Eat Ice Cream, Be Happy.

The Undercover Divas were out last night, searching for something, but we weren’t sure what that was.  We had a delicious dinner, but it just wasn’t exactly what we were looking for.  Suddenly, Annod knew what we were missing… Ice Cream.  It was the perfect answer.  We did some investigating and learned some interesting facts about ice cream and decided to share them with our Undercover Diva friends. 

Ice cream is second only to cookies as the best selling treat in America.  Chocolate syrup is the worlds most popular ice cream topping.  The most popular ice cream flavor?  Vanilla!   Not surprisingly, 87% of all Americans have ice cream in their freezer at any given time.  Most will agree that eating ice cream is a very enjoyable experience.

A cow gives enough milk to make two gallons of ice cream per day, that’s 730 gallons per year.  It takes three gallons of milk to make one gallon of ice cream.  It takes about 50 licks to finish a single scoop ice cream cone.  “Brain Freeze” occurs when ice cream touches the roof of your mouth.  One in ten people admit to licking the bowl clean after eating ice cream while one in five share with their pet. 

Premium ice cream has between 11% and 15% butterfat, which makes it richer, denser and high in calories.  Regular ice cream, what you would find in containers in the grocery store, contains 10% butterfat.  Reduced fat ice cream has 25% less fat than the regular ice cream.  Soft serve ice cream is the same as regular ice cream but is served at a higher temperature.  Gelato has more milk than cream, so its fat content is significantly lower.  It doesn’t saturate your taste buds as much as ice cream so the flavor seems more intense.  It is usually flavored with fresh fruit, nuts, chocolate and other natural flavors. 

July is National Ice Cream Month.  Ice cream is happiness, condensed.  Let’s go get some ice cream.  Author Carew Papritz once said, “Eat Ice Cream, Read Books, Be Happy.”

Lewiston Lodge, Lewiston MI, Restaurant REVIEW

The Undercover Divas wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, so we took a ride to northern lower-Michigan and decided to swing by one of our favorite places for year-round dining.  We stopped by the Lewiston Lodge, which has on the property a restaurant right on East Twin Lake, and decided to have dinner.  As we have noticed on previous visits, the Lewiston Lodge decorates for all the different seasons and holidays, and they were ready for spring.  The cheerful hostess gave us a choice of rooms for dining, and we went with the enclosed porch overlooking the lake.  

We always enjoy the laid back atmosphere, great service and excellent menu selections available at the Lodge.   Always look at the board at the entrance for the daily specials.  They seem to be the most popular, and truly the best choices for dinner. 

I wanted to order my favorite, the Baked Salmon with a cream sauce and a side of asparagus, but it was only available as a Friday Special.  Instead, I went with the Rib Eye steak ($20) off the menu, which was good, but not great.  The other Divas went with Italian Grinders ($10) which they said were huge, delicious, and they had plenty left over for another meal to take home.  Dinners come with a choice of soup (homemade) or their loaded salad and include a bread basket with freshly-baked rolls and honey walnut butter, really good.  The service was quick, cheerful and outstanding.  We were treated well throughout the meal. 

When we arrived around 5pm, we had our choice of seating.  Around 6pm, the diners started to fill up the restaurant.  Most appeared to be staying at the Lodge next door and walked over for their evening meal.  It was a week night, and we were surprised how busy they had become in a short period of time.  When we left, they were lined up for a table, so we were fortunate enough to have had a choice, and able to sit in the porch area. 

The Lewiston Lodge restaurant is open for lunch or dinner.  They have cocktails available in the bar area, and are family-friendly in the dining areas.   The Lodge area has fourteen rooms available at the motel.   The restaurant opens every day at 11am.   Their address is 1525 Fleming Road, in Lewiston, Michigan, which is on the south side of East Twin Lake. 

Bronx Burgers in Warren, MI, - REVIEW

Hello my Undercover Diva followers, this is Annod.  Suse and I have found the nicest place to go for dinner.  Gini had previous appointments so she was unable to join us.  We went on a hunt for a small, quaint place for dinner, and oh, boy, we found it. 

The place is called Bronx Burgers.  It is located on Mound Rd. in Warren, MI, and it is a diamond in the rough.  Bronx Burgers is a mixture of American and Mediterraneanfood, and had a full bar for those who wanted mixed drinks with their dinners.  I have driven by it many times but this time we decided to stop.  We were going for the burger, but what a surprise to find a wonderful, full menu.  Burgers are their game but the other food sounded so appetizing. 

