Surprising places around the world with Wi-Fi

Did you know there is free Wi-Fi available on the summit of Mt. Everest? From the Moon to the North Pole

International Space Station

NASA’s space station has a wireless internet connection that works through two different types of communication links — S-band and Ku-band. S-band is used for critical vehicle telemetry and audio, while non-critical data and video are sent through Ku-band. In January 2010, astronaut TJ Creamer became the first person to tweet from the space station. His update read: "Hello Twitterverse! We r now LIVE tweeting from the International Space Station - the 1st live tweet from Space! :) More soon, send your ?s"

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

To enhance visitor experience at one of the most visited natural attraction in Ireland, free Wi-Fi was installed throughout the cliffs. People can enjoy the breathtaking views of the cliffs and share instantly with friends and family. There is also a free app available for visitors to guide them around.

Summit of Mt. Everest

The world’s tallest mountain became internet-enabled in 2010 when Ncell – Nepalese Telecommunications Company – provided a 3G connection at the base camp. There are Wi-Fi spots along the exhausting climb, up till the last meeting point before the peak. The 3G internet speed was upgraded in June 2013 by Huawei and China Mobile by deploying 4G LTE. In 2017, the Nepalese government also created two free Wi-Fi zones.

Moon

In 2014, scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) were able to beam a Wi-Fi signal to the moon with the help of powerful lasers. The team successfully transmitted data at a rate of 19.44 mbps and downloaded data at a rate of 622 mbps. The research could eventually allow astronauts to transmit data faster from the moon.

North Pole

In 2005, two Moscow-based Intel employees set up a Wi-Fi hotspot near Barneo ice camp, some 49.7 miles (80 kilometers) from the North Pole. They installed a wireless local area network connection, which connects to the internet through an Iridium satellite phone.

Mount Girnar, India

In 2010, Gujarat state’s tallest mountain – at 3,383 feet (1,031 meters) – was equipped with a Wi-Fi network. The system was installed around the walking track.

Kfar Kedem, Israel

The Kfar Kedem theme park in the village of Hoshaya is a biblical attraction, where tourists can experience how people lived in ancient Galilee. Visitors can don robes and headdresses and ride donkeys through the places mentioned in the Old Testament and surf the web at the same time. Some of the donkeys have wireless routers attached to them, providing guests with seamless internet connectivity.

Mount Fuji

In 2015, free Wi-Fi was installed on Japan’s highest mountain. A series of hotspots were made available, protected with a special password. The internet connection is free for the first 72 hours after it’s activated.

Sarahan, India

This small village in the state of Himachal Pradesh didn’t have electricity until 2005. The same year, a 65-foot (20 meters) Wi-Fi tower was installed, giving internet access to about 2,000 people living in the village.

Val d'Isère, France

In December 2016, the Solaise gondola installed 91 cabins with a capacity to hold 10 people each. Along with heated seats that keep you warm, the cabins also had free Wi-Fi so the guests could stay connected during their ski trip.

Overrated Halloween Attractions You Should Skip

Fall is in the air, and with it comes the spirit of the Halloween season. To celebrate, many fans of the holiday flock to spooky attractions like haunted houses, hayrides, ghost tours and walkthroughs of locations supposedly frequented by the supernatural.

Whether staged or not, many Halloween sites across the country offer genuine scares -- but some simply aren't worth the time, money or crowds. In particular, these 11 attractions might be ones to avoid this Halloween season as they can be more sad than spooky.

Ripley’s Haunted Adventure

The Halloween relative of Ripley's Believe It or Not!, Ripley's Haunted Adventure has locations in San Antonio, Texas and fall-friendly Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The attraction takes around 15 minutes to experience with some reviewers saying they wouldn't go again for free, let alone pay the overpriced $13 fee. The attraction is also pretty tame, meaning older children and adults might be bored.

Salem, Massachusetts

Famous as the site of the Salem witch trials of 1692 and often claimed to be haunted, this town's important history is often drowned out by kitschy witch-themed shops and hordes of tourists. In fact, few actual historic locations still exist. According to the Guardian, the execution site is "just a hump of rock behind a pharmacy." One of the town's most visited attractions is the Salem Witch Museum, which plenty of reviewers describe as a tacky tourist trap.

Knott's Scary Farm

Some claim Knott's Scary Farm in California is a top Halloween amusement park, but during October weekends, wait times for its attractions range from one to two hours, making it impossible to see all nine mazes in one night, especially since traffic getting into the park itself can get backed up for an hour. Many people recommend the Fright Lane Pass that gives you priority access to attractions, but it costs $80 on top of the park's $42 admission -- and that's with an online discount.

