If you can start the day without caffeine,

If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,

If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,

If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,

If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment ,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without liquor,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

…..Then You Are  Probably The Family Dog!

This time of year who wants to be spending all their time in the kitchen? Here is a quick recipe thats very yummy so you can have more time outdoors enjoying the weather!

ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

4  7- to 8-inch whole wheat flour tortillas

1  cup coarsely shredded purchased roasted chicken

1/2  cup feta cheese

1/4  cup thinly sliced red onion

1/4  cup chopped cucumber

1/4  cup grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise

1/4  cup kalamata olives, halved

2  tablespoons whole flat leaf (Italian) parsley leaves

1  tablespoon whole fresh oregano leaves

1/4  cup bottled Greek vinaigrette salad dressing

directions

1. Coat one side of each tortilla with cooking spray. Place tortillas, sprayed sides down, on a cutting board or waxed paper. Sprinkle with chicken, feta cheese, red onion, cucumber, grape tomatoes, olives, parsley, and oregano. Drizzle with dressing. Fold tortillas in half, pressing gently.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Cook quesadillas, two at a time, over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes or until light brown, turning once. Remove quesadillas from skillet; place on a baking sheet. Keep warm in a 300 degree F oven. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. To serve Cut each quesadilla into three wedges. Makes 4 servings.

We have all heard that hydrogenated oil is not good for our diets, but if your like us you “Have” to know WHY? We did some digging around and came up with these facts about hydrogenated oils, pretty interesting stuff, check it out….

Oils have been hydrogenated for many decades, to prolong their shelf life and make the oils more stable. Hydrogenated oil is oil in which the essential fatty acids have been converted to a different form chemically, which has several effects. Hydrogenated oil is far more shelf stable, and will not go rancid as quickly as untreated oil. It also has a higher melting point, and is often used in frying and pastries for this reason. When hydrogenated, the chemical structure of the oil is changed, which scientists in the 1990s began to realize could result in negative health effects. Hydrogenated oil is made by forcing hydrogen gas into oil at high pressure. Both animal and vegetable fats can be and are hydrogenated. In general, the more solid the oil is, the more hydrogenated it is. Two common examples of hydrogenated oil are Crisco and margarine. In the 1990s, it was realized that these products might have deleterious health effects, a tragic irony since they were originally produced and promoted as being healthier than conventional oils. The unstable fatty acids in oils are unsaturated fats, which have been determined to be healthier for consumers, acting to reduce cholesterol in some cases. When hydrogenated oil is made, these healthy fats are converted into a new type of fatty acid, known as a trans fat. Trans fats are not at all good for one’s health. In some highly hydrogenated oils like margarine, trans fats can make up almost half of the total fat content.  Trans fatty acids work to increase LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, and they also decrease HDL cholesterol, which is “good” cholesterol. This means that the fats in hydrogenated oil are far more damaging than even saturated fats, which medical professionals have already determined to be harmful. There is also evidence to suggest that trans fatty acids may bioaccumulate in the body, because the digestive system has difficulty figuring out what to do with them. As a result, a diet high in trans fats will result in weight gain.

Consumption of hydrogenated oil has been linked with diabetes, coronary disease, and obesity in a wide number of scientific studies. In the 1990s, many activists began to lobby for clear food labeling, indicating when products contained trans fats. Other activists went further, attempting to ban trans fats because of their detriment to human health. All medical professionals agree that people should limit their consumption of hydrogenated oil to avoid exposure to trans fats, and should eat foods with healthy fats such as nuts, avocados, and olive oil.

Garage-Girls and Carlisle Events are pleased to announce the winners of the 2010 Ultimate Biker Makeover…..  Runner up is Judy Reed and the grand prize winner is David Bardwell.

The two contestants were chosen along with Kathy Redman from a group of over 20 submissions of who was most deserving of an Ultimate Biker Makeover. The final 3 were then placed up on garage-girls.com for public voting.   The final 3 all had compelling stories of why they were in need of the makeover, but after the publics vote the 2 winners have been chosen.  Runner up Judy Reed is a 52-year-old rider that desperately needs help fitting her bike to herself

Grand Prize Winner David Bardwell has been down on his luck after losing his job at a Chevrolet dealership and has been forced to sell his house and possessions to care for his family. Both winners will be getting hooked up with…new riding Jacket and Gloves from Z1R, a Vega helmet, HD Footwear boots, a cleaning kit from Wizards Products, a years subscription to IronWorks Magazine, a case of Synthetic oil from Spectro Oils, a pair of riding glasses from 7 Eye, T-shirt from VaVaVroom, and a technology case from Otterbox. David, the grand prize winner, will also be scoring parts for his motorcycle such as, accessories from Kuryakyn, A set of AVON Tires, a Mustang Motorcycle seat, and lots of other goodies.