Limoncello

What do you do when the world (or a farm in California) delivers you 10 pounds of rotten lemons? If you answered, "make lemonade", you are incorrect. Nobody likes rotten lemonade. The correct answer is make limoncello. Limoncello, a staple of the Italian diet, is a wonderfully refreshing apertif and digestif. It is starting to gain popularity here in the U.S., but often times the domestic version tastes more like jet fuel than the perfect lemon. Besides, this stuff is so easy to make at home, you will never even think about buying the mass produced store stuff. Here's how you make it:

• Start off with some really good vodka. Some recommendations include Stoli, Iceberg, Hangar One or even a local producer from Texas called Tito's Vodka. If you like your limoncello strong, you can use grain alcohol instead of vodka for a really potent concoction.
• I like to make my limoncello in mason jars, but any air tight, wide mouth bottle will do. If you chop the peel small enough, you can always use the bottle the vodka came in.
• You need about 6 lemons per fifth of vodka. I like Meyer lemons the best (they have a little sweetness to them). If you cannot find Meyers, no problem, pick up one or two tangerines or oranges to round out the flavor of the lemons.
• Wash and dry your lemons (and oranges if needed) really well. Peel them, keep the skin in tact as much as possible. Take a sharp knife and cut or scrape all of the white pith away from the back of the skin (it helps if you peeled big pieces of skin). Now you can cut the skin with the pith removed into very tiny strips.
• Place the skins of the six lemons into the bottle, add 1/3 cup of sugar, screw on the cap and shake vigorously. In fact, for the next three weeks, you should should shake the bottle each day. Keep the bottle in a cool, dark place for the next three weeks until the peels lose their color and the liquid looks like lemonade. Some people strain the liquid to remove the peels, but I leave them in the bottle.
• Store in the freezer after the three weeks. This creates a syrupy limoncello that is excellent on the tongue before or after dinner. Keep in the freezer in between servings. If the bite is too much, you can always add more sugar at any time.
• If you want to up the lemon flavor, you can always add candy lemon drops (Jolly Ranchers) work the best. Just don't tell my Italian grandparent or they will disown me.

Enjoy responsibly.

Pureed Cauliflower

I first came across this dish over five years ago. The day after our wedding, we went to brunch and came across the velvety smooth side dish that none of us have ever heard about. Surprisingly, on our honeymoon to Australia, we saw pureed cauliflower everywhere. Although it still hasn't gained the much deserve exposure here in the States, it is a staple of our dinner. It is easy to make, healthy and can take on a ton of different flavors.

Here are the basics:

• Bring a large sauce pot of salted water to a boil. Take a large head of fresh cauliflower and remove the stem and greens (my wife includes the greens, but I don't). Cut the head into florets (the smaller the better). Place the florets in the water until very tender, about 15 minutes. You can also use frozen cauliflower or steam the cauliflower florets.
• Once tender, drain the water and place the tender cauliflower into your food processor. Turn food processor on high, spoon mixing every so often until the texture is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This is where it gets interesting because now you have a perfect side dish by itself or a base to include a ton more flavors. Some of my favorite include adding:

• Roasted garlic, roasted red peppers and olive oil for an Italian fare.
• Feta cheese, oregano and olive oil for Greek style.
• Green onions (scallions), a splash of soy sauce and some sesame oil for Chinese style.
• Basil, pine nuts, parmigiano-reggiano cheese for a pesto style.
• Hot sauce, paprika and red pepper chili flakes for spicy version.
• Lemongrass, ginger and lemon for Thai style.
• Butter, sour cream and chives for mock, loaded baked potato version.
• Cheddar cheese, milk and bread crumbs for an au gratin taste.

The options are endless. Basically, you can infuse any flavor you like into this cauliflower base. Believe it or not, pureed cauliflower tastes like the best mashed potatoes you have ever tasted. Best of all, it is a healthy veggie that even the kids will love. What are you going to put into your pureed cauliflower? Let me know!

Fly to Honduras for 8 cents

This is no gimmick. For a limited time, you can fly non-stop from Ft. Lauderdale to Honduras on Spirit Air for $0.08 (taxes and airport fees not included). You must book soon because the promotion starts today and seats are limited.

You may be asking yourself, what am I going to do in Honduras? The good news is this diverse and friendly country has something for everybody. Would you enjoy sitting on the beaches of Roatan, reef diving, exploring Mayan ruins, deep sea fishing near the Bay Islands or soaking up the richly diverse Honduran culture?

Here is an amazing site, loaded with information on travelling to Honduras. For finding the perfect hotel, complete with traveler's reviews, and other useful knowledge, check out Tripadvisor. Lonely Planet also offers some practical tips and suggested travel itineraries.