Halloween on Franklin Street

This tradition, which began in the 1980s, started as a small fun gathering of locals and University of North Carolina students who wanted to celebrate Halloween and show off their costumes. Despite not having any planning activities or entertainment, tens of thousands of people now flock to Halloween on Franklin Street, meaning long lines and large crowds for a whole lot of nothing that wraps up at 10:30 p.m.

Sleepy Hollow, New York

The village of Sleepy Hollow, 30 miles north of New York City, was made famous in Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" about Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. Irving implies in his story that the Horseman wasn't real, and although Sleepy Hollow is a lovely fall destination for literary and history fans, there's really nothing supernatural or spooky to be seen. Plus, you'll have to combat crowds numbering 100,000 or more around Halloween.

Six Flags Fright Fest

This event, which takes places at Six Flags parks across the country, is another example of a theme park missing the mark. While the parks are known for their amazing rides and some have sprawling haunts with great concepts, others are lacking in set design or scares, leading to disappointment after standing in long lines and paying extra on top of the price of admission. On top of some themes being boring, Six Flags has gotten in hot water in recent years with their haunt themes. In 2016, the park tried to debut asylum-themed haunts until mental health advocacy groups criticized their depictions of mental illness.

Winchester Mystery House

Said to be the most haunted spot in California, San Jose's Winchester Mystery House is a fascinating 160-room mansion with a tragic, haunted history. Unfortunately, the pricey tour only offers a glimpse at a few of the house's rooms. During the Halloween season, the house throws up some decorations and offers nighttime candlelight tours, which enhance the spookiness but don't offer any scares or additional elements. And in the dark, you can't actually appreciate anything about the house.

The Stanley Hotel

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado famously inspired the setting for Stephen King iconic book "The Shining." Despite the fact that the movie wasn't filmed there, demand to stay in the potentially haunted hotel is sky-high, with prices and a wait list to match. While a simple history or ghost tour might be worth your money, the old hotel isn't known for modern amenities, and horror fans snapping pictures of your door or wandering the halls are more likely to keep you up at night than ghosts. The hotel hosts multiple Halloween bashes, but online reviews generally characterize them as overpriced and cheesy.

Lizzie Borden House

One of America's strangest hotels is the site of the brutal slayings of Lizzie Borden's father and stepmother, for which she was not convicted. The Lizzie Borden House does offer insightful, fact-filled tours, but the museum and bed and breakfast don't possess any actual artifacts belonging to Borden or from the crime or investigation. You can stay in the room where the murder itself happened, but it's pricey and has an extremely long wait list, especially for dates around Halloween. While some people have reported supernatural experiences, plenty of others don't, so if you're looking for spirits and scares, it's best to look elsewhere and leave this experience to true crime and Borden devotees.

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

According to many Disney park insiders, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Disney World used to be worth the additional ticket, but the disappointing attractions aren't worth the extra long wait times. Many people come to Disney World in the fall just for this event because you can meet rare and exclusive costumed characters, but the wait to meet some of them, like Jack and Sally from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" can be three hours in the Orlando heat. The Happy Hallowishes fireworks show is dated, while the party-exclusive "overlays," or changes to rides like Pirates of the Caribbean are minor and not that well-executed.

Hayrides

Haunted hayrides can combine the classic pastime of hayrides with the thrills of a moving haunted house, making regular hayrides seem downright boring. While they're lovely in theory and often among the most popular Halloween attractions, waiting in the cold before shelling out money to ride in a trailer on an uncomfortable bale of hay isn't actually fun in practice, and there are plenty of better fall activities to enjoy.

Rice Cooker Miso Soup

There are many varieties of miso. The most common are red miso (made from white rice, barley, or soybeans by natural fermentation) and white miso (made from a lot of rice and fewer soybeans). Any miso variety would work in this recipe.

Serves: 4

Hands-on: 5 minutes

Total: 12 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
4 cups water
½ package (10 oz.) soft tofu, cut into ½" cubes
1 cup baby spinach
2 Tbsp. miso
2 scallions, chopped

Directions

Step 1
Add the water to the rice cooker pot, cover, and set to Cook. When the water boils, add the tofu and simmer, covered for 3 minutes. Stir in spinach and simmer for 30 seconds.

Step 2
Ladle about 2 tablespoons soup liquid from the rice cooker into a small bowl. Add the miso to the bowl and stir to dissolve the miso; then stir the contents of the bowl back into the rice cooker pot, set it to Warm, and cover it. Let soup sit for about 5 minutes and garnish with green onions before serving.

*Basic miso recipe (makes 5kgs)

Special equipment needed:

Fermentation vessel (pottery, enamel, glass or food grade plastic).

