yum to me over a green salad also.

The native Americans on west coast have been around over 10,000 years.

Entopy study is only one of many... "Argentine researchers in 2010 showed that glyphosate and Roundup caused malformations (birth defects) in frog and chicken embryos." ... "Physicians in Argentina based on clinical data reported the following health effects in people exposed to spraying of agrochemicals (mostly glyphosate) on GM Roundup Ready soy: increased incidence of birth defects, miscarriages, infertility, cancers, DNA damage (which can lead to cancer and birth defects), neurological developmental problems in children, kidney failure, respiratory problems, and allergies. Goes on to say, "These issues are relevant not only to people living in regions where GM RR crops are grown, but for consumers who eat products made from crops sprayed with glyphosate. GM RR crops do not break down glyphosate, but absorb it. Some is broken down (metabolised) into a substance called aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA). Both glyphosate and AMPA remain in the plant and are eaten by people and animals. Both are toxic." http://earthopensource.org/index.php/4-health-hazards-of-roundup-and-glyphosate

The scientific method goes something like this:

1) Ask a question to establish a theory
2) Do background research
3) Construct a hypothesis
4) Test hypothesis by doing experiment<s>
5) Analyze data and draw a conclusion
6) Report results for peer review. Was hypothesis correct?

Sugar beets and alfalfa are also GMO Roundup ready seeded these days. Sugarbeets is how the majority of sugar is made. Alfalfa is fed to critters we eat. Added to soy, corn, canola, alfalfa, cotton, and sorghum, with wheat under development. GMO RR seeds from Monsanto are now effecting our entire food supply: http://billingsgazette.com/news/state...

Not only what we eat this runs off into streams and water tables. Is glyphosate being found in peoples urine a good thing? My hypothesis is not. Time will tell.

wadejay26, you are right. I remember being young and invincible. When I was going to live forever. With no time for parents. Oh the innocence of youth. I realize working overtime he does not have much time to read long messages.

As a shorter summary it would go something like ...

=> Soy can act like estrogen in the body. Too much can be Very VERY bad if a man.

=> A recent scientific study says that traces of Roundup can be found in foods and that Roundup may make our bodies more susceptible to other environmental toxins. A recent, peer-reviewed scientific paper links Roundup to gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, autism, infertility, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. The abstract and PDF download study, published 18 April 2013 in the journal Entropy is here: http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/15/4/1416

=> Most soy seed is GMO - genetically modified to be Roundup ready. It means Roundup's active ingredient, glyphosate, will not kill plants grown from GMO seed. Today most of the soybeans in the food supply are grown with Roundup herbicide to kill the weeds maximizing farmer (and Monsanto) profits. Other Roundup ready seed offered includes: corn, canola, alfalfa, cotton, and sorghum. Wheat is under development.

=> Oil adds fat so eat in moderation.

=> Some scientific studies say safflower oil use is healthy. The chief researcher of one study recommends daily use of 1 2/3 teaspoons -- as a safe way to help reduce cardiovascular disease risk.

=> EVOO is often a healthy oil choice. Based on many scientific studies of Italians and other Europeans. California EVOO is a good choice (with the recent purity controversy) or what you are buying may not be pure EVOO.

=> Mayo usually contains soybean oil. Often vegetable oil = soybean oil. If eat mayo it is simple to make with better oil(s).

=> Know what your meat eats. Most do not. To be sure buy from reputable farmers who do it right when fill the freezer (or hunt in a quality place).

CORRECTION: Pecorino Romano is a classic Italian sheep's milk cheese. Not made of Goats milk. Have been eating Pecorino for years and knew it wasn't cows milk. Thought goat until someone here on CHOW clued me in. One link with further info about Pecorino Romano is: http://italianfood.about.com/od/about...

A note to my boy in his 20s on this father's day 2013. Feel others on CHOW will find useful ...

Son,

Your whole life is ahead of you. Thought I would take this father's day to pass on a little wisdom from personal research. Minimize harmful things in your diet to maximize the quality of your life! So happy you regularly exercise and encourage you to keep that up. We can add to and update this discussion over time as needed. This is a living document not the final word. I challenge you or anyone to prove this wrong. We can update it as needed.

