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In the month of December alcohol consumption increases as many people celebrate the festive season. But how does your drinking measure up to the average from countries around the world? Find out below if you are similar to a boozy Belarusian or a teetotal Kuwaiti.

One of my husband ‘s favorite sandwiches is peanut butter and a pickle on rye. Elvis Presley liked his peanut butter sandwiches with banana and bacon, and Hemingway liked thick onion slices in his. Ninety-four percent of American households have a jar on hand. The stuff lasts forever, so in a nuclear war situation you can always rely on it for sustenance. It can be stored safely unrefrigerated for two years. I, on the other hand, have a love/hate relationship with it, and if I do ever eat it, I do so in the traditional manner, as a solo spread...

Five people have died and 21 others have been hospitalized in a listeria outbreak linked to caramel apples, federal health officials said today.. A total of 28 people infected with listeria have been reported from 10 states, according to a statement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Eleven of the cases are in the Midwest: five in Missouri, four in Minnesota and two in Wisconsin.

Full Title: Could ibuprofen be an anti-aging medicine? Popular over-the counter drug extends lifespan in yeast, worms and flies Ibuprofen, a common over-the-counter drug used to relieve pain and fever, could hold the keys to a longer healthier life, according to a study by researchers at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. Publishing in PLoS Genetics on December 18th, scientists showed that regular doses of ibuprofen extended the lifespan of yeast, worms and fruit flies. "There is a lot to be excited about," said Brian Kennedy, PhD, CEO of the Buck Institute, who said treatments, given at doses comparable...

ATLANTA, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- A new survey by anthropologists calls into question the scientific and historical justification for the paleo diet. Early man, they say, was an opportunist, not a nutritionist or dieter. By now, most people have heard of the paleo diet. The popular diet is named for the Paleolithic Age, the expansive period of prehistory characterized by so-called cavemen and primitive stone tools. Its followers forgo grains and processed foods in favor of meat, fish and vegetables. Its emphasis on protein and whole foods isn't without merit, but its genesis is based on the idea that humans...

Hellmann’s mayonnaise maker Unilever says that it has withdrawn its lawsuit against the maker of “Just Mayo.” […] Unilever argued that “Just Mayo” has no eggs and therefore doesn’t meet the definition of mayonnaise. Unilever had said that the word mayo implies that the product is mayonnaise, and that Just Mayo was stealing market share from Hellmann’s. …

We eat a lot of rice and I've decided a rice dispenser would be a nice present for Christmas

FORT PIERRE — An argument about equal rights took place a few days ago during the meeting of the state Game, Fish and Parks Commission. ... And more specifically, equal rights in the opportunity to take fish, whether by spear, arrow or hook. Or, as commissioner Paul Dennert of Columbia put it, spears and arrows have been around much longer than motor boats and electronic depth-finders. It’s an interesting, fundamental question.

A radio station that asked listeners to vote on whether two turkeys should be killed has been criticised by animal lovers - including Queen guitarist Dr Brian May. And the RSPCA has urged Jack FM to rethink the online vote on whether the turkeys should be cooked or kept alive. The RSPCA said it opposed any practice with the "potential to cause animals pain... in the name of entertainment". Currently, 62% of people have voted to save the turkeys, named Sage and Onion. The Oxfordshire station said if listeners voted to kill the pair in the "cook it or keep...

Obama's Daughters Enjoy Gourmet Lunches at Posh School 11 Dec 2014 By James Morrisson While many public school students complain about lunchtime mush that meets White House calorie guidelines, President Barack Obama's daughters are dining on gourmet meals at a posh private school in Washington. School kids have been moaning about tasteless fare local governments adopt to comply with first lady Michelle Obama’s war on the waistline and posting photos of the mystery meals online. The Sidwell Friends School, the $36,000-a-year private academy attended by Malia and Sasha Obama, also posts its menus on the Internet. Editor's Note: Seniors Scoop...

