The best steakhouses in Greenville area, South Carolina

These are in my opinion the best restaurants to eat a yummy steak in Greenville County, South Carolina.

1. California Dream - 40 Beacon Dr, Greenville, SC 29615-5032

2. Halls Chophouse - 550 S. Main St. Greenville, SC 29601

3. Saskatoon - 681 Halton Road, Greenville, SC 29607

4. The Peddler  - 2000 Poinsett Hwy, Greenville, SC 29609 

5. Chophouse 47 - 36 Beacon Drive, Greenville, SC 29615

6. Ruth's Chris - Embassy Suites Hotel, 250 Riverplace Suite 200, Greenville, SC 29601

7. Larkin's - 318 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601

8. Rick Erwin's - 648 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601

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What's a simple and yum Brazilian meal I can make for my family?

An everyday meal in Brazil is made with rice (white), beans (pinto), salad (lettuce and tomato) and your choice of meat. Sometimes Brazilians throw an fried egg in the mix too, and nowadays this meal has also French fries. It’s called PF, prato feito or a done plate in a free translation. Some Brazilians will prefer a roasted thigh chicken on Sundays, and a fried fish in a summer, or other shellfish if you are near to the coast.

A meal that can be a variation of the PF it's also yum and easy to make. Use black beans instead, put some pork meat and sausage in the beans. That’s your meat for the meal. Stir fry kale, or collards as complement, and use orange slices for decoration (it’s digestive too). That’s the famous Brazilian feijoada.

Bom apetite ou cheers!

Explicando doenças crônicas

Doenças crônicas sem explicação na TV

Nós não temos a menor ideia do que está errado com você. Nó vamos fazer vários exames caros e cuidar de você do melhor jeito possível até encontrarmos o problema e consertar você. Não se preocupe. Nós amamos resolver um bom mistério.

Doenças crônicas sem explicação na vida real

Não há explicação lógica para você se sentir desse jeito. Talvez você esteja inventando? Tome uns antidepressivos e emagreça. Tenho certeza que você vai aprender a viver com isso.

Best keto bread ever!

When I used to cook for fun I've never have a lot of success baking bread. Of course, the situation got worse after going gluten, dairy, sugar, and yum free.

 

Eventually I buy an Udi's gluten free bread from those freezers we find at any healthier grocery store in the US. They are fine, don't get me wrong, but they have a few ingredients I'm not sure if they are good for me. For example the xantham gum, and the canola oil I supposed to avoid eating.

 

Today I'll share the gluten, dairy, soy, corn, sugar free recipe that made me keto bread-happy again. Let's start with dry ingredients:

 

1 1/4 cup almond flour

5 tablespoons psyllium husks powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

herbs to - I didn't use them, but you can try some

 

Mix all above. Pre heat the conventional oven to 350' F (180' C). Prepare the baking sheet. I used a lite bit of avocado oil on it. Add in the order below all the wet ingredients.

 

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar - you can try white vinegar too

1 1/4 boiling water - still don't know how to hand mix it without burning my hands...

3 egg whites

 

The consistency seams great before you add the egg whites, but keep mixing them softly until you get a nice play-doh (It's a bit sticky for me). Moist you hands, or not (I don't) to make 8-12 balls. Other shapes can be done - hot dog, or a traditional French bread.

 

Now is time to sprinkle some herbs, sesame, papule seeds, etc.

 

Bake on lower rack for 50-60 minutes (I did 50, but left in there until it cool down a little). No need to leave the bread to rest before it goes to oven.

 

When you hear a hollow sound of them tapping the bottom of the bun they are done.

 

Serve with butter, or other yummy stuffing from your preference. Store the bread in the fridge or freezer.

Let me know in the comments if it worked for you too.

Hubby has no problem with butter, so that's his suggestion.
Spicy pepper, butter, olive oil, and salt. Yumm =9

 

What to do if you accidental got exposed to gluten?

Jabuticaba, taking care of a bonsai.

 Curious and fun facts about Brazil

This tree is in located in the Serra Negra Farm Fanpage here.

#15 (see the 14th subject here)

Last weekend I was invited to see my neighbor's bonsais. For my surprise he has one jabuticaba tree (jabuticabeira) among many other beautiful plants. Each one was perfectly prune and placed in handcrafted pots.

Although he was very proud of showing me his beautiful "jabuticabeira", he couldn't stop talking about his frustration of not having seeing any flower or fruit since he bought it, 10 years ago.