When we walked in we were immediately greeted by a hostess/server named Dora.  We checked out the specials that were on a board at the entrance.  Then we were led to a booth and asked what we wanted to drink.  It took us a bit to order because everything looked so good.  Suse and I both decided on the Jumbo Shrimp, which was the daily special, but we both chose a different side.  Suse and I both wanted the salad (soup or salad was the choice).   I had the rice with red sauce and Suse chose the redskin potatoes.  Fresh green beans were included on both plates. 

Our dinners came quickly.  The shrimp was perfectly fried and the rice and sauce was so good.  Suse enjoyed her perfectly-grilled redskin potatoes.  Dinner also included a bread basket with soft rolls.  The green beans were a little too al dente for our liking, but we ate them anyway. 

The Bronx Burgers specializes in burgers.  Dora mentioned that they grind up their sirloin daily, and each burger is a half pound of meat.  They have Bacon, Chili, Mushroom, the “Queens” triple burger, big Jack burgers that have 2 huge patties with American cheese, coleslaw, and Russian dressing on a Kaiser Roll.  They also serve the standard Patty Melt, and also serve Turkey Burgers, Garden Burgers, Fish Burgers, and Salmon Burgers.  There are many sandwich combos on the menu.  Overall, the variety was amazing. 

We then decided to try a dessert.  This is normally a no-go for us, but we couldn’t resist.  Suse had the carrot cake and I had the homemade rice pudding.  They served it with raisins, when I asked.   So Good.

We had happy stomachs when we left and Dora, our server, made our experience even better.  If you’re hungry for lunch or dinner, this is the place to be.  The Bronx Burgers is family-friendly, prices are reasonable, lots of booths and tables, and exceptionally clean.   They are located at 32747 Mound Road, (south of 14 Mile Rd.) in Warren, MI.   Hours are Monday-Saturday 7am-9pm, and they close at 3pm on Sunday.

"What to Drink with Dinner," That is the Dilemma!

The Undercover Divas wondered what to drink with dinner.  Water is vital for a healthy body.  Hot or cold tea is always a thirst quencher, but not very exciting.  Juice provides a nutrient-packed punch to any dinner, as long as it’s pure juice, not loaded with extra sugar and additives.  Milk is always good for growing kids, but wouldn’t be our choice.  Maybe our "go to," the soda?  

We thought that diet soda might be a far healthier alternative to regular soda, but new studies out warn that this may not be the case.  The researchers found that, as with regular soda, diet sodas trick the body into thinking that it is consuming real food and sugar even though it isn’t, which could lead to metabolic over-consumption.   Diet soda makes you hungrier, and crave even more sugar and starchy carbs, like bread and pasta. 

Should we all be tossing the diet cola in the garbage?  Well, regular soda isn’t an option, a naturally flavored seltzer now and then might be a choice, but drinking a more natural beverage is probably the best option. 

But wait, there is still a much better choice when we’re out and about… Wine.  Red wine has a reasonable 20 calories per ounce and is rich with antioxidant benefits.   A recent Harvard study stated that moderate alcohol consumption was one of the “eight proven ways to reduce coronary heart disease risk.”   The occasional glass of wine does the trick to help us de-stress, and red wine has been linked to an increase in longevity.  We are now making red wine our drink of choice. 

A four ounce glass of red wine is equivalent to one serving.  Medical reports state that the evidence seems clear that regular, moderate consumption of red wine is beneficial to your health.  So here’s a toast to good health!  CHEERS!  

Best Grilling and Cooking Tips for Memorial Day Weekend!

Memorial Day Weekend is upon us, and time for the first big outdoor cooking event of the year (well, at least for those of us in the Midwest!).  Here are a few tried and true lessons for all of you home grillers:

Flip that Burger!

We will take it one step further than that- Put those burgers in the oven before grilling.  Yes, the single-flip mafia out there will tell you that you only flip a burger once, but rudimentary science and a little experimenting will show that this is flat out wrong.  Flipping every 15 seconds will produce a more evenly cooked burger, and a low temp start in the oven before putting on the grill will produce the best grilled burgers you have ever had!  Helpful link on this here.

