Some 80s fun to brighten your Friday

Stonehenge's mystery solved

The secret of Stonehenge has apparently been solved: The mysterious circle of large stones in southern England was primarily a burial ground for almost five centuries, and the site probably holds the remains of a family that long ruled the area, new research concludes.

Based on radiocarbon dating of cremated bones up to 5,000 years old, researchers with the Stonehenge Riverside Project said they are convinced the area was built and then grew as a "domain of the ancestors."

The finding marks a significant rethinking of Stonehenge. In the past it was believed that some burials took place there for a century but that the site's significance lay in its ceremonial and religious functions, including serving as a center for healing.

Newbury Street icon Louis seeks someplace trendier

Louis Boston, a fixture on Newbury Street that helped usher luxury retail into the city, will move out of its historic building when its lease expires in 2010, opening up the marquee 40,000 square foot space for the first time in 20 years.

Owner Debi Greenberg, who took over the business in 2003 from her father, Murray Pearlstein, said the trendsetting boutique will leave Newbury Street, Boston's best-known shopping address, for the waterfront or another neighborhood.

Greenberg, who wants to add a spa and bakery to the designer emporium, said she is looking for a new site with the kind of edge Newbury Street used to have.

A bracelet that tells you if the sun is harming you?

Raise awareness about early melanoma detection & prevention by buying an "I Will Reflect" bracelet. It changes color when exposed to harmful UV rays.

SpaFinder is a proud sponsor of the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Made for hazel eyes

That's me!

A Tiny Fruit That Tricks the Tongue

CARRIE DASHOW dropped a large dollop of lemon sorbet into a glass of Guinness, stirred, drank and proclaimed that it tasted like a “chocolate shake.”

Nearby, Yuka Yoneda tilted her head back as her boyfriend, Albert Yuen, drizzled Tabasco sauce onto her tongue. She swallowed and considered the flavor: “Doughnut glaze, hot doughnut glaze!”

They were among 40 or so people who were tasting under the influence of a small red berry called miracle fruit at a rooftop party in Long Island City, Queens, last Friday night. The berry rewires the way the palate perceives sour flavors for an hour or so, rendering lemons as sweet as candy.

When 'Organic' Might Not Be

A recent investigative report found that some food at Whole Foods stores labeled "organically grown" is actually "organically grown in China."

It is often too difficult to tell if food from China is in fact organically grown.

Spinach…. sugar snap peas… and would you believe California blend vegetables?
They’re all listed under the Whole Foods brand “365 organic.” And on the back in small print: “product of China.”

Earning a $10k bond is child's play

Local chef and third- grader Sophie Philibert likes to experiment with different ingredients. And her parents - a professional artist and a science teacher - let their daughter exercise her creativity.
It didn't work out so well when she tried new measurements for pancake batter. They were deeply surprised by a batch of cookies that contained an entire bottle of vanilla extract.

Another experiment came when the 8-year-old peered out the window last winter and came up with "snowy casserolly."
Last month the recipe won her a $10,000 savings bond. Sophie won the Stop & Shop Kitch'N Kids contest, a partnership with local dairy producers, designed to promote healthy eating.

Read the story.

The recipe serves 4

The beans represent the soil, spinach is grass, rice snow, and cheese on top sheets of ice. This dish is microwaved.

• 2 1/4 cups water
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup brown rice
• Pinch each of ground cumin and nutmeg
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans
• 10 ounces fresh spinach, stemmed and rinsed
• 8 ounces reduced fat cheddar cheese, sliced

1. Bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil. Add the rice, cover, and turn the heat to low. Simmer for 35 to 45 minutes or until the rice is cooked through. Add more water, if the rice has absorbed the liquid but needs more cooking. When cooked, set aside for 5 minutes. Add pepper, cumin, and nutmeg.

2. Place the spinach leaves in a saucepan. Set over medium heat. Cover and steam for 3 minutes or until the leaves wilt. Remove the spinach from the pan with tongs, leaving the liquid in the pan.

3. In a 9-inch square microwaveable safe dish, spread the black beans. Cover with the spinach, then a layer of rice, and finally the slices of cheese.

4. Microwave the dish for 3 to 6 minutes to melt the cheese.

An Easier Way Up

Hills Are Good for the Heart, but Many Hate The Effort. Here Are Some Tips to Ease the Pain.

Sex-ed class designed for parents, too

Sex education has long sparked controversy, with some believing it does not belong in public school curriculums. Budget constraints, meanwhile, have recently forced some districts to drop the subject altogether.

In this environment, a nurse at a private medical practice in this area has come up with an instructional program that appears to have taken the edge off for many parents by pitching sex education to them as well as to youngsters.

The pilot Smart Sex Education Program, offered free and conducted outside of school, has drawn rave reviews from parents, who say it has made them more comfortable about discussing the awkward subject with their children.
The course is also a boon in communities where schools have had to limit sex education because of a lack of funds.

"I think it's a wonderful way to approach it," said participant Angela C. Waszak, a Westford mother of three girls, ages 4, 8, and 9. "I want to be the information source [about sex] - not have them hear it on the bus or from their friends. Once they know the facts, you can talk about values."

YUM -- McDonald's cooking fries in trans-fat-free oil

McDonald's said Thursday its french fries are now trans-fat-free in all its restaurants in the United States and Canada, catching it up with its fast-food rivals in that category.


By the way, I calculated the calories in a typical meal my husband gets -- scary:
http://app.mcdonalds.com/bagamcmeal?process=flash

Turnpike reviews who gets a free pass at tolls

Is this for real? There are people who don't have to pay tolls....even though, by nature of their job, they're probably MOST likely to be using the Pike???

Facing the prospect of new toll increases, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority is taking a fresh look at an old program that allows nearly 4,000 drivers to pass through toll booths without spending a dime.

At last, "Big-ticket schools prompt a scolding"

State Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill complained yesterday that some Massachusetts communities are embarking on excessive, McMansion school construction projects that neither the towns nor the state can afford.

With taxpayer outrage already evident over Newton's proposed $197.5 million high school, Cahill expressed concern about a project in neighboring Wellesley, which is planning a $159 million school.

"I'm a big believer in local control, but if no one is going to control it at the local level, that's what we're here for," Cahill said in an interview. "There is no blank check for this school or any that would come after it."

Cahill called on local communities and their school committees to keep the cost of projects reasonable or risk losing millions of dollars in reimbursements from the state School Building Authority, which he chairs. The authority pays 40 percent to 80 percent of eligible expenses of a project, depending on the wealth of the town and other factors.

"We'll give you a gymnasium, we'll give you an auditorium, but we will not give you a fine arts academy. We will not give you a sports academy," he said. "Just because a community wants it doesn't mean they're going to get the money."