So, as Brazilian who was born and raised in Minas - one of the states where you see the most jabuticabeiras in the country - I left his garden decided to help. I didn't have a jabuticabeira where I used to live, neither I know how to make bonsais. So, the best way for me to help him is finding a good Brazilian bonsai website where I could read more about this intriguing plant.

All that said, I spend a few hours to find reliable information to translate to my friend, and that's what I'll post in here today.

Buckle it up, and let's go!

This tree is in located in the Serra Negra Farm Fanpage here.

The basics about jabuticaba you might already know...

Note: Although the correct spelling is jabOticaba, the popular name you'll find more information is jabUticaba.

Transplant – annually

Minimum sunlight a day – 4 hours

When to start framing – Spring

How long (framing) – 2/3 months (easily makes scars from framing) 

Don’t like shallow pots, but it's fine with cold winds

Leaves are always green

Grow fast, loves heat

Max height (tree) 49 ft, it could live for 100 years

It’s a tree from Brazil (Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais states) - It has the sweetest fruits we know. They are small black balls and they grow attached to the trunk and branches. Its trunk has a beautiful peeling effect.

It's the end of Winter in Brazil (August/September) and the Jabuticabeira's trunk is full of white, delicate flowers.
Photo from my parents backyard in Minas Gerais you see better here.

Sunlight
The jabuticaba tree is sensitive to cold, and it has low grow in low temperatures.

We should protect it from the wind if the temperature is below 50F.

During spring we should let it get direct sunlight, usually before 10am or after 4pm. It can be done if you have a porch, or under other trees. Sunlight is a must for its flowers and fruits.

Water

There are two things we need to know before we water a jabuticaba bonsai: how and how often.
Watering a bonsai is watering all the soil that's inside the pot. Place water over the top of the surface until it begins to come out from under the holes in the pot.
During warm day one can also wet the crown and the branches.
The frequency will depend mainly on the size of the pot and the weather such as temperature and humidity of the air. Usually pots up to 11” in length and / or very shallow vessels should be watered every day when the air humidity is low and the temperature above 68° F.
Beware of extremes: On hot days (above 89° F) we recommend water twice a day. On very cold days (below 59° F) water every two days.
Pots larger than 11”, usually need less frequent water, but be very careful, usually a bonsai does not remain more than two days without water.
Trees in the general DO NOT like a lot of moisture on their roots. Therefore we should generally water the bonsai only when the potting soil is almost dry.
Our  "constant observation" of both the climate and the humidity of the earth is worth a lot. Checking the soil moisture can be done easily by touching the earth with your fingers.
Vaporization of the leaves is only necessary when the air humidity is low. In this situation it is convenient that we make a light vaporization only on the leaves preferably the shade with drinking water, at least three times a day. Another important function of Vaporization is when done on thin roots exposed in certain particular styles (example "Root Exposed", "Root on Stone" and others). It is also important in moss cultivation that, if used, should not occupy more than half the surface of the bonsai land, so that it can "breathe". Moss should be sprayed lightly about three times a day without the bonsai soil becoming moist.
From spring to autumn the growth of Jabuticaba tree is very intense and this makes the consumption of water in this period abundant. In winter consumption is moderate. Jabuticaba tree likes soggy soils, but only in summer. Constant humidity in the trunk and roots favors the appearance of fungi (White Powder), these can even cause their death if they are not treated. To avoid problems with high humidity, outside the summer, it is recommended to wet its soil only when it is already dry.

End of September, the beginning of the Brazilian Spring and we start see its fruits.

Yes, they are vivid green before they turn deep purple, almost black. When they are black, they are ready for you!

This tree is in located in the Serra Negra Farm Fanpage here.