Mac and Cheese Secrets

Any mac and cheese recipe should be more of a guideline, and should be flexible enough to change based on the event, the mood, and the parties enjoying it.  A few important points:

• Know how to make a roux.  This is a wonderful opportunity to teach a young cook a very important cooking technique.  Great mac and cheese recipes start with a roux.
• A very sharp cheese will add a lot of flavor, but using aged, very sharp cheese can get pricey. To add a little bite try adding just a portion of aged, sharp cheese, and then you can use a little dry mustard powder and/or cayenne.
• Want that wonderful "stringy" effect when you pull it apart?  Add a little Gruyere to your cheese mix.
• Large, hollow noodles with some sort of ridges will hold the cheese sauce best.
• When you put the mac and cheese in the oven, it should be fairly runny, the baking process will tighten it up.
• Don't forget the top!  Recipes call from everything to simple crumbled crackers to a mix of butter and Panko bread crumbs, so make sure to add a nice crust to the top of your mac and cheese.

Don't Soak That Corn

This started about a decade ago, and needs to go away- don't pre-soak your corn on the cob before going on the grill.  If you want to do the boil technique and not use the grill, that is great, but when grilling corn on the cob, Mother Nature has the corn all ready for the grill, thank you very much!  Many people do like to cook the corn on the cob in the husk, but that is also more for effect than anything else.  Want perfect grilled corn on the cob?  Husk it, remove the silk, and put it on the grill.  You might not look like you know some cool technique, but your corn will taste better... much better than anyone who soaked it before. A cool article on that here.

Sugary Sauces Burn!

There is nothing better than the tastes of chicken or pork that has been grilled with a little sweet BBQ sauce, creating little crusts on the corners and in the crevices.  However, keep in mind how and when to apply.  The more sugar in a sauce, the quicker and more pronounced the burning.  For instance, we love to grill chicken wings, but when we are in the mood for grilled wings with a sweet BBQ sauce, we start with just a toss in a high-smoke point oil, like Canola, along with some salt and pepper.  We grill them until almost done, and then apply a coat of the sweet BBQ sauce, flip a few times, while watching carefully for burning.

Great article on how to properly grill hamburgers!

So, here is the absolute best article on how to properly grill those hamburgers:

How to properly grill hamburgers!

Some Grilling Tips for Memorial Day Weekend

For Memorial Day, try these interesting twists:

Memorial Day is upon us, and it is a wonderful time to get the grill going and start a summer of outdoor parties and get-togethers!  Here are a few cool links that might give you some ideas:

Grilling Fruits and Vegetables

Summer Grilling Recipes

Grilling Tips

What the Average American Consumes in a Year

Very interesting Infographic on what the average American consumes in a year!

Famous Dave's BBQ in Roseville, MI, - Review

The Undercover Divasneeded to try out some BBQ.  Off we went to Famous Dave’s in Roseville.  We have visited this country-style restaurant a few years ago, and when the quality of the food started to go south, we were gone.  It was nice to discover the quality has returned.   

We arrived a few hours past the dinner hour on Friday night.  People were waiting everywhere, outside, inside on benches, and just standing around.  The place has lots of tables and booths and all were not taken.  Hostess seemed to be confused on how to make things work.  The bar area was hopping and full of happy TGIF patrons watching the Detroit Tigers baseball game on the surrounding televisions.  When we were finally seated, our server came over almost immediately, and cheerfully went over the menu and took our orders.  Then we waited and waited.  It took forever for the food to come out of the kitchen.  It was quickly placed on our table by a kitchen worker, and then no contact at all throughout the dinner. 

The food was very impressive. It’s a great place to pig out on some great BBQ ribs, pulled pork, brisket, chicken and lots of other choices.  The ribs, chicken, etc. had a seared crispy outside and a tender, juicy, fall-off-the-bone quality.  We Divas all agreed that the ribs were our choice and they are best ordered without sauce.  There is an impressive assortment of BBQ signature sauces on each table that are delicious. 

Rib dinners are ordered by how many ribs you want.  They come with a corn muffin and a choice of two sides.  Wilbur beans, corn on the cob, Mac and cheese, coleslaw, garlic mashed potatoes, waffle fries, and broccoli (my personal favorite), were some of the choices.  We each ordered the half-slab, had enough extra to take home for another meal, and our individual bills were all under twenty dollars. 