I have read some bad things especially about soy. Now what's in the market it is almost 100% GMO soy. Roundup ready soy. When read food labels find soy is EVERYWHERE. I have been personally attempting to minimize soy in my diet. It is not a simple thing to do in practice. But find not that hard either when try. My biggest soy problem is I was eating way too much mayonnaise which is mostly soybean oil (vegetable oil is soybean oil to make mayo for Best Foods, Hellmans, Kraft, Heinz, nearly all store brands, and most major makers). I made safflower oil mayo today (it is EZ and tastes better than anything store bought - see below). Eating things out of new plastic containers or plastic lined cans is something I also minimize here (plastic, especially when new, is proven to leach harmful chemicals into our foods: toluene, BPA, etc). It is harder to avoid soy fed meats (almost impossible in today's food supply chain so buy direct from farmers or consider hunting for meat). I do not eat tofu. I do not drink soy milk. Fermented soy like in soy sauce I do use, but in moderation (I love soy sauce in Asian dishes).

Soy is not good for men. Eating raw soy has been proven to be like taking estrogen. One example is this Men's Health article on how soy can undermine everything it means to be male. Read here about a man who switched to drinking soy milk and developed health problems I don't want as a man such as growing boobs, lack of a hard on in the mornings, no desire for sex, and more is at: http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/soys-negative-effects

AND for both sexes Roundup has been linked to diabetes, autism, obesity, heart disease, cancer and more: http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/blogs/roundup-linked-to-diabetes-autism-obesity-heart-disease-cancer-and-more

The movie Food, Inc and other sources document how and why most soy these days is now GMO soy grown from Monsanto Roundup ready seeds. Monsanto lawyers sue small farmers and have put the re-use seed sorters out of business. The end result is farmers do not re-use seed as they had done for many Many decades. Instead farmers over time become 'forced' to use GMO seeds (mostly from Monsanto).

Yes Monsanto is the company who came up with Agent Orange, PCBs, DDT, rBST fortified milk products, saccharin, aspartame, Roundup, astro turf (took many sports players knees out), and more. Monsanto takes advantage of the fact our U.S. government does not protect citizens until many MANY years down the road when it is a clear problem people are harmed. Monsanto makes HUGE money on new products while they can harm the public 'legally' before regulation kicks in when / if long term effects show up. A quick online search will result in Monsanto history pages such as this: http://bestmeal.info/monsanto/company-history.shtml

"Current Roundup Ready crops include soy, corn, canola, alfalfa, cotton, and sorghum, with wheat under development ... Roundup Ready crop seeds have notoriously been referred to as "terminator seeds." This is because the crops produced from Roundup Ready seeds are sterile. Each year, farmers must purchase the most recent strain of seed from Monsanto. This means that farmers cannot reuse their best seed." From: http://web.mit.edu/demoscience/Monsanto/about.html

"Farmers have found themselves stuck between Monsanto and a hard place. It has become increasingly difficult for farmers to grow non-genetically engineered crops, as contamination has become a big issue. Additionally, it is very difficult for a farmer to advertise that their products are organic, and as such using home-grown seeds might not be able to be as profitable as using genetically engineered seeds. In one case, a farmer used to growing his own canola was sued by Monsanto when his canola seeds became contaminated by their Roundup Ready genes." From: http://web.mit.edu/demoscience/Monsanto/players.html

Google 'Roundup ready soy' and you will find links like this one titled, "The Problem with the Safety of Roundup Ready Soybeans". Some quotes are, "raw soybeans will be fed to cattle. Steak is often served medium rare to rare. Therefore, there is a possibility that people will consume this new still-functional enzyme in their diet. As this does not seem to have been considered by the applicant company, there seem to have been no studies measuring quantities of this enzyme in cattle tissue, the ability of the enzyme to persist during moderate cooking or the effect that the enzyme would have on animals including humans." ... "A common soybean product in the people's diets is lecithin, used as an emulsifier in food. The application classed lecithin as a food additive and so it was not even considered in the assessment". From: http://www.psrast.org/subeqau.htm

How to make your own mayo with a video and recipe (living alone have found I can make a half recipe with one egg yolk). Canola oil is bad so I use 100% safflower oil or 66% safflower oil and 33% olive oil when make my mayo these days. And sometimes I substitute fresh lime juice instead of fresh lemon juice: http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2007/07/homemade-mayonnaise-recipe-video-big.html

A post I started on CHOW about making mayo that may be useful: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/879386

NOTE: If use egg yolk for lecithin be sure to coddle your egg to minimize problems. Stir raw egg(s) in almost boiling water for 1 minute, immediately cool in cold water, crack, and separate to obtain egg yolk(s). Egg shells are porous so Salmonella from poop and other contaminants can get into the raw egg but is usually just under the shell. Coddling cooks only the white under the shell leaving the yolk raw. Coddling also heats the shell itself minimizing contamination when crack it open. Do not use GMO soy lecithin. In anything with raw egg yolks make small quantities and eat within 7 days (try to not push it as food poisoning sucks).