Not everyone has a name like “Jethro,” so it only makes sense that the guy who played Jethro Bodine on The Beverly Hillbillies would want to cash in on such a famous moniker. That’s why he’s ticked off right now at CBS, claiming the network breached a contract he had with it by allowing an Iowa restaurant chain to use the Jethro name and character. Actor Max Baer Jr. played Jethro on the show about a family of hill dwellers who struck it rich and moved out to Califor-ni-a, and snagged a deal with CBS in 1991 allowing him to...

During my years of lurking, I always enjoyed the Thanksgiving Cooking thread; but I missed most of it this year. I've got a ? for the Freepers who like to cook and entertain: What do you take to an office party, where the only warm-up options are microwave and sterno-steam-tray? My crew favors my chicken and dumplings, which work out very well warmed up in a crock pot. But I've done it for years, and it's a little labor-intensive for me this year. I want to do something different, and my other best dishes are 'crusty' things - chicken pot...

It turns out that people aren't eating as many McHamburgers as they used to, which is a big problem if your business is all about slinging meat. So McDonald's is hoping the novelty of its "Create Your Taste" ordering kiosks will lure some customers back in. The machines will be installed in 2,000 of its US outlets by the end of 2015.

<p>Ben Edelman is an associate professor at Harvard Business School, where he teaches in the Negotiation, Organizations & Markets unit.</p> <p>Ran Duan manages The Baldwin Bar, located inside the Woburn location of Sichuan Garden, a Chinese restaurant founded by his parents. Last week, Edelman ordered what he thought was $53.35 worth of Chinese food from Sichuan Garden’s Brookline Village location.</p>

Tim Hortons Inc’s chief executive will get a C$1 million ($871,460) bonus following the C$12.64 billion takeover deal by Burger King Worldwide, the Canadian coffee and donut chain said in a regulatory filing on Monday. […] The company said the discretionary bonus for Chief Executive Officer Marc Caira was awarded due to a substantially increased workload as a result of the merger deal and strong quarterly results that beat market expectations. …

Robert Irvine takes on his biggest challenge yet! He's headed to the Double H Ranch, a 320-acre camp in the Adirondack Mountains of New York for kids with serious or life-threatening illnesses, where, in just three days, he will makeover the single largest space he's ever done. It's an enormous undertaking, but, for these kids, Robert's willing to take on the impossible! (

Christmas doesn’t have to be the most stressful holiday of the year. You’re totally allowed to take shortcuts, especially if you’re playing host. 1. Decorate upside-down waffle cones to make Christmas tree desserts. 2. Make “Elf Cookies” using Cheerios

FULL TITLE: 'Prisoners eat better food': Students hit back at Michelle Obama's school lunch program with pictures of woeful servings School lunches have never been known for being appetizing — but these ones are particularly disgusting. Students across America are taking it to social media to demonstrate against the school meal rules championed by First Lady Michelle Obama. They're using the sarcastic hashtag 'ThanksMichelleObama' and posting pictures of piles of mushy lunches, unreasonably small portions and the kind of fare that has some students saying even 'prisoners eat better food.' Scroll down for video

What do you get when you combine water, American persimmons and hops and ferment it with yeast? A beer based on a 300-year-old recipe scribbled in a cookbook kept by Virginia's prominent Randolph family. Ardent Craft Ales in Richmond recently brewed "Jane's Percimon Beer" unearthed from the book in the Virginia Historical Society's collections from the 1700s that contains food, medicinal remedies and beer recipes. The formula for the Colonial-era concoction is one of thousands of alcoholic recipes in the society's collection that provide a glimpse into what Virginians and others were drinking in the 18th century and other points...

The chef at a three-Michelin-star eatery in Brooklyn dictated that lesser pieces of meat be given to Asian customers and Upper West Siders, César Ramirez of Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare — which charges a flat $255 per person plus a $50 “service charge” each — was blatant about his biases, according to the suit filed by some of his former sous chefs and servers. He openly prohibited Asian customers from being placed too close to him , routinely referring to them as “s----t people,” To distribute cuts of meat during the fusion French-Asian meal service, Asians — along with...