Ingredients:
1.3 kg soy beans (or other legume)
1.8 kg koji
650 g salt
water

Steps:

1. Soak soybeans overnight before cooking. The heat source used for cooking will alter the flavour of the finished product as will the water source. In Japan it is believed that wood fires and spring water produce the best miso. Cook the beans until very soft. After cooking strain the soybeans and keep the water for later use.
2. Mash the cooked soybeans and place in a large mixing bowl.
3. Mix koji with 50 grams salt.
4. Mix koji through mashed soybeans.
5. Water left over from cooking the soybeans is now slowly added to the soybean/koji mixture to achieve a good consistency. The consistency is tested by forming the mixture into a ball and throwing it against a hard surface. If the ball cracks up or crumbles the mixture is too dry, if it splatters everywhere it is too wet. After achieving the correct consistency all of the mixture is rolled into balls.
6. The fermentation vessel should be cleaned with white alcohol or strong antiseptic herbal tea.
7. Throw the balls into the pot. The aim here is to remove any air pockets within the pot. When all the mixture is in the pot press to form a flat surface.
8. The remaining salt (600 grams) is now sprinkled over the surface, especially around the edges as this is where uninvited molds will first make their appearance.
9. Cover with bamboo leaves or cling film – again taking care to cover the surface right up to the edges – to help prevent molds from forming.
10. Wait. The miso can be eaten after six months (if made during the warmer months) but it will be better if left for longer. Often it is left to ferment for one, two or even three years before consumption. As with most fermentation processes temperature is an important factor. Starting your miso in autumn it will likely need more than six months before consumption. During warmer times of the year the fermentation will be faster but so will the chances of competing molds moving in. Check your fermentation vessel regularly and remove any molds appearing on the surface. Even if a layer of mold covers the entire surface the miso below should be fine. Just scrape off the surface to a sufficient depth where only mold free miso can be seen.

What Exactly Does the “Q” in “Q-tips” Stand For?

Q-tips, those hygienic products that you can use for everything from 'gently applying ointments and creams, to clean and dust even hard to reach places,' are staples of doctor’s offices and medicine cabinets the whole world over. It’s no mystery that people often ignore the company’s warnings and use them as implements of ear-cleaning, but you know what is a mystery? (Really, you should never, ever use them to clean your ears.) What in the heck the Q means. 

The product name certainly rolls off the tongue better than the generic 'cotton swab' name, that’s for sure. That’s because it’s a quality name. A quality name that means 'Quality tips.' 

That’s right, the Q stands for quality. Q-tips were first conceived by Leo Gerstenzang, who observed his wife stick bits of cotton to toothpicks. He decided that his wife had the right idea and decided to found the Leo Gerstenzang Infant Novelty Co. in 1923, which would manufacture ready to use cotton swabs.

But the product wouldn’t pick up its now famous name until 1926. For the first three years, the cotton swabs were called 'Baby Gays,' which the company would be modified to become 'Q-tips® Baby Gays.' Eventually, they dropped 'Baby Gays' altogether and were just left with Q-tips.

What to cook this weekend

3-Ingredient Shakshuka 

Yield: 
Serves 4  
Active Time: 10 minutes  
Total Time: 50 minutes 


Ingredients
•1/3 cup olive oil
•6 cups fresh pico de gallo, strained
•1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
•3 1/2 ounces crumbled feta (about 3/4 cup)
•6 large eggs
•Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-low. Add pico de gallo and 1 tsp. salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are very soft and liquid has reduced by three-quarters, about 25 minutes. Stir in feta. Gently crack eggs into skillet, one at a time, over tomatoes, spacing evenly. Season with salt and pepper. 
Transfer skillet to oven and bake shakshuka until eggs are just set, 14–16 minutes. Serve hot in skillet.

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

A little prep in the morning means coming home to a hearty and flavorful dinner of a Louisiana classic

Serves: 12
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 8 hours
Total: 8 hours 15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1 pound dry red kidney beans, picked through and rinsed
1 medium onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock
Salt and Pepper, to taste
9 cups hot cooked white rice
Green onions, chopped

Directions

Step 1
Place all ingredients except salt, pepper and rice in a 5-quart or larger slower cooker; stir to combine. Cover and cook on HIGH 7-8 hours until beans are cooked through. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Step 2
Serve with rice and garnish with green onions.

Step 3
Refrigerate leftovers.

The One Ingredient You Probably Don’t Add to Your Coffee (but Should!)

Before we can even function like normal human beings in the morning, most of us need a cup of coffee. However, the way we take it varies widely. Some of us brew it at home while others just pop into the nearest coffee chain for a quick (yet delicious!) cup of Joe.