Safflower oil in studies has reduced heart disease and obesity. And its use also increased good cholesterol, blood sugar, insulin sensitivity, and helps post menopausal women with Type 2 diabetes. Apparently Safflower oil has omega-6 something many of us do not get enough of in our diets. This link says, "findings have led the chief researcher to suggest that a daily dose of safflower oil in the diet -- about 1 2/3 teaspoons -- is a safe way to help reduce cardiovascular disease risk". And more at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/...

Eat any oil in moderation as are adding fat. But it has been proven there are good oils. I often eat one tsp of flax seed oil a day for its omega-3 boost as do not eat enough oily fish like salmon these days. Olive oil has been proven to be healthy in lots of studies but the good stuff is expensive and does not have a mild taste. Italians eat lots of pasta and are very healthy, many speculate because of the olive oil and red wine in moderation. I saute / fry in a minimal amount of coconut oil, butter, or saved bacon fat (saturated fat does not turn toxic above its smoke point as vegetable oils do) - this is what your great-Grandma Gertrude used who lived to be 97 (her mom lived to be 93 until she quit taking her medications missing her husband after a few years). In recent years I have been eating more and more Safflower oil ($2.46 for 24oz at Winco on June 12, 2013) when want a mild tasting inexpensive cooking oil. Still not so sure how processed or not is Saffola, the brand usually on the store shelves. So I mostly go with quality cold pressed California olive oil. A good EVOO is hard to beat for most things.

Knowing this I am trying to no longer buy or use store-bought mayo, something you grew up watching me use too much of. There are alternatives or we can make our own healthy mayo with better oil(s).

Eat less soy. And less meat fed GMO grains (GMO soy and GMO corn are fed to most every meat in the stores and restaurants: beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb, farm raised salmon, etc). It is hard sometimes to be ahead of the curve. Yes I guess I am not normal. No I don't know everything. With knowing my limitations I do lots more research than most. Don't believe everything you read online. Information needs to come from reliable sources and be cross correlated from multiple reliable sources whenever possible.

Love you son. Thinking of you on this Father's Day 2013. Please take the above to heart or I just wasted my time.

~ Dad

The 91 restaurants are downtown, in the Perl, and in shallow SE. Not much further east, in Saint Johns, or the west side of Portland. There is a map at the link you can expand or contract to see dots on a map where the restaurants are. Good food for better prices than usual at some of the best places in town. Attached is a map you can access at the link.

Chart House on Turwillager, Hubers, Oba, All three Ringsides, Ruth's Chris, The Heathman, Jake's and 91 restaurants share a 3-course menu here in attempt to gain new customers. Some good ideas if want to try a new place: http://downtownportland.org/dining-mo...

Uncooked raw fresh or frozen thawed peas. Bacon. Onion. Celery chopped fine. I like fine sliced green onion (while chives or regular onion works if do not have scallions). Grated or 1/4" chunks of cheese (optional) - cheddar works. A little mayo and sour cream 50% each to me tastes best. Or can use 100% sour cream, 100% mayo, or any combination of the two. Stir and enjoy alone or as a side dish. Yum. I made this up one night when craving a baked potato with fixings: chives, cheese, bacon, and sour cream - but did not want the carbs. The water chestnuts and celery were added for more crunch, flavor, and texture. Works with any quality peas. Great with fresh peas out of the garden. Out of season for this I often use petite small frozen peas defrosted inside the package in cold water. Petite peas are sweeter, less mushy, and have more crunch than other frozen options (worth a bit extra $). Always fresh or frozen. Fresh is best. NEVER use canned peas.

NOTE: Petite peas float when the larger ones sink and is how they separate petite peas from regular ones.

TIP: to defrost anything frozen including peas cold water is 20x more efficient than air. Best if water is moving. I put under a trickle of water in a container that drains into sink.