Luckily our food was great, and we did not need anything.  Our rib choices were all perfectly done and very delicious.  The sides are smaller than they used to be, but very good.  Two of us substituted a baked potato with the “works” for a side for $1.75 more.  It was well worth the extra cost.  The ribs were perfect, but the sides are shrinking and the wait staff was stretched too thin to give this more than a three-diva rating.  Famous Dave's is located on 13 Mile, east of Gratiot, in Roseville, MI. 

Salt and our Health

Salt is essential to the health of people and animals.  Saltiness is one of the basic human tastes, and salting is an important method of food preservation.

Salt is good for you if it is the right type.  Regular processed salt is better than no salt, but the better option is unrefined salt, as it is rich in trace minerals and free of additives.  It is a healthy choice to make food from scratch and salt it yourself.  Listen to your body.  Let your salt cravings and desire for seasoning, dictate how much salt to consume. 

We generally use daily either table salt or sea salt.  They have the same basic nutritional value, despite the fact that sea salt is often promoted as being healthier.  Most of sea salt is produced through evaporation of ocean water or water from saltwater lakes, while table salt is mined from underground salt deposits. 

"For most people, there is no reason to change their dietary habits concerning salt, as most people eat what appears to be the safest amount," said review author Dr. Niels Graudal, a senior consultant at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark.

Ten Foods for Healthy Hair

Royal Cafe , Mt. Clemens, MI, Review

The Royal Cafe is located just south of downtown Mt. Clemens on southbound Gratiot.  If you aren't looking for it, you'd never know it was there.  But once you try it out, you will be back again and again.  It's located just down the street from the (McLaren) hospital, on the corner of Harrington and Gratiot.  

Their meals are all inclusive.  Breakfasts are generous, lots of luncheon specials, and the dinner menu includes soup, salad, and dessert.  Everything is fresh and appears to be homemade.  They give you enough that you can take home a second meal.   On this Saturday noon, we DIVAS stopped by for lunch.  I decided on something on the Saturday lunchtime menu.  The menu was extensive and I chose the ham omelette with hash browns the way I like them, crispy.  It came with an order of toast ($5.25). The other DIVA had the Philly Cheese sandwich (that was HUGE) for $6.25.  It was plenty big and very good.  

Both of our lunch choices included a bread basket and a cup of soup.  There were many to choose from, and all are homemade.  The soups are also included with anything on the dinner menu.  

My dinner favorite is the turkey dinner, as good as grandma makes.  It's hard to choose between the blue cheese or Greek dressing for the salad, both are very good.  Quality fell several years ago, but it is back.  Soups are the best, as good, if not better than the expensive restaurants.  

You can enter either at the front door, or if you park in the back (as most do) there is also an entrance there.  There is lots of close parking at the door. They seat you right away, and are cheerful and attentive throughout the meal.  They welcome families, too.  The Royal Cafe is right across from the fire house.  Kids will love watching fire trucks coming and going visible from their large outside windows.  

The Royal Cafe is located at 1120 Southbound Gratiot Ave. in Mt. Clemens, Michigan.  They are located just south of the downtown Mt. Clemens court houses.  If you are southbound on Gratiot, make sure to slow down or you will miss the driveway.  The ROYAL sign is large enough but you could easily go right by.  (Their driveway is right before the sign.)   

The food is home cooking, at its finest.  Prices are reasonable and they welcome children.  If you're hungry, don't pass this place up, for there is something for everyone here.

Harbor House of Clinton Township, MI, Review

Hello Undercover Diva friends.  Our recent visit was to the Harbor House, in Clinton Township, MI.  They are known for their “All You Can Eat” table service meals, and offer a full bar with daily drink specials.  Tropical sea paintings on the walls surround the dining room, with a live lobster tank in the lobby.  They are open noon until 11 pm, seven days a week.

Suse and I have been here many times, but Gini has never been.  We walked in and we were acknowledged quite quickly.  This was a good start.  There was a salad bar and an area that included two soups and a few extra sides:  chicken wings, macaroni and cheese, etc.  I had to ask if more wings and the macaroni and cheese were coming out because they were almost gone and dried up.  The waitress said she would check on it, it never came out.  Once we got back to our table with our salads and soups, we were waiting quite a while for our drinks, mushrooms (complimentary) and bread.  We had to ask for it. 

The breaded mushrooms Suse and I have always loved were greasy, but they were very hot.  The soup was good, but too spicy.  Gini could not finish it, and she loves spicy.