But no matter where you get your daily caffeine fix, you should never settle for a boring, bitter brew. Adding more sugar isn’t always the answer, either, especially if you’re trying to cut the sweet stuff from your diet.

The solution? Just a pinch of salt can transform your a.m. coffee from harsh and acerbic to smooth and creamy.

And this isn’t just some old wives’ tale. Throwing in a bit of salt to your coffee grounds can “neutralize” or cancel out the drink’s bitterness, pour about 1/8 teaspoon of salt into the ground coffee beans before you place them in your coffee maker.

That’s not the only way you can get more bang for your brew. Other additions, like cocoa powder, cinnamon, lavender, and vanilla or coconut extract, can also jazz up your morning cuppa. So forget about Starbucks; your perfect cup of coffee awaits.

One sided love sucks but here's how to deal with it

I’m the queen of one sided love. Not the kind of one sided love where men are falling at my feet. It’s the other way around unfortunately.

But for whatever reason, I’ve found myself, more often than not, in situations when I’ve had feelings for someone who was either “too old for me”, lived too far away, wasn’t ready for a relationship, was seeing someone else, just didn’t feel the same way, etc. You get the picture.

One sided love, or unrequited love as they liked to call it in the days of Shakespeare, is one of the most painful, gut wrenching, heart in a blender, things to endure. To care about someone who doesn’t feel the same way back leaves you feeling hurt, crazy for having the feelings that you have, and totally out of your mind.

If you’ve ever felt that way, know you’re not alone girl.

Everyone always seems to write about relationship issues, and how to deal with breakups, but what about those of us who have issues with just even getting into relationships in the first place? You don’t have to be in an actual relationship to have “relationship problems” That’s a fact.

I’ve been there. I’ve felt the heartbreak and have felt totally, painfully, alone, but heartbreak from “relationships that never were” is a realm only us one sided lovers can really truly understand.

So, I’m here to offer some unsolicited advice and tips on how to deal with it. Although the pain felt from unrequited love may be the most painful, I truly believe it’s the easiest to bounce back from.

1. Realize it’s not you, it’s the situation.

When we have feelings for someone who we find out doesn’t feel the same way back, our first response is to ask what’s wrong with us. Hold up right there sister. Repeat after me: there is nothing wrong with me. Feels good doesn’t it?

We’re so quick to find our flaws and blame them as the sole cause of not being loved back. We get down on our looks, our personality, our weird quirks and habits that actually make us beautifully us there’s nothing wrong with them. Nothing.

As hard as it is to accept it, they just don’t feel the same way about you. We’re all made differently and are wired to be attracted to some things and not others.

So stop trying to find what to change about yourself, and realize you’re just in a situation you can’t change.

2. Don’t invalidate your feelings

The second thing we’re most likely to do in one-sided love situations is to make ourselves think we’re crazy for having the feelings we do. So, you have feelings. Guess what? That means you’re not a robot. Good for you!

Feelings are weird, and sometimes you can’t explain where they come from, and most of the time you can’t control them. So why make yourself feel crazy over something you can’t control? What you can control is how you handle those feelings (which we’ll get to very soon).

And heads up, if that person makes you feel weird or crazy for having feelings for them, then good riddance. Anyone who mocks your feelings or emotions is a person you don’t need in your life. Boom.

3. Recognize all the double-sided loves in your life

One-sided love can leave you feeling pretty shitty. It also makes us forget that love comes in so many forms, and we’ve got a lot of things and people in our lives who love us just as much back.

Let’s start with people. Your parents, your grandparents, siblings, roomies, best friends. You’ve got a lot of people in your life who love you just as much as you love them if not more. It’s easy to let yourself feel alone when romantic love isn’t reciprocated, but friend love and family love are constant and powerful.

Now for things, recognize the things in your life you love doing and ask yourself if it’s something that loves you back. For example, you may love yoga, and when you do yoga, you end up feeling healthier, happier and more centered. I’d say yoga loves you back.

Going out and ripping shots may be something you love, in the moment, but the hangover in the morning and sometimes regrettable decisions show that alcohol does not always love you back. Of course drinks out with the girls is always a good idea, but really recognize the things that end up making you feel good afterward. Whether it’s music, cooking, religion, the arts find those things and spend time with them.

You’ll begin to feel like yourself again in no time and realize just how lovable you truly are.

4. If you need closure, just say something

Tread lightly on this advice.

Depending on your situation, the person may know how you feel and has already told you they’re not into it.

But you may be in a situation where things are one-sided because of circumstance and you haven’t said anything. And. It’s. Driving. You. Crazy.