Practice makes perfect. Chipotle peppers in adobo (blend smooth) can help make a tasty base (Embasa is a decent brand here and there are others). Chipotle also helps make the dark crimson colored sauce you are looking for. Maybe consider trying some chipotle powder. Test smoked paprika in your recipe or another good fresh paprika spice for color & a mildly hot flavor boost. Test lots of chili powders every one is different. Make your own chili powder combination. Locally I like chili powder made hot with habanero (Winco bulk bins). Use fresh spices nothing dated. Old spices do not have the same flavor. Consider making a good salsa and then cooking it down for your base. For salsa I like fine chopped onion, fine tomato possibly pulsed in the blender (fresh roma or other paste tomatoes work when can get fresh or consider canned), fresh lime juice (sometimes a little lime zest), then usually make hot with a personal to taste combination of serrano / habanero / pablano peppers sometimes with others as well as various powdered spices in moderation (paprika, chili powder, smoked paprika, chipotle powder, granulated garlic, granulated onion, cumin for its taco flavor, a little mexican oregano, etc). There are lots of good peppers available dry to grind and experiment with in your chili. I sometimes add a few drops of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire (not too much because will overpower and take over then taste bad).

If unable to come up with a good combination of pepper heat from scratch on your own. Consider adding some good hot sauces to your chili in your own combination. Secret Aardvark Habanero Hot Sauce is a personal favorite (brings a complex habanero heat profile great in moderation too hot for some if overused). Secret Aardvark is kinda expensive so I make a clone - can find recipes online to start with. There are many Mexican hot sauces which can add to chili when used in moderation. If use bottled pick hot sauce(s) that add heat and flavor without too much of a vinegar kick. Excessive vinegar is not good in chili.

I often make my chili really spicy HOT. So hot most can hardly eat it plain, but do. I almost sweat when eat. As someone said above the peppers are the star in a good chili sauce. To those who do not like so much heat I serve them chili over cooked small red beans, noodles (like macaroni), or extra meat to take the edge off as well as add texture (good but not traditional). Or a combination. The less heat they want the more beans / meat / noodles they get below as a base. Noodles sounded weird but when tried HOT spicy chili over macaroni found it can be a very tasty combination to many. Chili is also good over the more traditional small red beans so people can choose if they want beans or not when eat it. To prepare soak dry beans overnight then cook to desired texture about two hours - no one likes crunchy or mushy beans eat a few often until done as desire.

To take it to another level consider having toppings to add more flavor and texture to your chili for personal tastes. Things like chopped onion, grated / chunk cheddar cheese, crunched up corn chips, with corn chips, various salsa, various hot peppers, sour cream, etc. Going the extra mile can set yours apart from others in some chili competition formats.

The serving bowls, utensils, decoration, atmosphere, sides, even napkins, may also make your presentation uniquely good. Remember we eat with our eyes and all our senses.

In case you have not already found them there are some chili recipes to get ideas from here on CHOW at: http://www.chow.com/galleries/298/11-...

Have fun with it. We are rooting for you!

Native Americans around the mouth of the Columbia River and elsewhere cooked food in boiling water with hot stones in baskets they weave tight enough not to leak.

1) Gravlox - salt cured salmon. No sugar. Fresh dill optional. 2) Smoked fish - salmon, sturgeon, trout, ... makes great hash topped with herb-ed sour cream (favorites are dill or fine chopped chives with a few drops of liquid smoke) 3) Smoked meat & jerkey - Roosevelt elk, deer, beef, ... 4) Processed meat - pepperoni, summer sausage lunch, and beer sausage beyond hot dogs - made mainly from Roosevelt elk, deer, or beef. 5) good pickles - home made hot, kosher, dill, garlic are hard to beat. Salt cured made with no vinegar are awesome but way harder to find than used to be here a few short decades ago on store shelves (most pickles moved to be made in India - thanks to Dean Foods in recent times have bad quality control, too often mushy pickles, and vinegar was added to my old favorite brand Mrs. Neushin's who used to have a natural cloudy brine. Local brands Nalley and Steinfelds are not what they used to be either). Bubbies are similar to my old Neushin's favorite but prohibitively expensive to eat jars at a time. Now grow and make my own pickles in attempt to eat what remember growing up and still perfecting pickle recipes after a decade or so (similar to pickles also like good sour kraut). 6) Potato salad. 7) Coleslaw.

