Summer is here! And with this season, there comes plenty of festivals, fairs, outdoor movies, summer camps, vacations, and of course, lots of food. However, one staple of American diets often enjoyed during this time of year has a rich and fascinating story that belies its humble appearance. Corn. It doesn't matter if you love diving into a butter-rich box of popcorn at the movie theater or chowing down on a corn dog at the state fair, corn is the key star ingredient of these tasty foods. From east to west and north to south, you can find so many foods that have corn as a major ingredient in America. However, how did corn become such a popular and widespread food in America and beyond? Origins: Indigenous People of the Americas The corn plant and its many varieties traces back to thousands of years ago in Mexico. Many sources point to corn as being a derivative of wild grasses ( teosinte or teocintle). The domestication of this new corn crop led to the development of delicious a...

It’s nice to dream big and hope to have a large apartment or home with a yard. However, it’s not a reality for most of us. When you are working with a smaller living space, it’s still possible to create a desirable and welcoming abode you’ll be proud to call your own. Even rented spaces can get tricked out just enough that you’ll almost forget it’s a leased property. Here are 7 simple ways to transform your small home into a more luxurious space to live large. 1. Add plants.  The addition of a potted plant, even a small tree will instantly boost your mood and enhance the sophistication level of your abode. If you think you have a black thumb or have low lighting throughout your space, there are still some plants or flowers that would survive and even thrive in your home. And if you are feeling confident, why not try creating your own mini jungle? When you need a getaway spot near you reading nook, a sunny window, or a select corner of your living room, your plants will be there to ...

Don’t turn on your oven. Stay away from using your stovetop to cook more than 15 to 20 minutes, or else you’ll turn your kitchen into a sauna in no time. Instead, opt for the following meal ideas to keep cool, reduce the chance of being hangry, and make your mouth and tummy happy. It’s bad enough being hot AF and struggling to stay cool with frequent showers, fans, and if you’re lucky enough, staying permanently under the AC as much as possible. When it’s hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk and the life and energy feel zapped out of you after stepping outside for as little as 5 or 10 minutes, it’s time to reach for smarter meal ideas to stay cool, fed, and less miserable. Here are 10 terrific meal ideas when it's too hot to cook: Veggie sandwiches (with avocados perhaps) BLT sandwich Tomato sandwich Chicken or tuna salad  Egg salad Pasta salad Green salad (leafy greens or green beans) Bean salad (think similar to succotash , but not) Cold squash soup Cold tomato- bell pepper ...

After winning over the American public, the banana has become a daily staple in many people’s diets. Whether the banana is chosen as a quick snack, used for desserts, or a go-to addition with a bowl of oatmeal or cereal, we don’t think too much about this tropical fruit. The banana became Americanized. We could say that the banana is taken for granted because it is ubiquitous in our society. Many of us might thing that bananas will always be available because they are cheap, affordable, and stocked at nearly all grocery stores throughout the US. However, this colorful tropical fruit has been battling than more than a few problems over the decades, following their widespread popularity. The bananas we commonly see at stores are dealing with health problems and climate change . Plus, limiting the variety of bananas available for widespread consumption have taken its toll. Knowing this, it might be more than a nagging feeling to eventually do something with a bunch of bananas going ripe ...