Although I have never travelled to Honduras myself, I contacted my friends at Dreams Alive Travel (they can help you plan your trip, call 813-240-0946 to speak with one of their Central American travel experts) for some insights:

• Bay Islands - this area includes the popular island of Roatan. Perfect for sun worshippers who love sugary soft sand beaches and terrific nearby dive sights.
• Gracias - colonial mountain town with nearby Parque Celaque (the highest mountain in Honduras), featuring a wonderful cloud forest.
• La Ceiba - the finest beaches of Honduras on Caribbean Sea. Daily ferries to Roatan leave from this coastal paradise.
• Copan - located in Western Honduras, these beautiful ruins contain tons of pre-Columbian art and was home to a Mayan civilization over a thousand years ago.
• Honduras is amazingly affordable, with many of the finest hotels costing around $100 a night. Some local treats include the "Plato tipico", a meal consisting of rice, beef, fried beans (frijolitos), and fried bananas (tajaditas). Other culinary delights include tacos, baleadas, and enchiladas. Don't forget to indulge in "licuados" -fruit juices and milk shakes, made with countries bounty of mango, pineapples, watermelon and banana.
• While relaxing on the beach, sip on one of their national beers: Salvavida, Port Royal, Imperial or Barena. Perhaps even a cocktail made from the Nicaraguan rum called Flor de Cana.
  

Hope this helps. Let me know how your trip goes. Safe travels.

Stock to Gamble On: Element 21 Golf

Rarely do I recommend individual stocks, let alone a penny stock company that isn't profitable. However, there are exceptions to every rule. With the Dow climbing over 13,000 it is becoming harder and harder to find "good deals". There are so many elements (no pun intended) to this company that excite me:

• Element 21 golf clubs (e21) are produced using a proprietary metal alloy called scandium (originally developed for fighter jets and advanced aeronautics). It is almost perfectly balanced and provides less shock to golfers. Essentially, this company has created a better mousetrap and is probably the most innovative product to hit the golf market since titanium was introduced.
• The management assembled to run this company is top notch. They recently added board members, CFOs and other top management positions with experts in their fields.
• The publicity of this stock has been amazing. It has won numerous awards from golfing magazines, trade shows and even holds the Guinness Book of World Record for the longest drive. This was accomplished when a cosmonaut hit a golf ball with an e21 club from the International Space Station over Thanksgiving. I think the ball is still in orbit.
• The PGA has approved this club for use in tournament play.
• Just today, an independent lab proved the superior accuracy of e21 clubs over the three current top selling drivers.

These are all great things for the company, but what excites me the most is this company is selling for a price way below its 52 week high. I love buying things on sale. Element 21 recently shipped its clubs (in March) to retail stores nationwide. It is only a matter of time before the public and the pros start turning to these superior clubs. Hopefully, the stock price will rise as these clubs become the standard. Check out the financial information and recent news at Yahoo! Financial Site.

Disclaimer: This stock is extremely risky and may not suit your current investment strategy. Please perform your own due diligence before investing in any stock.

Eat Local & Organic

I'm getting sick and tired of grocery shopping. The fruits and veggies aren't fresh and they have no flavor. Even worse, the food we buy isn't safe. One week we cannot buy spinach because of e. coli, the next week it is peanut butter and recently even the pets aren't safe. What are we polluting our bodies with?

I've been dismissing research and sensationalist journalism for years arguing the pesticides, fertilizers and hormones our foods are pumped full of are the cause behind illnesses ranging from autism, neurological disorder, allergies and even cancer. For me, "organic" was just a buzz word that allowed food companies to charge double the price of its chemical laden counterpart.

Fortunately, the great chefs of the world have changed my mind. You see, every great meal starts with great ingredients. Turn on the Food Network and you will hear chefs clamoring that they buy only fresh, local ingredients in season. You know what? I am going to do the same.

There are a lot of benefits to eating local & organic:

• Organic farmers are good for our Earth. They practice sustainable agriculture, don't pollute our precious waterways and reduce our dependency on petroleum (used to make the chemicals and fertilizers used by traditional methods).
• Support hard working families. I love supporting family businesses, as opposed to large, faceless corporations. What can be more satisfying than procuring your groceries from generations of farmers who feed their own families the same products you are feeding yours? It is amazing to meet and develop relationships with people who nourish your family with their own hands and hard work.
• Meat, eggs and dairy from pastured animals is lower in calories and fat. It is higher in antioxidants (2-3x more Omega3s than grain fed animals) and "good" fats.

There are more options than ever for buying local, organic food. Many of the larger, chain grocery stores even have organic sections (although many of these stores are staffed with experts to help you find the best products). There are even grocery stores, like Whole Foods, Wild Oats and your local health food store that carry a huge variety and knowledge of natural and organic products.

There are also two great websites to help put you in touch directly with the farmers themselves. Most of the time, you visit the farm yourself. I highly recommend bringing the entire family and making a day out of it. You (and your kids) will learn so much and the farmers are often excited to tell you about the history of their family, their land and their bounty. The free samples don't hurt either. You will be amazed at how flavorful the fruits and veggies are. I almost forgot what strawberries really tasted like.

• Eat Wild - This site is dedicated to grass fed beef, lamb, goats, bison, poultry, pork and dairy products. You can search by state for local farmers. Don't have room for a side of beef in your freezer? Get together a group of friends and family and split the bounty. Surprisingly, buying direct from the farm is MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE than grocery store prices.
• Local Harvest - This is my favorite. Heirloom seeds, listing of farmer's markets, local farms, wools, honey, soaps, coffee, chocolate, etc. A ton of useful information. Check it out today. Again, you can search by location for those farms closest to you (many even deliver or ship their goods).

Earth Day or not, you should at least consider adding local and organic products to your grocery list. Not only are they healthier for you and your family, but they taste a lot better.