One side Finn with the other side German here.

Yes patina from use. Use yellow mustard and bubble wrap until looks as desired. Puts a dotted black pattern on it - instead of rust. The good news is carbon steel knives sharpen EZ, seem sharper, and often stay sharp longer than others.

If not happy with the look can force a patina on your carbon steel knife. Maybe clean it some before if want a uniform looking end-result. Will help keep it from the rust reaction when use with food, water, & acid. Minimize moisture, wash then dry when use, how to force patina, and more tips are here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=...

The ultimate to clean it up would be have it bead blasted then sanded smooth with higher and higher numbers of emery cloth or sand paper to remove any pitting or rough spots leaving it clean but exposed (simply sanding without bead blasting also works). Sharpen. Then use bubble wrap and mustard to force desired look with a patina.

To bait crayfish, dig clams, catch fish, trap Dungeness crabs, garden vegetables, and grow meat makes delicacies free. Some trade time for health with fun.

~ And kill bacteria or other things that could be growing in the water that made the ice.

For a while we used canola for everything when raising our family. Then I read and learned. These days good olive oil is what I use mostly in low to mid-range heat. When deep fry hot (for example: a turkey) peanut oil is what I like best for the moment because of the combination of smoke point, price, and taste. To deep hot smaller quantities I use grape seed oil (also to avoid the nut allergic when cook for others).

Many oils including vegetable oil and corn oil are also often made these days with GMO main product thanks to Monsanto. Vegetable oil is most-usually soy bean oil.

Lemon kills the taste of bad water. Ice tea same thing, especially in the south in vacation towns like Orlando, FL where they don't want tourists to realize how bad the local water is in brief stays. In Orlando and much of the south free refills on tea is common so is what people usually drink (stained my teeth in six years working there for Intel). To get ice water in Florida you have to ask for it (my guess is it does not come out of the tap, so because it costs it is not given freely as in other parts fo the country). If you travel much you will notice even the ice tastes bad in most of the country - clean water is getting harder and harder to find.

Traveling all over for about three decades now have seen lemon the whole time in high-end places. Had never seen it in the 80s until traveled (assume because grew up in Oregon where there is mostly good water). Lemon in water is more common in higher-end hotels and restaurants. Still not a thing in Oregon, unless eat at a 'nice' place such as the local Hilton, Mariott, or other higher-end restaurants.

Ivory liquid dish soap and water. Kills on contact. Ivory liquid is one of the only NATURAL not-detergent biodegradable dish soaps. Ivory is more harmless than Windex, 409, etc inside a home in your kitchen (check ingredients). Ivory is EZ and cheap. I put it in a spray bottle and shake before apply. Put a layer down where ever you see ants when you see them. Do preventative spraying about twice a week as needed (the soap residue lasts about 4 days) - then use Ivory water as need. If see on the counter or around the sink be sure to spray under also. I usually apply Ivory for a couple weeks after I see the last ant. Have sprayed on swarms of ants and quickly kills them on contact and takes their 'paths' away other ants follow. With this Ivory tip you will never be 'helpless' to ants again! Stumbled into it, and know Ivory works first hand.

Murphy's oil soap is the other natural dish soap (there may only be the two). But I do not know if Murphy's kills ants or not, because I've had such huge success with Ivory it is what I use - never needed to try anything else.

In Florida used Amdro on fire ant mounds in the yard (a big problem in Orlando, had young kids around they would bite in mass - they say can kill a cow). Found Amdro was cheapest to buy at Costco. Good product that works great. Would sprinkle in a circle around each ant hill. Could quickly see that ants would take the Amdro yellow sugar crystals deep into the mound. Would kill them all within about a week. Worked great. Not sure how natural Amdro is. Did find killing the whole ant mound from the inside is the ultimate. But Amdro may not work so well with a dog in an indoor kitchen. My guess is Amdro is not so natural. To know for sure you could ask Amdro, their website is: http://www.amdro.com/. Try Ivory first and hope you have success like I do - no need for anything else here in Oregon.

TIP: My two outdoor mouse-eater barn cats on the farm here never eat all the food I give them. When ants attack the cat food feeding areas I spray a 3' circle or so with Ivory dish soap and water to kill what can see. Then I put a saucer with ivory mixed in water under the cat food bowl. Creates a mote that kills all the ants who try to eat the cat food keeping them out of the food dish (on the saucer). When ants can't get to a food source they give up and go away.