You want to say how you feel, but you just know the answer is going to be a bad one. I truly believe in the power of guts, and if you feel it in your gut, 98% of the time it’s true. You could always be pleasantly surprised though (hey, trying to be an optimist here).

If these feelings are sitting on you and driving you crazy, take a shot of whiskey and tell the person how you feel. Yeah, it’s definitely one of the scariest things in the world to do, but it’s only that way because you’re overthinking it.

If someone felt this way about you, you’d want to know right? I mean I would.

You’d be flattered, not freaked out, so stop thinking you’re going to freak the person out.

Be prepared though for the worst. And have Ben, Jerry and the gang waiting for you at home.

Although it can be painful, it’s just like waxing your eyebrows. Once it’s done, it’s done, and you’ve got solid answers and Cara Delevingne power brows.

5. Move on

Yeah, yeah easier said than done, I know. And I hate when people tell me that time will “heal all hurts”. But you know what, it does.

Chalk it up as a learning experience. Know how much stronger your heart is now and how resilient you are. Move on but take this experience with you always.

Whenever things are really bad, frustrating or scary, I always say it’s just another great chapter for your memoir.

Life is full of crazy experiences, some amazing, some terrible.  You go through a lot of pain too especially in these years of our lives. But letting yourself feel is one of the greatest things you can do. Life can be a beautiful thing if you let it.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust and Caramel Sauce

Servings: Makes one 9-inch cake, serving 12.
Total Time: 2 Hours

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRUST

7-1/2 ounces gingersnaps (or 1-1/2 cups finely ground gingersnap crumbs)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING

1 15-ounce can pumpkin (such as Libby's)

1-1/3 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup heavy cream, cold

1-1/2 pounds (three 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, room temperature

5 large eggs, room temperature

FOR CARAMEL SAUCE

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 tablespoons water

1/8 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more if necessary

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE CRUST

Preheat the oven to 325 F degrees. Wrap a 9-inch spring form pan twice with aluminum foil (preferably heavy duty). Take care to pull the foil all the way up the sides so that water cannot seep in from the water bath. Spray the bottom and sides of the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pulse the crackers (or crumbs) and sugar in a food processor fitted with the metal blade until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse a few times to combine. Dump the moistened crumbs into the prepared pan and, using a measuring cup or glass, press into an even layer. Bake until fragrant and set, about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack while you prepare the filling.

FOR THE FILLING

Bring about 4 quarts of water to a simmer in a tea kettle (this will be used for the water bath). In a small, heavy saucepan, stir together the pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a sputter, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, until thick, bronzed and shiny. Scrape the mixture into a large food processor fitted with the metal blade and process for 1 minute with the feed tube open.

With the motor running, add the cold cream. Add the cream cheese (cut into chunks) and process for about 30 seconds, scraping the sides if necessary, or until smoothly incorporated. Add the eggs and process for about 5 seconds or just until incorporated (do not over mix!).

Set the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour the batter into the cooled crust, and then pour enough boiling water into the large roasting pan to come about halfway up side of the cake pan. Bake until the cake is just set, about 1-1/2 hours. If it jiggles, it's not done. CAREFULLY remove the roasting pan from the oven and set on a wire rack. Use a paring knife to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Cool until the water is just warm, about 45 minutes. Remove the spring form pan from the water bath, discard the foil and set on a wire rack. Continue to cool at room temperature until barely warm, about 3 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE

Stir the sugar, corn syrup, water and lemon juice together in a 2-cup microwave-safe measuring cup or medium glass bowl. Microwave until the caramel is pale yellow, or just barely starting to take on some color, 4-8 minutes (depending on the strength of your microwave). It's fine to stop and open the microwave to check often; just don't let it get too dark or it will burn. Let the caramel sit for about 5 minutes -- it will gradually turn a rich amber color. (If after five minutes, it's not dark enough, place it back in the microwave for thirty seconds or so, then let it darken again. If it gets too dark, start over.)

In the meantime, heat the cream in the microwave until hot. Once the caramel reaches the right color, add the hot cream a few tablespoons at a time. It will bubble up intensely, but won't overflow. After you've added all the cream, stir to incorporate then add the butter. Add more cream if the mixture seems too thick. Once the caramel cools, you can store it in your fridge.

FOR SERVING

Remove the outer ring from the spring form pan. Slide a thin metal spatula between the crust and pan bottom to loosen, then slide the cheesecake onto a serving platter. (Alternatively, you can keep it on the pan bottom.) If there is condensation on the top of the cheesecake, blot it gently with a flat paper towel. Let the cheesecake stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then cut it into wedges. Warm up the caramel sauce in the microwave (it stiffens in the fridge). If it's too thick, add more heavy cream to thin it out. Drizzle the caramel sauce over each piece of cheesecake and top with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream if desired.

