Tag Archives: Food

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Comfort food provides well-being

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By Lilly Payne

It is no secret that consuming healthy foods can lead to a happier life. However, there is reason to believe that specific foods can affect certain moods. These are not the presupposed comfort foods like chunky monkey, garlic knots, or your mother’s homemade specialty. Those affect your mood too, but because they trigger happy, comforting memories.

Food chemically triggers different parts of your brain, for instance serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, which means that it is a chemical responsible for relaying messages within your brain. Serotonin is linked to happiness, while low levels are correlative to depression, anxiety, and aggressiveness. Though this chemical is produced in the brain a large part is actually supplied by one’s digestive tract.

So what should we be eating? There are lots of foods that fall into the serotonin boosting category. Dark chocolate is great, really. Not only is it delicious, but consuming 1.5 ounces enhances your mood because the cocoa boosts serotonin levels. It’s also important to aim for foods high in omega-3-fatty acids. These are foods such as fish, flaxseed, chia seeds, soybeans, spinach, walnuts, enriched eggs, and guacamole.

However though there are many good foods the bad foods are forever tempting. The main culprit being sugar. Sugar, sugar, sugar. I myself have a ginormous sweet tooth, and can pack away two pints of ice cream, 12 cookies, a few cupcakes, and pizookies with a cherry on top like nobody’s business. That’s not the proudest of accomplishments considering what it does to your mood.

After eating all of that crap, you feel like crap. Sugar brings on fluctuations in blood sugar leading to mood swings and a lack of energy. Not to mention that it’s addictive. Sugar triggers dopamine, which is the main reward chemical in your brain. Dopamine is also triggered by drugs. Don’t let sugar be your drug, instead reach for a banana. Bananas contain 10 milligrams of dopamine.

So next time you’re having a bad day reach for a banana, dark chocolate, or guacamole. Don’t let food get you down.

Blake Dykes, Features

Different restaurants recommended to prom goers

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By Blake Dykes

Prom is one of the most exciting times for any high school student, so everything about that night should be perfect. Why not start the night off eating at somewhere classy and different, beyond the same old Clarksville restaurants. Why not look outside the box and try something new?

The first place on our list  is called Del Frisco’s. Del Frisco’s a fairly fancy steakhouse located in Louisville. The menu includes shrimp cocktail, soups, salads, steaks, and much more to choose from. The entrees average around $32-$39. This may be a rather expensive place to go, but it you have saved up for a formal dinner this is definitely the place to be. Del Frisco’s is located at 4107 Oechsli Ave Louisville, KY 40207. Be sure to make your reservations by calling (502) 897-7077.

However, not everyone likes their meat enough to spend $39 on it, so another option, similar to Del Frisco’s is J.Alexander’s. J. Alexander’s has similar menu items, with the addition of some burgers and salmon entrees.  Most entrees stay around the price of $23, not including salads or appetizers (same as Del Frisco’s).  J. Alexander’s is located at 102 Exmoor Court, Louisville KY  40223. For reservations call (502) 339-2206.

Another classy restaurant in Louisville is Jack Fry’s. Jack Fry’s has a more exotic and wide range of meals to choose from. Some of their best dishes include; lamb chops, duck breast, shrimp, deep fried oysters, cheese plate served with nuts and other seasonal ingredients,  and pecan and pear salad. Maybe this sounds good to you, but one person in your group just likes the plain and simple, not to worry, they also have chicken breast and hamburgers. The pricing ranges anywhere from $10-$38, but averages around $28. Jack Fry’s is voted the best restaurant in Louisville, so make sure you call and reserve your spot. (502) 452-9244. Jack Fry’s is located at 1007 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY 40204.

Maybe you and your group of friends aren’t really feeling a big dinner before prom, but would rather go somewhere fancy, tasty, and isn’t going to make you so full your clothes no longer fit. If this sounds about right, I’d recommend Harvest Restaurant. Some famous dishes for this place include; buttermilk fried chicken livers, sweet potato hummus on a pretzel crostini, vegetable stovetop pie, and pickled Jalapeno bacon grits. Even better, it is not as costly, with entrees ranging from $14-$19. If you think this sounds good, you know what to do, (502) 384-9090. Harvest Restaurant is located at 624 E Market St. Louisville, KY 40202.

There is a possibility that none of these places that have been listed sound good, maybe you don’t like the ordinary, and prefer other foods. Not to worry, try Havana Rumba! Havana Rumba is a Cuban restaurant also located in Louisville. They have a very large menu that provides plenty to choose from. For instance, their Cuban Sampler is pabarella, chicken empanada, and cuban pork tamale all wrapped up together. Or another thing they offer is Empanadas De Pollo, lightly breaded, flaky pastries stuffed with roasted pepper and sour cream. If you prefer spicy, try Calamares Fritos, which consists of fried calamari served with sweet chili sauce and aioli. If all of these are all too ordinary try some fried plantains. At around $10-$13 these prices are not too bad at all. Call (502) 897-1959 today. Havana Rumba is located at 4115 Oechsli Ave  Louisville, KY 40207.

Or perhaps you’d like to avoid crossing the bridge on prom day, well not to worry, there are also nice places to dine on our side of the river. If Italian food is up your alley try La Bocca, located in New Albany. La Bocca has all of the mainstream pasta and pizza dishes plus much more. The entrees range from $15-$17. This restaurant is old time Italian and if that is what you like call (812) 945-7711. La Bocca is located at 2708 Paoli Pike, New Albany, IN 47150.

Use prom as an excuse to go to one of these nicer places that you normally wouldn’t treat yourself to! Don’t settle for your typical resturants that you could go to on any other Saturday night. Whether you are willing to spend quite a bit, desire to venture over to Louisville for your meal, or would like to spend a little less and still have a new experience closer to home, all of these restaurants listed above can provide this for you.

A&E

Pilgrimage to the ‘fridge

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By Bekah Landers

In 1621 the Pilgrims celebrated their first successful harvest in the new land. Today, we call this Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving traditions have evolved over the years with the frantic Black Friday shopping day and much anticipated football games, but still the home cooked food remains the same.

One of the most well known holiday food items, besides the turkey, is stuffing (also known as dressing). Whether we hate it or love it, stuffing is a Thanksgiving staple that won’t be going away any time soon. If you aren’t too thrilled with the usually bland bread stuffing try adding sausage or apples. These small things will really spice up the usual.

Another famous turkey day food is the cranberry sauce. I used to think that cranberry sauce was the foulest thing on this earth. With its gelatinous form and unusual texture I didn’t touch the stuff until last Thanksgiving. It’s still not my favorite, but homemade cranberry sauce is slowly growing on me.

If you’re a guy, or a girl who doesn’t drool over the thought of slaving over a hot stove all day and you want to try and make something this year, try mashed potatoes.  This all-American recipe couldn’t be easier, or more delicious.

Now it’s time for everyone’s favorite part, the dessert! While a traditional pumpkin pie is always a crowd-pleaser you could put an interesting spin on it by turning it into a milk shake or mini-pies.  Apple pie is also a delicious addition to your Thanksgiving meal.

This Thanksgiving why not experiment a little bit? The worst that could happen is that you give food poisoning to your whole family and you’ll  hear, “Joe, remember that one time when you made us all sick on Thanksgiving,” for the rest of your life. But what’s life without taking a chance? Follow these simple recipes for an unforgettable (good or bad) Thanksgiving.

Comment below with what you’re making for Thanksgiving or tell us how these recipes turned out.