Once we received our entrees, we were pretty happy.  Gini got pork chops with a baked potato, as did I.  Gini’s potato was overcooked but didn’t ask for another because of the wait time.  My potato was perfect.  Suse had the BBQ ribs, which she enjoyed, they fell off the bone.  The ribs dinner is only two ribs, but they will bring you two more as many times as you request. 

On our second round, I decided to stick with the pork chops, which I really enjoyed.  Gini had the ribs with Suse getting the London Broil, which came out to her extremely tasteful, tender and perfectly cooked. 

Our waitress wasn’t very attentive but at the end started being friendly, and it wasn’t very busy on that evening (Friday).  As we finished, I decided to have some of the rice pudding that was on the salad bar and it was really good.

We have mixed reviews on Harbor House, which is located at 34250 Groesbeck Highwayin the Township of Clinton, MI.  Base price for the “All You Can Eat” entrees was $21.99.  If you wanted the better cuts of steak or prime seafood, it was more.  We felt the prices were too high, salad bar lacked care, servers were slow, in a friendly way, but hats off to the chef, who prepared very good main courses.  Overall, the DIVAS gave it a three rating.  

Detroit's Ransom Gillis House, From Batman vs. Superman, and Rehab Addict

The Undercover Divas are out and about in the downtown Detroit area.  We have been hearing about a historical house where much seems to be happening.  Not wanting to be left out, we decided to explore.

Our research led us to Brush Park, just outside of the downtown area.  One of the abandoned historic mansions in Brush Park, the Ransom Gillis House, is getting a good bit of attention.  It will appear in the new Batman vs. Superman:  Dawn of Justice, movie.  This historic house is one of the few homes from the mid-1800's left in this Detroit neighborhood.  Filming has been completed and word on the street is that this Brush Park mansion will be the new Wayne Manor in the film.  We decided to visit this “dark, Creepy Gotham” neighborhood, and were surprised at what a hidden jewel this neighborhood appears to be.  Many of the mansions in the area are gone, demolished, burned, etc.  There are a few standing here and there, but most in need of serious renovations, including this Ransom Gillis House. 

That brings us to the real reason The Undercover Divasdecided to do some investigative work.  Seems that this Ransom Gillis House is the newly-announced project for Nicole Curtis, of the Rehab Addict show on HGTV.  This house is perfect for the show.  Nicole works for the restoration of existing homes over demolition.  She has done other homes in the Detroit area, and brought them all back to their full glory. 

As you can see from the pictures we took today, the Rehab Addict project has not yet been started.  Across the street is the Brush Park urban garden, and when we look down the block, we can see Comerica Park and Ford Field.  The Renaissance Center, home of GM, is also visible. 

We were impressed with improvements already underway in the neighborhood and will be watching, and updating, with new developments.   Detroitis a city full of pride, on the come-back trail, reinventing itself along the way.  It is coming back more innovative and powerful than ever imagined and we are excited to do more exploring in Detroit this summer.  

Cinco de Mayo at Poncho & Cisco's in Harrison Township, MI, Review

Since we are fast approaching Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican holiday full of rich history and Mexican pride, The Undercover Divas were looking for Mexican festivities.  What better place to visit than Poncho & Cisco's in Harrison Township.   

We were first given three types of salsa and chips while we looked over the menu. The menu had lots of authentic Mexican dishes, along with a sheet of daily specials.   

Looking around at the other tables, it was hard to choose what to order.  We all chose differently, and all was exceptional.   My beef chimichanga was perfectly fried and came with sour cream and fresh guacamole and was superb. Gini had the wet burrito, and said it was the best she had ever tasted.  Annod had a Mexican dish with chicken and noodles and she loved it.  The re-fried beans and rice was included with most every menu item and prices were surprising affordable with portions very generous.  

Be sure to save room for something from the dessert menu.  We had to try their fried ice cream even though we were stuffed and all taking home doggie bags.  If you are like us and love going downtown Detroit to Mexican Town but are worried about safety, this place is as good as, if not better.  

The servers were friendly and the place was clean with a very authentic decorating flair.  It was decorated with the colors of the Mexican flag (red, white and green).  They do have a bar area and kids are welcome in the dining room. Poncho & Cisco's is small and bustling and only seldom had we ever had a wait for a table. Prices are very reasonable.  Poncho & Cisco's is located at 36942 Jefferson, near 16 Mile Rd. in Harrison Township.  The Undercover Divas had an excellent experience and we will all be back.   It is worth a visit.