Blood oranges are the most  tropical  of all the oranges and make an exciting  and once a year fruit basket gift .  They get  their name from the almost gem like ruby red or maroon color of their flesh.  They have an equal number of eye appeal as the decadently lush juice has for taste.  They are basically, the best orange available during their season.

The blood orange makes a big   display when it is delivered as a fruit basket .  The outside is a bright orange made even brighter if it was on the tree when the nights becomeed to cool down.  Slice one open and the incredibly rich odor will tantalize you and start you salivating.  When you bite into one of these, just give into it, you’re going to be hooked .  Bloods have a deeply rich orange flavor and the only pernicious part of this  orange  is a hint of raspberry flavor .

Because they are so rich in  taste , and their  look is so dramatic, they are very popular  for dressing up both salads and meats.  Sliced wedges  tossed with greens or circling  a platter of pork tenderloin add a  fresh  look as well as  flavor .

If you have a ally who  enjoys sauces, the blood orange will be a real treat for them.  likely the quickest  and easiest meat sauce possible is microwaving a couple of tablespoons of orange marmalade and then tumbling in sliced wedges of the blood orange.  Dramatic and delightful .  It makes great chutney, and if you want a real  change, it makes a  fun salsa as well .

And of course there is the juice.  If you want to add a real boose to your day-after-day OJ, mix in the juice of a blood orange and add ice.  Fair warning although, you’re likely to go through withdrawal attacks  once you run out of these amazing midsized citrus fruit.

Exotic food isn’t the blood orange’s only specialness.  The dark red color of the inside is caused by an abundance of a pigment called anthocyanin which is an extremely decent antioxidant.  Antioxidants control free radicals which are responsible for the formation of abnormal cells found in cancer.  The anthocyanin coupled with the vitamin C and beta-carotene found in the fruit gives  first-class prevention of cancerous cells.

 Arrangements  of fruit baskets are  unique in themselves but a gift of blood oranges makes it even more so.  Do a friend a favor, or better yet, do yourself a favor and get a fruit basket full of blood oranges today.

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Article contributed by Hale Groves, providing fresh fruit baskets, gift baskets and Florida oranges and citrus, including delicious navel oranges, honeybells, ruby red grapefruit, valencia oranges, tangerines and more! Visit HaleGroves.com for more information.

Low-Carb diets can and should include healthy food.  Unfortunately there are a lot of myths out there that low-carbohydrate diets only include unhealthy foods and or diets filled with bacon & eggs or are lacking of fresh vegetables and fruits.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  

Some common “myths” about Low-Carb Diets:

1.)  -  You aren’t supposed to eat fruits or vegetables

Vegetables and fruits are mostly carbohydrate, so many people are under the mis-conception that they shouldn’t eat these when on a low-carb diet.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  You can’t totally eliminate carbs from your diet regardless of the diet you choose.  Fruits and vegetables are the best carbs out there, so they should be consumed regularly when following a low-carbohydrate diet.  

2.)  -  Low-Carb Diets & Heart Disease go hand-in-hand

If you eat nothing but bacon, this might be true.  However, if anyone does their research and follows a quality well layed out plan, heart disease should be one of the last things to worry about.  Studies have shown that things such as cholesterol, blood pressure, and other heart disease risk symptoms tend to drop when an individual follows a low-carb diet.  

3.)  -  You Don’t Get Enough Fiber When On A Low-Carb Diet

Lot’s of low-carb foods are high in fiber.  Fiber mainly remains undigested in the human body, it should actually be encouraged and/or favored on a low-carb diet.  

4.)  -  People can suffer kidney damage when on low-carb diets

Studies have shown that low-carb diets are often no higher in protein than recommended levels. Excess amounts of protein can lead to kidney disease, but sticking with your normal levels of protein intake shouldn’t be an issue.  

5.)  -  Dr. Atkins killed himself by following his own diet 

This one is almost comical.  Dr. Atkins died from injuries from a fall.  The Internet combined with common rumor mongering is a powerful source of misconception.  

If followed correctly, low-carb diets can be a beneficial diet for those seeking to lose pounds.  Like anything else, do your research first and learn the truth about what is and isn’t factual when it comes to low-carb diets.  

I have been very fortunate in my time that I have had an extremely cosmopolitan career, having had co-workers from all over the globe. I can declaim with some gravity that I have never met an Australian I didn’t like, and having lived in a country that’s full of them when I was in Canberra, it’s no mean feat not to have found one unfavourable example. Of course, Canberra isn’t like the rest of Australia as it is an unreal environment built for government requirements, but still.

