July Fourth Recipe
Grilled Chicken With Green Chile Sauce
Marinate meats to make them tender without adding a lot of fat.
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup water
10 to 12 tomatillos, husks removed and cut in half
1/2 medium onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 serrano or jalapeno peppers
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup low fat sour cream (or Homemade Sour Cream)
juice of 2 limes
Combine the oil, juice from one lime, oregano, and black pepper
in a shallow glass baking dish. Stir. Place the chicken breasts in
the baking dish and turn to coat each side. Cover the dish and
refrigerate overnight. Turn the chicken periodically to marinate
chicken on both sides.
Put water, tomatillos, and onion into a saucepan. Bring to a
gentle boil and cook uncovered for 10 minutes or until the
tomatillos are tender. In a blender, place the cooked onion,
tomatillos, and any remaining water. Add the garlic, peppers,
cilantro, salt, and the remaining lime juice. Blend until all the
ingredients are smooth. Place the sauce in a bowl and refrigerate.
Place the chicken breasts on a hot grill and cook until done.
Place the chicken on a serving platter.
Spoon a tablespoon of low fat sour cream over each chicken
breast. Pour the sauce over the sour cream.
Yield: 4 servings--Serving size: 1 breast
Each serving provides:
Calories: 192
Total fat: 5 g
Saturated fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 71 mg
Sodium: 220 mg
Calcium: 53 mg
Iron: 2 mg
4th of July
On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was
approved by the Continental Congress, setting the 13 colonies
on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. As always, this
most American of holidays will be marked by parades, fireworks
and backyard barbecues across the country.
Fourth of July Cookouts
More than 1 in 4
The chance that the hot dogs and pork sausages consumed on the
Fourth of July originated in Iowa. The Hawkeye State was home
to 17.6 million market hogs and pigs on March 1, 2008. This
represents more than one-fourth of the nation's total. North
Carolina (9 million) and Minnesota (6.7 million) were the
runners-up. Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
<http://www.nass.usda.gov>
6.8 billion pounds
Total production of cattle and calves in Texas in 2007. Chances
are good that the beef hot dogs, steaks and burgers on your
backyard grill came from the Lone Star State, which accounted
for about one-sixth of the nation's total production. And if the
beef did not come from Texas, it very well may have come from
Nebraska (4.7 billion pounds) or Kansas (4.1 billion pounds).
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov>
Georgia
The state that led the nation in watermelon production last year
(1 billion pounds). Other leading producers of this popular
Fourth of July dessert included California, Florida and Texas,
each with more than 400 million pounds.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov>
More than 74 million
Number of Americans who said they have taken part in a
barbecue during the previous year. It's probably safe to assume a
lot of these events took place on Independence Day.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2008, Table 1213
<http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract.html>
Tips to Improve Your Gas Mileage
Keep Your Car In Shape
Keep Your Engine Properly Tuned
Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4 percent,
though results vary based on the kind of repair and how well it is done. Fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty
oxygen sensor, can improve your mileage by as much as 40 percent.
Fuel Economy Benefit: 4% Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.15/gallon
Check & Replace Air Filters Regularly
Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car's gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. Your car's air filter keeps impurities
from damaging the inside of your engine. Not only will replacing a dirty air filter save gas, it will protect your engine.
Fuel Economy Benefit: up to 10% Equivalent Gasoline Savings: up to $0.37/gallon
Keep Tires Properly Inflated
You can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires
can lower gas mileage by 0.4 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last
longer.
Fuel Economy Benefit: up to 3% Equivalent Gasoline Savings: up to $0.11/gallon
Use the Recommended Grade of Motor Oil
You can improve your gas mileage by 1-2 percent by using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil. For example,
using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1-2 percent. Using 5W-30 in an
engine designed for 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage by 1-1.5 percent. Also, look for motor oil that says "Energy Conserving"
on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.
Fuel Economy Benefit: 1-2% Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.04-$0.07/gallon
Driving More Effeciently
Drive Sensibly
Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway
speeds and by 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money.
Fuel Economy Benefit: 5-33% Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.19-$1.23/gallon
Observe the Speed Limit
While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases
rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. As a rule of thumb, you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an
additional $0.20 per gallon for gas. Observing the speed limit is also safer.
Fuel Economy Benefit: 7-23% Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.26-$0.86/gallon
Remove Excess Weight
Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your
MPG by up to 2%. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and affects smaller
vehicles more than larger ones.
Fuel Economy Benefit: 1-2%/100 lbs Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.04-$0.07/gallon