Sweet with hot is awesome. No sugar needed. Caramelizes from just the sugar in the pineapple juice. Terrie H, give it a try. Has great complex flavor.

The base recipe is surprisingly mild. Not scary. Not hot. The pineapple sweet cuts the habenero heat. Over ice cream further cuts the heat (adding more sweet with dairy into the mix). Habenero peppers have a tasty flavor beyond other chili types. Especially when made this way. Somehow these results are not as hot as people feel it should be. Even those who say do not like heat still devour this sauce when made with one habenero.

I now often use two or three habenero chili peppers when make for my personal taco sauce. Have grown over a few years eating this to sometimes desire more spice with the sweet. Once made it with ten habaneros, have also tried eight and found too hot for me. I stick with one chili when eat on ice cream with those not into chili peppers.

Remove the seeds and ribs in the pepper(s) then cut as small as possible with a knife (especially starting out because reduces the heat a little by removing the inside ribs and chili seeds can be bitter so best to get rid of them). Do not blend. NEVER rub your eyes after cutting habanero peppers. Darn it burns for a long time and does not wash out easy because capsaicin is not soluble in water.

Here is an independent review by CHOW: "All of these were great additions to vanilla ice cream! The Habanero Pineapple, Smoky Coffee Sundae,and Brown Sugar-Balsamic Plum were a favorite. Enjoy! Chris of Chow -helmut fig newton" : http://www.chow.com/galleries/330/chowhounds-most-unusual-ice-cream-toppings#!7744/habaneropineapple-sauce-sundae. The above was posted in this thread: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/374702 about vanilla ice cream toppings.

Caramelized pineapple habenero sauce is a personal favorite on tacos. Also is great on ice cream - especially at a Mexican-themed food gathering. Next month is Cinco de Mayo. This sauce expands horizons - especially good breaking kids and chili newbies into eating habenero peppers in a way they want more.

I often find Ken's on-sale locally for $1 to $1.25 a 16oz bottle. Albertsons had Ken's salad dressings 4 for $5 last week...

Caramelized pineapple habenero sauce is tasty on tacos. Also awesome over ice cream as a a side or dessert. To make this sauce combine in a small sauce pan: one can of crushed pineapple (Dole is a good brand) with one habanero chili pepper chopped very fine then heated constantly stirring over medium heat until starts to brown when sauce caramelizes. Cool then eat.

Lots of good suggestions so far with what you already have planned. You may have the main already covered. So wanted to take a moment to focus on expanding your taco bar guest experience through: sauces, dressings, vegetable crunch, variety with special meats, and more choice in side dish options.

Cole slaw crunch adds in tacos and makes a great side dish. I grate two decent size carrots, fine chop two celery ribs, and slice fine one head of cabbage to combine in a bowl. My slaw dressing is made of: one fine chopped onion, 2 cups mayo, 3 T rice wine vinegar, 3T sugar, 1 tsp mustard such as dijon, 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper, and 1 tsp celery seeds optional. Put everything in a squirt bottle and shake to combine. This sweet onion rice-vinegar tang slaw dressing as good on the slaw, on salad, or on tacos. I even dress potato salad sometimes with it. Adds to many deli-meat sandwiches or wraps with veggies. I often top with toasted sesame seeds and maybe salted shelled sunflower seeds for texture and flavor.

The more hot sauces the better on tacos to me. Pick habenero sauces for the complex heat - Secret Aardvark is good if can find then afford. Bufalo-brand Salsa Chipotle is nice. Mexican hot sauce often comes in a big bottle for about $2, try many and will come up with a favorite table sauce, Valentina the one in fridge right now. I sometimes get La Victoria HOT taco sauce on sale (better than the mild medium). Franks Red Hot and Crystal often in my fridge and end up on tacos sometimes.

Home made ranch dressing adds to tacos. Also makes a tasty side green salad for taco bar guests who may desire one. Ranch is good on chili. Combine: lettuce, carrot, celery, cucumber, radish, green onions, mushrooms, ... in a bowl for salad. Dressing base is sour cream and mayo (usually 1/3 to half mayo). Seasoned with onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk in a bowl then put in a squirt bottle for easy application. Ranch combines well with chili and spicy sauces. I like to eat ranch on tacos, slaw, and salad. Ranch is great combined with all kinds of chili hot sauces and salsas on foods. Ranch salad is great on tacos.