Fertilizer

Plants feed on the nutritive salts they extract from the soil. As bonsai live in small pots, the tree can consume all the nutrients of the soil after a time, we will have to go replacing these nutrients with fertilizers. It is necessary to fertilize mainly in the times of great growth of the plants and this fertilization must be done without exaggeration. It is much better to fertilize in small amounts more frequently than to do so sporadically in large quantities. We recommend the use of products of excellent origin and with clear instructions of use.
For beginners we suggest a very simple fertilization using castor cake and bone meal, which are easily found in grocery stores. These can always be used separately every other month, ie if you use one in *January* (Brazil winter), I will use bone meal in March. So we will have 6 applications per year.
Always use recommended dosages. If there is no dosage indication for bonsai use half the recommended dose for small pots. Use only good quality products from specialized stores. Always follow a professional orientation.
In periods of growth (when it is sprouting a lot) it tolerates and requires some type of fertilizer. The most indicated fertilizers are the organic ones rich in Phosphorus (P), and can be liquid fertilizers by foliar route or solids in the earth. As a suggestion, choose trace amounts of N-P-K (Nitrogen - Phosphorus - Potassium) in the order of 04-14-08. Don’t forget the micro nutrients as (Ca {Calcium}, Mg {Magnesium}, S {Sulfur}, B {Boro}, Cl, Cu, Co, Fe, etc) are also required. Don’t use fertilizers within one month after transplant. Best times for fertilizing the Jabuticaba tree is spring. Never nurse diseased or newly transplanted plants. 
.
Their suggestion of fertilization agenda for the Jabuticabeira:

Transplantation
Pot Transformation (Transplantation):  In the natural development of the trees the roots grow in search of water, air and food. The roots of a bonsai grow and can occupy the entire space of the pot, slowly expelling the soil that existed there. Therefore periodically we must reduce the root volume inside the vessel by pruning. In this same process we also take advantage of the fact that we can change part of the soil that no longer offers all the characteristics for a good development of the plant. Jabuticabeira needs a soil with good drainage. The recommended mixture is 40% sifted sand (2 to 5 mm) and 40% industrial soil conditioner and 20% refractory clay of good sifted origin (2 to 5 mm). In the exchange of land, prune at most 50% of the roots. Jabuticabeira soil must be changed annually or every two years, usually in early spring when it begins its intense budding. Never nurse diseased or newly transplanted plants. To get a detailed how to do the land exchange click on: Learn more about Transplantation.

This tree is in located in the Serra Negra Farm Fanpage here.

Pruning
Bonsai Art seeks, as inspiration, to seek forms existing in nature. This search takes us to a rich spectrum of textures, shapes and colors, making our hobby one of the most interesting and creative. The purpose of bonsai (vase tree) practice is not just to keep them alive and healthy, but increasingly beautiful. For this it is necessary to make regular pruning to maintain the form of "mini tree". Pruning is stylizing the formation of a tree. With the pruning, we eliminate the branches that leave the silhouette of the bonsai, branches defective, dry or unnecessary. For pruning we must use appropriate tools such as sharp scissors. For larger concave-cut pliers, they make clean, precise cuts and easy healing. When pruning wounds are large in size (larger than the size of a cigarette's diameter) it is convenient to cover them with sealing paste to ensure their perfect healing. You can use egg white or PVA ink.
Jabuticabeira pruning can be easily done with sharp scissors by cutting the twigs that leave the unwanted area of ​​the trunk or canopy, whose best shape is the shape of the triangular canopy. The most drastic Pruning should be done at the end of winter. The Jabuticabeira sprouts easily in old wood and it does very well there. Cleaning dried leaves is very important. Cutting new shoots that appear near new roots or branches are also desirable, they are in competition with existing larger branches. One can prune several times a year, but during winter to keep its original shape.

See the first post about jabuticaba below.

The trunk grape which last one day only, the jabuticaba

Want to know more curious facts about Brazil? Go here and scroll down the mouse.

Brazil: Tipping & Etiquette

Zika virus awareness

Two cities, two Brazilian restaurants one great food!

Real Food Daily restaurant in California

Real Food Daily it's a charming restaurant in California. It was there I've also decided to try my new approach for eating safely.

After searching the menu without feeling confident about their mixing greens and vegetables, I asked them to make a salad with my choice of ingredients. They are the ones I know I can eat without reactions.

Here is the happy end of another story of eating out without allergic reactions.

Here is my list based on their menu.

The salads and starters menu.

The charm.

More post you may like.

Saturday Market on Greenville downtown, yeah that Greenville.

The 3rd Graffiti Fine Art in Sao Paulo city.

Organic Sunshine Burger review.

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DISCLAIMER

All material on this CORN FREE session is intended for reference only and should not take place of medical advice from a licensed practitioner. Please use common sense, do your own research, and consult your physician when making decisions about your health.

Two cities, two Brazilian restaurants one great food!

Tucanos in Greenville at Magnolia Park, and Amor de Brazil in Charlotte at 74 and 51 intersection.

Let's review our findings from last couple weekends.

Two cities - Greenville vs. Charlotte

Two Brazilian restaurants - Tucanos vs. Amor de Brazil

Starting with cities, Charlotte has more things to do, but Greenville is much more charming. You may like to read more about it in here, although Tucanos restaurant isn't at downtown.