Note: You'll need a large food processor, preferably with a 12-cup capacity, to make the filling (you can also use an 11-cup, but you may have a bit of leakage). If you don't have one, it's fine to use a Kitchen aid Mixer or electric beaters for the filling and a small food processor for the crust.

Here's why you should never put vodka in the freezer

One of the biggest mistakes people make is putting their vodka in the freezer

It turns out storing your vodka in the freezer might not be such a great idea after all, depending on how good your tipple is.

It may seem like an appealing idea to keep your vodka ice cold as, thanks to its ethanol content, it won't freeze to a solid block unless temperatures hit  -27 degrees Celsius.

If the vodka you're drinking is cheap and low-quality then keeping it at such low temperatures will hide any "aggressive, burning notes" 

However, premium vodkas like Grey Goose should be naturally soft and not aggressive, which means that you'll actually be hiding the more sophisticated aromas and flavours when storing it at a really low temperature.

The best temperature for Grey Goose is 0-4 degrees Celsius which is the temperature of a slight dilution with ice in a mixing glass, at room temperature, even Grey Goose vodka would be a little aggressive

Basically, putting your vodka in the freezer will subdue any flavours within the liquid, which is great if your vodka is cheap and unrefined but not so much if you've bought something nice.

POMEGRANATE GINGER PUNCH

If you’re feeling extra spooktacular, add a small chip or two of food-grade dry ice into your cocktails for smokey effect. Just be sure the dry ice dissipates before consuming. Kinda awesome, right?

Pomegranate Ginger Punch is a goblin brew perfect for your grown-up Halloween party. It packs a delicious punch – pun intended!

YIELD: 9 servings PREP TIME: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cold water

1/4 cup superfine sugar

32 ounces pomegranate juice

6 ounces everclear

1/4 cup lime juice (about 3 limes)

24 ounces ginger beer

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a beverage dispenser or large pitcher, stir together the water, sugar, pomegranate juice, Everclear and lime juice; chill.

2. Stir in ginger beer just before serving.

3. Garnish with fresh limes and pomegranate arils.

Rice Cooker Shrimp with Chilies and Tomatoes

You can substitute fresh cherry or plum tomatoes for the canned tomatoes in this recipe. Sun-dried tomatoes work as well.

Serves: 3

Hands-on: 10 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil

4 medium shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

½ can (8 oz.) diced tomatoes, with juice

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 small habanero pepper, seeded and chopped

1 tsp. ground black pepper

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup water

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

Step 1

Add the oil to the rice cooker pot, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shallots and sauté about 5 minutes until shallots turn soft.

Step 2

Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, and habanero and sauté for about 3 minutes, covering the rice cooker occasionally in the process of frying.

Step 3

Add the black pepper, salt, and water. Cover rice cooker and allow to come to a simmer.

Step 4

Once simmering, add the shrimp, mix well, and cook for about 10 minutes until the shrimp cook turn pink and the gravy slightly reduces. Dish out and serve.

10 Things You Should Know Before Eating Candy Corn

1. It was invented back in the 1800s.
The tri-colored candy is said to have been created by a man named George Renninger who worked at the Wunderlee Candy Company in Philadelphia, PA.

2. The original name was unappetizing.
Goelitz Confectionary Co. began manufacturing and distributing the candy in 1898 with the name "Chicken Feed," thanks to it's resemblance to corn kernels. That company later changed its name to Jelly Belly in 2001, and it continues to sell the treat today!

3. The process will amaze you
The recipe for candy corn has remained virtually the same since the beginning-the main ingredients are sugar, corn syrup and marshmallow which, back in the 1800s, were stirred in giant black kettles, then poured by hand (one color at a time) into special molds. Today the process is much easier thanks to machines-the Jelly Belly factory can spit out as many as 1,200 kernels per second.

4. Over 35 million pounds are made each year
In addition to Jelly Belly, Brach's is a major producer of the sugary sweets-together the manufacturers manage to make about 9 billion individual pieces of candy corn annually.

5. There are many varieties and shapes
Indian Corn, a very popular alternative to the original, has a hint of chocolatey flavor thanks to cocoa powder. Brach's has created several other iterations to try, too-Sea Salt Chocolate, Apple Mix, Caramel, Peanut Butter Cup, and Caramel Macchiato. We also can't forget about Mellowcreme Pumpkins, which taste very similar to candy corn, but have an ultra-satisfying, chewy texture.