Heat the corn tortillas over medium heat until turn golden brown; I like brown but still soft before turn crispy, solid, and crunchy. Also like to re-heat flour tortillas to re-puff over medium low heat before fill to eat. A touch of olive oil in a seasoned cast iron pan works.

Add any meat grilled to tacos: beef, pork, elk, venison, duck, chicken, turkey, ham, ... Grilled or fried mild white fish chunks are good (especially with slaw and hot sauce). Shrimp often adds to tacos - Big not huge, cleaned, boiled about three minutes just orange, then chilled over ice before consume. Shrimp combined with other meat such as beef makes good surf and turf tacos. Meat, then crunchy salad, with creamy dressing, and topped with hot sauce / salsa is a fabulous combination.

A thick chipotle-honey meat chili is good on tacos. Alone. With meat. With veggies. Chili is a filing side dish (cup or bowls). Red beans soaked overnight then cooked until tender go far feeding a crowd.

Fresh limes cut in sixths squeeze great on a fork poked in the middle over a taco to add brightness and flavor no matter what kind it is.

In your taco bar do not forget the sauces, dressings, limes to squeeze, and vegetable salad crunch. Heat the tortillas somehow to steaming so have flexible soft tacos to eat by hand (when brown corn tortillas expect more toasted corn flavor). Consider having sides such as special meat(s), slaw, salad, and chili.

+ 1, Ken's Caesar Lite
Ken's Steak House Lite Asian Sesame With Ginger & Soy

Usually make home made. And bottled is good for unique inspiration.

Consider something to reduce moisture where spices are kept (even if 'hidden'). I use rice. Is inexpensive to replace once a year or so. After doing this no more 'clumps' here.

Oppositely, if your number is not blocked all the time with your phone company simply enter *83 before dial out and for that one call your number will not be identified.

Be aware many who have caller ID will not answer 'anonymous' blocked-number incoming calls.

GH1618, thank you for the Chicago Tribune link. Reading it I noticed:

• Switching to Indian basmati or Thai jasmine rice drastically reduces arsenic. Aromatic rice varieties show the lowest levels of inorganic arsenic. Imported basmati and jasmine rices showed about half to one-eighth the level of arsenic as regular rices grown in the Southern U.S.

• Brown rice from California and India have much lower levels of arsenic than brown rice from Southern U.S. states.

• Rinsing before cooking reduces the total arsenic content by up to approximately 25-30 percent.

• Cook and drain your rice as pasta. About 6 parts water to 1 part rice. When done drain off the extra water. The FDA says that studies show rinsing and cooking in excess water (such as: six parts water one part rice) can reduce total arsenic levels by 50 to 60 percent.

• More and more water contains arsenic. Even from public water supplies. Check your municipal water report to make sure your local water supply does not have high levels of arsenic. NOTE: I was already aware private-well water arsenic is on the rise.

And more...

Have been eating brown rice about four meals a month - cheap long grain brown rice from who knows where. I never rinsed rice before or after cooking and will be now I know better. Armed with this new information when consume I will be eating basmati or jasmine more (I've always liked but was more expensive). When I eat brown rice I will take the time to know where it is grown or will not buy. Thanks to you and this thread I have a new rice game-plan here. Basmati from India long grain brown is a personal favorite (comes in an old-school natural-colored burlap bag, 10 & 20 pounds are what I usually see locally). Also like jasmine. Now can justify spending extra for better rice more often.

About cooking in an un-open can and having them explode. A friend worked at a refinary. Would heat cans of chili, soup, & stew in unopened cans in his 'office' next to very hot pipes (above boiling). Got distracted. When went back to eat just as he was about to grab a can of soup it exploded all over him (and the office). Burned him when it splattered on his hands, arm, and face.

Smoking and pickling is an awesome combo. Is this the one:
http://www.amazon.com/Preservation-Ki...

Caramel, cinnamon, chili spice, balsamic, and blue cheese (optional) crumbles would make more exotic applesauce(s). Each alone or added in any combination as a garnish to sprinkle or drizzle to the top.

Use a good thick aged Balsamic vinegar (not a fake with sugar as an ingredient).