Tucanos is roomy, but they are not yet working in a full capacity. Amores is smaller, but has plenty room for you and your friends.

Talking about music, both have a variety of Brazilian music playing, not that I care for the style they choose on these places.

Directly to the subject, both names are very Brazilian. Amor de Brazil means love from Brazil, and Tucanos are those birds with the long colorful beaks.

Both places are steakhouses and they serve grilled meat or, as we say in Brazil, churrasco in a traditional Brazilian way which means those chucky pieces of meat keep passing by each table with a green signal on. You will only understand if you have being to one of those before.

A tucano at Tucanos' façade and the red/green flag for more or less meat.

BTW, both have the very traditional sign you use to "say" either YES, Sir. I want some more! or NO, I'm full as ballons on the Macy's parade.

Both can accommodate gluten free folks, just ask them about the sauces on the meat. They also can accommodate vegetarians, in case you need to follow your family or friends. In this case, I highly recommend you try the grilled pineapple. Yummy

Both have a salad buffet as complimentary to the meat walking around the empty plates.

Both have other Brazilian dishes as white rice and black beans. Tucanos had also some sushi rolls - what? Yes, we have this is Brazil too.

Both have cheese rolls or cheese bread - pão de queijo as we say in Brazil.

Both have the most famous soda you'll find in Brazil, Guaraná Antártica.

Palm hearts at Amor and rare meat at Tucanos.

Both have chicken hearts - sorry Americans, we do eat offal over there. Although in Amor de Brazil we had to ask for it, but they were glad to prepare just for us.

Both have quail eggs on the salad bar - yes, we do eat those too.

I didn't see palm hearts at Tucanos, but maybe I was distracted by the top sirloin - picanha.

Talking about picanha, hubby sad it was softer in Amor de Brazil, but both were great in my opinion. Just in case you wonder, neither place has a big fat cover on the top sirloin as we see in Brazil.

Let's talk more about drinks, Amor only has can juices, but Tucanos has fresh ones. Just like you used to drink in Brazil.

Desserts, Tucanos don't had brigadeiro, but had papaya flan with cassis liquor. Amor had some good sweets as well, although I didn't care for any at that time.

Let's go to numbers, Amor de Brazil cost $35 per person and Tucanos $23. Because Tucanos is near home, it's the winner of the day!

Now it's your time to make your opinion known. Have you being to any Brazilian steakhouse?

More post you may like.

Saturday Market on Greenville downtown, yeah that Greenville.

The 3rd Graffiti Fine Art in Sao Paulo city.

Organic Sunshine Burger review.

Corn in a Publix walnut, how is it possible?

Clearwater beach at Tampa Bay.

Spring is around the corner and I've decided to go see Tampa bay before a longer trip to Florida. It was good, but my issues with food were there as well.

As always, I read the label before eating anything. Mainly in a trip. Even if I'm traveling for work. Why? I don't want to get any reaction that will make me miss a flight for example. Back to the point I was talking, a great light come to my mind about previous reactions eating nuts in many salads.

Why walnuts need corn oil? Freshness and allergy.

I'm pretty and dangerous.

Too bad for me!

But at least, now I know why I reacted.

It was all white on the eggs' shelves, wait, look again...

3 ingredients American brownie, gluten and dairy free, uhu!

Buying local, helping the family of farmers.

It was all white on the eggs' shelves, wait, look again...

It's all white on the eggs' shelf world until a great idea came! What idea? Look again.

They are pasture-raised hens, living on 108 sq ft minimum per bird. Seriously? I'm from a country where many people are used to live in small houses, much smaller than these 10 square meters that those chickens have there. Also they are tended by hand and raised with respect. Ok, now I will keep my mouth shut now. lol

Now, you'll find those human raised eggs at Walmart too!

"We believe that everyone should have access to humanely raised foods. We’re pleased to announce that our Alfresco Eggs are now available at Walmart! Just Texas and Louisiana for now - but plan on growing steadily! Remember, a higher demand for ethical eggs = more farmers and flocks to add to the Vital Crew." From it's fanpage.

My gluten free experience during an international Delta flight

Higher vitamin D, how to do it?

Gluten, dairy, corn FREE, and vegetarian pancake.

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DISCLAIMER

All material on this CORN FREE session is intended for reference only and should not take place of medical advice from a licensed practitioner. Please use common sense, do your own research, and consult your physician when making decisions about your health.