Texas: The “Wiener Dog Capital”

They say everything in Texas is bigger, and that apparently includes dachshunds. The city of Buda now has a new landmark — a 19-foot-long, 10-foot-tall and 5-foot-wide wiener dog sculpture. The structure, built entirely of Cor-Ten steel, highlights the city’s title as the “Wiener Dog Capital of Texas.” The giant dachshund commemorates the Buda Wiener Dog Races — a local tradition dating back to 1997 — and the Economic Development Corporation’s 25th anniversary. Beyond marking those milestones, the city also hopes the sculpture will become its next major attraction, drawing in drivers passing along the I-35 corridor. The sculpture required that 400 pieces of steel be cut, shaped and pieced together.

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Why Leftover Pasta is Better For You

There’s one food that’s actually much healthier when it’s eaten as a leftover, and it’s all because of what happens to the starch molecules that make up the pasta during both the cooking and cooling processes. When pasta cooks, its starch granules absorb water and swell. This process makes it easier for your body to break down the starch quickly and turn it into glucose. Then, as your hot pasta cools down, something else happens. Those starch molecules go through a process called retrogradation. They reorganize into a tighter, more crystalline structure that your digestive enzymes can’t break down as easily. This new structure that’s formed is called resistant starch, and it's the key to all the potential health benefits you can get from leftover pasta. The benefits include a healthier gut microbiome, more controlled blood-sugar levels, lower cholesterol, and a greater sense of fullness after eating, which aids in weight loss. In fact, cooking, cooling and reheating pasta may actually be the best approach for maximizing the perks. One study found that reheated pasta produced a smaller blood-sugar spike after eating than both hot, freshly cooked pasta and cold pasta. If you’re not a pasta fan, this same process works for rice, potatoes, beans, lentils, and oats.

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Darth Vader Saber to Fetch $1 Million

In July, a lightsaber with Luke Skywalker’s severed hand from The Empire Strikes Back sold for $3.75 million at auction, the highest price ever fetched for a prop used in a Star Wars film. Now, someone can buy the saber that did the severing. A Darth Vader lightsaber used in the climactic duel in Cloud City where he tells Skywalker “I am your father” is among the highlights of the Ultimate Star Wars Auction to be held by Heritage Auctions on Nov. 12. The Vader saber — also used in Return of the Jedi — is expected to fetch at least $1 million. It's one of more than two dozen lightsaber props that will be up for sale at the auction that spans Star Wars Episodes I through IX and other films and TV shows from the galaxy George Lucas created.

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Chicken Pesto Pasta

Preparing a hearty homemade meal doesn’t get much easier than this one-pot chicken pesto pasta recipe. It features tender chicken thighs, al dente pasta and veggies (broccoli florets and peas) and is seasoned with an herbaceous pesto sauce. The best part? You’ll need no more than 30 minutes to make it from start to finish and you can prepare the entire meal in one large, nonstick skillet.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• • 1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning blend
• • 2 teaspoons olive oil
• • 1 can (14½ ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• • 1 cup uncooked gemelli or spiral pasta
• • 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
• • 1 cup frozen peas
• • ⅓ cup prepared pesto 

Directions:

• • Toss chicken with seasoning blend. 
• • In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. 
• • Add chicken and brown evenly; remove from pan.
• • In same pan, combine broth and lemon juice.
• • Bring to a boil, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. 
• • Stir in pasta; return to a boil. 
• • Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 10 minutes.
• • Add broccoli and cook, covered, 5 minutes. 
• • Return chicken to the pan and cook uncovered until pasta is tender and chicken is no longer pink, 2-3 minutes.
• • Add peas and heat through. 
• • Stir in pesto.

 

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