I've always liked cinnamon with sugar in and on applesauce.

Consider blue cheese crumbles if into it. I like a good blue cheese with fruit. Often just the fruit with blue cheese is all that is needed to feel I'm eating something extravagant.

Add your favorite chili pepper to applesauce in a caramel. Feel a straight caramel would be too much. Different chili bring various flavors and heat. For example, a favorite recipe for sweat hot sauce caramel fruity with spice is:

• one habañero chop very fine (remove veins & skins, optional smoke dry)
• one can of crushed pineapple (Dole works in a pinch)

Directions: cooked until caramelized and begins to turn color toward golden brown.

Adds awesome caramel fruit flavor with a broad range of bearable mild heat. Very tasty lots of ways. Not as hot as you would think. Add unique sweat caramel hot zip to: ice cream, Asian dishes including stir fries, Mexican food like soft tacos, meat, burgers, dogs/sausage, omelets, eggs, chili, some soups, and top dressed salads drizzled for an extra flavor kick. Feel this hot sauce caramel will "exoticize" applesauce. While have not tried it yet, but I eat pineapple habañero hot sauce caramel with almost anything.

To make exotic applesauce on top to taste (not mixed in) consider a combination of sprinkles and drizzles based on personal tastes right before consume:

• thick aged true balsamic vinegar
• cinnamon-sugar mix
• pineapple habañero hot sauce caramel
• quality blue cheese crumbles (optional - only if a fan)

All-purpose flour crust tastes like a biscuit. My pizza dough recipe is:

Ingredients:
• 3 cups high-protein bread flour
• 1 package instant active dry yeast (= 2 1/4 tsp)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup water warm (below 105 degrees will not kill yeast)
• 2 T olive oil (or other vegetable oil)
• 2 tsp honey (or 2 tsp sugar or 2 tsp evaporated cane juice)

Directions:
1) Heat water to luke-warm - about 105° F (too hot kills yeast).
2) Add sweetener to warm water (yeast food). Stir to dissolve.
3) Proof your yeast in liquid only if instructions say to (otherwise don't).
4) Mix flour, salt, any oil, & instant yeast together in a bowl to combine.
5) Oil required for thin crust. Oil is optional for medium or thick pizza.
6) Add liquid. Stir. Should almost come together. If dry add 1 T water.
7) Kneed a few minutes to combine. Until elastic. By hand works.
8) Put oiled dough ball in an oiled bowl. I cover with plastic wrap then towel.
9) Put in warm spot until doubles in size (20-60 minutes).
10) Make pizza as desire. Quarter = 4 thin or individual pizzas. Half = 2 normal.

Make your own better pizza faster than delivered. Easier and cheaper than take-n-bake. Awesome goodness. How you want it. Anytime.

Be sure to let any remaining pizza dough fully rise. Then put any extra dough in open oiled sandwich bags inside a plastic container in the fridge. Quarter-size dough balls fit sandwich bags best. Pizza dough lasts at least a week.

QUESTION: Was OP using all-purpose flour (or are you)? Like I did. Like most do. If so, with a switch to high-protein bread flour do the too-dry too-flaky biscuit-tasting pizza crust results improve?

TIPs:

1) Pre-cook both-sides before add sauce with toppings - thick, medium, and especially if desire a thin crust. A cracker-crisp crust beyond anything available is a special treat. At least a four to one pizza-ratio is best (toppings to crust cross section).

2) Bake on a pre-heated steel or stone. Can BBQ.

3) Put dough in a metal bowl on top of pan when warm pizza sauce on low heat - makes a double boiler to warm and help rise. Watch close especially learning - put your hand on the bowl bottom often. Be sure dough does not get too hot and cook when should 'rise'.

4) Use rapid-rise instant active dry yeast if in a rush. For rapid-rise loose yeast use more, increase to 1 T, because rapid-rise is not as potent as regular instant. Dough will rise in 10 - 30 minutes if use rapid rise in a warm place, half the time or faster.

NOTE: Never proof rapid-rise the 5-10 minutes because will loose effectiveness before gets into the flour. Instant yeast can have the same problem so do not proof it either. When have extra old instant yeast that is questionable, proof a little of the extra to know if working or not (then toss your test sample). Mix either instant or rapid-rise instant yeast into flour to combine then add warm liquid.