An easy way to consume 8, 8 oz. glasses of water per day:

Drink 2, 8 oz. glasses of water as soon as possible, after getting out of bed in the morning. This kick-starts your internal system. Then drink 1, 8 oz. glass of water before breakfast, lunch and dinner; this helps cut your appetite. Then drink 1, 8 oz. glass of water with each of your three main meals; this helps digestion. After you do this for a while it becomes a habit, is nearly automatic, and you don't have to worry about losing track of the count.

Before grilling hamburger patties, in the middle of each patty, use your thumb to compress an area about the size of a quarter. This prevents the meat from overly expanding and/or puffing up during the grilling process.

We learned that years ago from Tupperware. You can do this for meatloaf also. It ensures all the meat gets cooked.

Thanks Di. I'd never heard it before. On TV the other night,
"Mr. Food" made that suggestion. I took his advice and it worked so well, thought I'd pass the idea along.

Did you read the post above about water in-take? What say you regarding that???

Good idea Jabber. I believe I have herd some dieticians say that it is actually better to drink the water BEFORE each of the 3 meals. That way, it helps you begin to feel more full, and thus eat less.

I'm not too fond of drinking plain water. I drink a pot of "half caf" coffee each day, and my doctor says that counts toward my desired fluid intake. In addition, I find the water more palatable if it is ice-water and contains a slice of lemon, lime -- or even a squirt of unsweetened lemon or lime juice.

As long as I make and drink the 6-8 cup pots of "coffee," I actually drink my fluids all day long.

I've heard about this meat indentation thing. Several chefs on The Food Network advocates it, though I don't recall who. Here's an article quoting Bobby Flay about the procedure.

I've not tried it, but I make my burgers on a "George Foreman" grill, so mine are being cooked from top and bottom at the same time. I'm not sure the indent would remain in the process.

Don't have a "George Foreman" grill. What made you buy it?
Do you recommend the product?

Sipping that much water in a day, I use a straw!

They say that, since water is tasteless, the straw helps the "taste" bypass the taste buds at the tip of your tongue, making the water more palatable.

I have an insulated "Bubba" from Walmart that is 52 ounces. Fill it each day...it works!

Whatever works, is fine. We've all got our own ideas and ways of doing things. I don't sip; I chug. But I find if I don't consume a lot of water, then I don't feel that well. I don't feel healthy. And I do feel less energetic. Major organs don't function properly, etc. The only reason I mentioned this water consumption thing to begin with is this: years ago when first hearing of the 8 oz., 8 glasses per day suggestion, I thought who can keep track of that. The aforementioned idea that works for me, is habit forming and automatic. 64 oz. of water isn't the only thing I drink. Please don't misunderstand. Daily, I include 5 oz. of apple juice, a cup coffee and/or tea, 5 oz. of V-8. Plus, an occasional root beer float, strawberry smoothie, and Siera Mist. But 2 me, water is to the body, like oil is to an engine. It keeps things operating smoothly. lol...

Hi Jabber, you asked about my George Foreman grill, and why I bought it. Hmmm, I've had one for so long, I'm not sure exactly what precipitated the first purchase. (I've owned a couple of them.)

I guess it all started because the house Steve lived in when we got married had a Jenn Aire stove, with a Jenn Aire grill as a part of it. We loved the ease and convenience of being able to grill chicken, burgers, steaks, etc., without having to go out doors when the weather wasn't perfect.

Once we moved, we bought a Weber Kettle grill, and later a gas grill, but with those you (a) have to be sure to have charcoal or propane on hand or you're out of luck and (b) the chef has to be outdoors ending to the grilling no matter the weather. Who wants to do that in the middle of winter, in a rainstorm, or when the humidity is so thick you can cut it with a knife? Not me!

I first heard of the George Foreman grill when I was at a Public Relations Society of America board meeting in DC. One of my fellow board members from the Midwest told me on the plane ride home that she was not heading directly home after the meeting, she had to go to a photo shoot with George Foreman for a new grill that was being introduced to the marketplace and would be billed as a "lean, mean, fat-reducing grilling machine."

Thus I was pre-disposed to pay attention when I saw the subsequent TV promotions.

My kids probably bought the first Foreman grills. They were dinky little things you could use to grill maybe two burgers an a time, and cleaning them was a pain as the grill plates did not come off the grill...

BUT time passes and products evolve, and once I discovered there was one version of the grill that had 5 sets of removable, "dishwasherable," Teflon coated plates, plus precise temperature control, conveniently allowing one to not only grill meats and veggies, but also make grilled cheese sandwiches, scrambled eggs, waffles, pancakes, etc. all with the same piece of equipment, I "had to get me one."

The one I have is many years old. It's red enamel on the outside, and I'm not sure that EXACT model is made anymore. But it looks pretty much like like this one

I like it because the fat drips away and can be handily disposed of, it's quick and convenient to use no matter what the weather.

But just so I don't sound like a commercial, let me add that these days I see there are many competitor brands out there as well. Hamilton Beach, Calphalon and Cuisinart are several that come to mind.

I'm seriously thinking about getting one. If I do, I'll get back to you. Thanks for taking the time to explain the product.

Mentioned the water intake thing only because I've learned from experience. If I slack off on the water and don't drink the recommended 8, 8 oz. glasses each day, certain body parts don't function properly and I start feeling sick. As a person ages, the more important water becomes to their health and well-being.

Water intake is important, jabber, for sure. And even more so here in the desert. It's very easy to become dehydrated without even being outside, because the humidity is so low that moisture can be sucked out of a body without even knowing you're sweating.