From 2000 and beyond, I found myself largely in the company of South Africans, some of whom were exiting the homeland as circumstances deteriorated both economically and socially. Plenty had played their trump card of British passport qualification through immigrant grandparents or other circumstances of ancestry. But also some were Afrikaners and black Africans who do not have that convenient way to get out but still decided to take their abilities for greater rewards elsewhere.

To a man and woman I have found them, contrary to the famous “Spitting Image” song, delightful, good natured and great fun to be with. Also to a man and woman, they remain convinced that it was South Africans that came up with the idea of cooking outdoors. The braaivleis (Afrikaans meaning roasted meat) is a cultural institution on a par with rugby and diamonds.

In the old days, people would drive out into the veld, hunt down antelope such as gazelle, gemsbok or Wildebeest for the larger party. They’d shoot it, skin and butcher it, dig a pit and build a fire and roast the creature, usually whole. They cannot do that very easily anymore as the wildlife is rather better protected and hunting is strictly licensed, but the habit of the braai remains as an important social event which no summer party of any size is complete without.

Australians are also convinced that they invented the idea through the barbeque. Although the hunting element is normally missing, and made difficulty by not being as varied as in the South African tradition. Kangaroos are very tasty but extremely difficult and time consuming to get the meat right (it has to hang for at least 2 weeks which then loses the element of spontaneity) and most other targets are too small (possums), cute (koalas, wombats), inedible (dingoes, platypus) or too lethal (practically all other wildlife on the continent) to consider, the Australians take huge pride in the outdoor tradition.

Here, we don’t have wildlife hunting and eating but we can still make the most of the barbeque, and in recent years the equipment available has improved out of all proportion. For example we have manufacturers such as Weber bbq who build Weber gas grills which help remove the randomness of building an old fashioned fire and replace it with reliability and the facility to use the equipment in all places should the need arise.

Some of the Weber gas grills now come with total portability which means that you can take them with you on a trip out to the beach or picnic which further gets rid of the annoyance of used coals being left behind on the site which is a regular hazard of the disposable barbecue or lightweight charcoal burners.

Of course the colonials can spit their dummies and have their beliefs over the history of the invention, but in the reign of the Mongol empire, as Genghis Khan ran amok throughout the known world of antiquity, his soldiers did not have a Weber bbq so instead they used to cook on upturned shields over an open fire and cook their meat on there, and so probably have the better claim overall. 

Ahhh, the dreaded packing of a gluten free sack lunch for school.  Nothing but a pain in the you know what.  Really though, it’s not that hard.  

 It’s not easy finding ways to fee a child that’s in need of being gluten free.  Especially when it comes to packing lunches for school.   But thankfully, there are lots of ways to pack healthy gluten-free school lunches.   One of the best things you can do is to involve your child in the planning of the lunches.  Let them get involved and give them as many choices as you can when it comes to picking items to pack.   Giving them the opportunity to be a part of the decision making process of what is actually packed in their lunch could greatly enhance the chances of them eating what’s actually packed.  

Providing good complex carbs, healthy fats, and proteins are vitally important to any attempt of improving a child’s diet.  Combining those attempts with going gluten free can only enhance your efforts of packing gluten free school lunches.   Your child must not trade any food items with other kids or students.  There is way too much risk involved.    It’s vitally important that your child sticks to the gluten free diet at all times.    

Here are a few pointers on how to make packing gluten free lunches easier for you and your child.  

• Start with healthy protein that is found in high quality gluten free deli meats, cheeses, and cheese spreads.  
• Chicken and turkey salads are good.
• Gluten free peanut or other nut butter and jelly sandwiches.
• Yogurt that is gluten free and flavored with fruits.
• Smoothies made out of healthy protein powder and fresh fruit.
• Fresh vegetables and fruits provide good complex carbohydrates.  
• Gluten free pasta dishes.
• Whenever using oil for anything, use olive oil
• Gluten-Free flours and brown rice. 
• Don’t send sugary sodas or juices.  
• Gluten free crackers and corn chips.
• Gluten free condiments, including mayonnaise, ketchup, or mustard.  
• Change the daily food items up.  Gluten free kids need/want variety as non gluten-free kids do.  

You’re now well on your way to providing a quality gluten free lunch for your child.  Make it fun for them and involve them as much as possible.  It will definitely pay off for you and your gluten free child in the long run.  

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