6. Apparently there's a right and wrong way to eat it.
Do you carefully nibble on your candy corn, or munch on it without much thought at all? Back in 2013, the National Confectioners Association took a survey to find out how it's eaten most frequently-turns out most eat the whole piece at once, but 42.7% claim to start with the narrow white end first. The three colors taste exactly the same, yet somehow starting at the yellow end just seems wrong.

7. It's one of the most popular Halloween candies in the country
Despite it's polarizing qualities, polls show that there's an astounding number of people who really do enjoy eating it. 

8. One serving has a crazy amount of sugar
Just 19 pieces adds up to a whopping 28 grams of sugar-that's nearly up there with the sugar content of an entire can of Coca-Cola! Keep the candy bowl out of reach of kids, or your little monsters might start bouncing off the walls.

9. It has it's own holiday
October 30th, the day before Halloween, has been dubbed the national day to celebrate the brightly colored treat. Whip up some candy corn–themed desserts, stock up on a few bags and do your best to save some for the trick-or-treaters

10. Candy corn is not just for Halloween
For those who love candy corn, we have good news: you can eat it ALL YEAR LONG. And we're not talking about rationing your supply until next Halloween-there's such thing as Reindeer Corn, Cupid Corn and even Easter Bunny corn so that your favorite treats are appropriate for all the major holidays. Sweet!

This is the Difference Between Seltzer, Club Soda, and Sparkling Water

LaCroix, Spindrift, Schweppes, Canada Dry, Polar, the list of goes on and on. What do they all have in common? Each brand makes healthy beverages that are bubbly and contain water. So then why are some called sparkling water and others called seltzer or club soda?

While these three names for carbonated waters are often used interchangeably, they each imply a difference (albeit, a trivial one). So what exactly is the difference between seltzer, club soda, and sparkling water? Well, let’s first start with their common base: carbonated water. 

Carbonated Water

Carbonated water is the common ingredient in each of these beverages. Almost all manufacturers now force carbonate water by dissolving carbon dioxide gas into cold water. However, before J.J. Schweppe (from, you guessed it, Schweppes) developed the manufacturing process to artificially carbonate water in 1783, there was only one way to get carbonated water: tapping it from a natural source. This carbonated water with natural bubbles is called mineral water.

Seltzer

Seltzer has roots in Germany. “Originally [seltzer water] was from a natural spring,” explains Bob Kenworthy, co-host of The Science History Institute’s Distillations podcast, in an episode called “Fizzy Water“. The naturally carbonated mineral water was “named for the town of Selters, Germany.” However, this isn’t the case now: “Seltzer, as we know it today, is pretty much water artificially impregnated with CO2.” That’s pretty much the case, but there is a fair amount of variance in the seltzer category.

LaCroix’s definition of seltzer water is “water with carbonation that may or may not contain sweeteners or added flavors, as well as varying amounts of sodium.” (LaCroix, by the way, calls their drink sparkling water.)

Seagram’s Sparkling Seltzer Water, for example, is carbonated water with potassium chloride, which results in 35 milligrams of sodium. On the other hand, Canada Dry’s Sparkling Seltzer Water and Vintage Seltzer both only have one ingredient: carbonated water. Polar Seltzer contains carbonated water and natural flavors.

Sparkling Water

Sparkling water, like bubly and Spindrift (the only sparkling water flavored with real, is essentially identical to seltzer: it’s carbonated water with added flavoring. And while LaCroix noted that seltzers can contain sodium, sparkling waters can too. All of Dasani’s sparkling waters contain 35 milligrams of sodium.

Ultimately, you’ll find that many seltzers and sparkling waters have the exact same ingredients. Look at a label for Polar Seltzer and LaCroix Sparkling Water. You’ll see the same two ingredients: carbonated water, natural flavors.

Here’s the thing: it’s really up to the brand to determine if they want to be a seltzer or sparkling water. Because the FDA doesn’t have a Standard of Identity for sparkling water or seltzer, the brand can call their product what they think it is. (The FDA Standard of Identity is why Kraft Cheez Whiz is spelled “cheez” and not “cheese.” 

The main difference now seems to depend on a brand’s marketing strategy. A lot of older companies use the term “seltzer” while newer companies use “sparkling water.” Interestingly, Schweppes, the brand that effectively started the seltzer trend, recently rebranded their carbonated water from “Seltzer Water” to “Sparkling Water.” Go figure.

Club Soda

Finally—a beverage with a clear difference! Club soda is carbonated water that “includes dissolved salts that are only there to enhance the flavor,” says Kenworthy. This makes club soda taste similar to the original, naturally-occuring mineral water. As a result, club sodas will always have some amount of sodium on their nutrition label.

