Health Tips Line

“Letting the devil out” of Irish soda bread There are many variations of Irish soda bread in America, but the traditional Irish version calls for just four ingredients: flour (often whole-meal flour), baking soda (called “bread soda” in Ireland), buttermilk and salt. Historically, this recipe could be made by anyone, thanks to the readily available ingredients and because it could be cooked in a cast-iron pot over a flame instead of in an oven, which most people didn’t have back in the day. But for the bread to be lucky, you have to cut a cross on the top “to let the devil out” (as well as to release steam during cooking), a superstition held by both the Irish and Irish Americans. “In both Christian and pagan traditions, the cross is meant to ward off the devil and protect the household,” Kinealy explains. “But the baking of soda bread was not really a custom until the late 1800s.” Check out the video below to whip up a loaf of your own. Wearing green One of the luckiest St....

For Costco aficionados, there’s little better than flashing your membership card at the door and pushing that oversized cart through the cavernous warehouse. You know you’ll see old friends, like the celebrated $4.99 rotisserie chicken and your favorite Kirkland products, and you’ll probably even get offered a snack—er, sample. But Costco members also know there’s the potential for a serious adrenaline rush. When you find a newly introduced Costco item that becomes your new favorite, it’s hard not to be positively giddy. And lucky for you, Costco’s brand-new additions for 2025 may make you feel just that. After discontinuing a few Costco favorites in 2024, everyone’s go-to discount warehouse is blessing us with three new products—and, boy, do they have shoppers buzzing. Read on to find out which new Costco items might start making an appearance on your weekly shopping list, starting … now! Get  Reader’s Digest ’s  Read Up newsletter for more food news, humor, cleaning, tr...

How much time do you spend thinking about extension cords? Probably not much … but did you know they’re one of the biggest  hidden home dangers ? Extension cords bring power from where it is, such as a wall outlet in your garage, to where you need it, like that overgrown hedge that’s just screaming for a trim. But before you drag out the electric lawn equipment or drape an extension cord behind the couch in your living room to reach a new lamp, it’s important to recognize the inherent dangers of extension cords. If you’re not careful, you could get a nasty shock … or worse. Every year, thousands of people end up in the emergency room or see their houses burn down from accidents involving extension cords. I’m an electrician, so I’ve seen the dangers firsthand. On a construction site, shocks and fires are real, daily risks, but it’s the stuff that happens at home that keeps me up at night. After all, it’s your family on the line. That’s one reason I’m so obsessed with extension...

Ah, the Wendy’s drive-thru. If you’re a true Wendy’s fan, there’s nothing better than pulling up to the speaker and ordering a Frosty , large fries and whatever else you’re craving—well, maybe except pulling up to the next window to get the goods, of course. It’s one of those simple joys you can count on, no matter which Wendy’s location you visit. But there’s a new change to Wendy’s drive-thrus that may have you seeing red, and we don’t mean just from Wendy’s signature red packaging. The fast-food chain’s latest update is a sign that apparently no company can resist the temptations of technology. Keep reading to find out what’s going on at Wendy’s locations near you and what the internet has to say about it. Get  Reader’s Digest ’s  Read Up newsletter for more food news, humor, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long. What big change is hitting Wendy’s drive-thrus? Instead of speaking with a Wendy’s employee to place your order at the drive-thru, you’ll inst...

Being a member of the British royal family certainly has its privileges. Sure, there are the over-the-top palaces they reside in, their travels around the world and the lavish events they get to attend in full fairy-tale regalia. But the best part of being royalty just may be the fact that staffers will fetch them almost anything they want, at any time of the day—including their favorite snacks! And Princess Diana took full advantage of this perk, according to a recent interview with a former Buckingham Palace chef. So … are we talking Pringles? Cheese and crackers? The palace’s famous chocolate chip cookies? Er, not quite. Princess Diana ‘s go-to snack is an unusual choice, at least by American standards. Read on to find out what the Princess of Wales kept in her snack fridge for quick bites between events and the occasional midnight snack, as well as the rest of the royals’ favorite foods. Get  Reader’s Digest ’s  Read Up newsletter for more royals, humor, cleaning, trav...

Growing up in New York City , I never felt the urge to travel to other states—New Jersey included. Let’s be real: Living in the shadow of the Big Apple, New Jersey often gets overlooked. Sure, there’s Atlantic City, but what else could the Garden State have to offer? A lot, it turns out. But i t wasn’t until a recent visit that I realized just how much I’d been missing out on. Jeff Vasser, the executive director of the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism, sums it up perfectly: “New Jersey might be a little state, but it’s packed with a whole lot of wow.” He’s not the only one who loves this East Coast destination. It ranked No. 3 on WalletHub’s 2024 list of top states to live in , and I’m here to tell you that it’s not just for locals—the state is a great vacation spot, whether you’re taking a long weekend or staying the whole week. Curious about what to do in New Jersey ? From hidden gems to must-see attractions, there’s no shortage of places to explore. Keep reading to disc...