Thought I'd give you lucky devils a gander at my beautiful and talented cousin, Della. She's the one seated in front. It's been a long time since I've had the chance to hear her sing, but I remember one time walking into her home town's chile festival and hearing a voice that sounded like Patsy Cline singing 'Crazy.' It was Della, and I was blown away. In the summer of 2010 (doesn't that sound strange?), RWA is holding their conference in Nashville, and I can't wait!

It's cold, cold, cold here (unless you live up north where the true cold exists - in that case it's mild - hehehe). The wind is blowing like a straight-line tornado. Okay, I know straight-line tornados don't exist, but you get the drift...

Let's see, what shall we do for food tip Tuesday? I know!!!!!

Trans Fats

These little buggers are nastier than I realized. Not only do they increase your cancer and heart attack risk, but they also cause pot bellies! {shiver} Okay, I'm being vain. I am very prone to the pot belly syndrome and the clothes I like call for a svelte tummy. Trans Fats actually cause the fat cells in your body to move from where they are to the belly, and belly fat is a big factor in heart disease.

And all you women thinking of your husbands - stop and add yourself to that picture. Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the US. Cancer is number two and trans fats contribute to both.

Don't rely on the new FDA regulations to save you either. A food can contain up to 500 mg of trans fats per serving and still list zero trans fats on the labels. So what are we to do? It's easy. Read the ingredients. If a product has hydrogenated oils or partially hydrogenated oils, it has trans fats. As little as 500 mg of trans fats three times per day ups your chances of suffering from heart disease dramatically. That's not much to work with, no margin for error.

Okay, soap box time is over. You all have a great Tuesday! I'll try to post a new recipe later in the week. Love ya all!

~pinkie