Schweppes, for example, adds sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, and potassium sulfate to their club soda. The drink has 95 milligrams of sodium but is still 0 calories, 0 grams of sugar, and is caffeine free. Canada Dry’s Club Soda is flavored with sodium bicarbonate, sodium citrate, potassium sulfate, and disodium phosphate for a total of 115 milligrams of sodium.

Conclusion

The difference between club soda, seltzer, and sparkling water mostly comes down to what the company wants to call their product. Club sodas generally have sodium while seltzer and sparkling waters generally don’t. Regardless of what a brand calls your carbonated water, the FDA considers them all to be the same thing: a soft drink.

Whatever you want to call your bubbly water, you can feel confident knowing you’re making a healthy decision if you’re choosing it over sugar-sweetened soda.

The Best Halloween Treats You're Not Handing Out (Yet)

Oreo Candy Bars 
This one is new to us, but we're positive that trick-or-treaters will be lining up for this candy combo. A chocolate candy bar filled with Oreo cream and cookie crumbs? It sounds ghoulishly good

Cadbury Screme Egg
Thought Cadbury was just a treat at Easter? Think again! These creme eggs taste just the same as the Easter variety except they've got a gooey green filling. That's the sort of creepy, gross-out details little goblins love.

Twizzlers pull n peel

This new-for-2018 product puts a Halloween twist on a classic candy. The classic cherry Twizzlers flavor and color is swapped out for orange and black, that's orange and black cherry licorice. That's a combo we can get behind!

Rice Krispie Treats Halloween Minis

Yep, you can skip the chocolate and still have Halloween treats that trick-or-treaters will love. Fun-size Rice Krispie treats are still a great snack, and they're just the thing to pop into a lunch box in the days after Halloween.

Pumpkin Patch Orange Pop Rocks

There are some candies that are quintessentially kid, and Pop Rocks are chief among them. Treat kiddos to a special Halloween edition of the candy this year for trick-or-treat (and maybe buy a pack or two for yourself, (just for fun). 

Sour Patch Zombie Kids

Classic Sour Patch Kids aren't going to cut it on Halloween when all the monsters are creeping about. Instead, opt for spooky Zombie Kids. The sour-sweet combo is there, but just made creepy in ghoulish colors.

Flipz Minis Milk Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Who doesn't love a little bit of salt paired with sweet? These chocolate-covered pretzels are just the thing to satisfy everyone's cravings this Halloween. Bonus: These pretzels are made in a facility that doesn't deal with nuts, meaning they're safe for kids with those allergies.

Haribo Spooky Gummy Mix

Don't bother with the traditional bears or worms this Halloween. Instead go creepy with this assortment from Haribo with snack-size packs of mummies, snakes and more.

Utz Mini Cheeseballs

Not all of the best Halloween treats are chocolate. Some trick-or-treaters prefer salty snacks and if they're cheesy, well, all the better. These mini packs of cheeseballs 

Dove Pumpkins

The classic Dove squares have gotten a fall makeover. Your favorite flavors, dark chocolate, milk chocolate and caramel-filled chocolate, are all still there but wrapped up in pumpkin foil. These small candies are just the thing to fill out Halloween treat bags.

Chex Mix Muddy Buddies

Whether you call it puppy chow or muddy buddies, we're sure there's not a ghost, witch or princess out there that doesn't love this treat. Get individually portioned bags to hand out this year and we're sure you'll have even more ghosts and goblins (or maybe kids in these food-inspired costumes) coming to your door next year.

Betty Crocker Fruit Halloween Snacks

You never want to be the house that hands out fruit on Halloween, but you might want to be the one that hands out fruit snacks. Kids of all ages, but especially the younger set—will love a few fruit snacks and fruit roll ups in their baskets

Jelly Belly Disney Villain Vile Villain Jellybeans

When a Cruella de Vil, Ursula or Maleficent comes knocking at your door, you won't have to think twice about what candy to give them with these fun jellybeans on hand. These villainous packs show off all the best baddies and are filled with one of our favorite treats.

Annie's Bunny Grahams

Got some especially tiny trick-or-treaters in the neighborhood? You might want to snag a box of these tot-friendly graham cracker snacks. In chocolate and honey flavors, they're just right for the smallest scarecrows and scaredy cats.

Hershey's Spooky Shapes

We know what you're thinking: Hershey's and Reese's are typical Halloween treats. And you'd be right, except these treats have an extra Halloween spin outside of the fun packaging. Inside, all the classics, Hershey's bars, Hershey's Cookies 'n Cream, Reese's and York Peppermint Patties, are given scary makeovers as ghosts, pumpkins and tombstones. We've never seen a tombstone-shaped chocolate bar before, but we're sure all the kiddos will love them. 

Looking to find these treats?

Target

Walmart

World Market