Meet The Team / Bob Sassone

Though I drank a lot of root beer years ago, these days all of my soda needs are taken up by Diet Coke and Pepsi (yes, I have someone learned to love both of them). But icy cold root beer can hit the spot on a warm day. I have to admit I've never had it with alcohol involved.

But AOL Food has the recipe (from DrinksTV) for Hard Root Beer, which is basically 8 ounces of root beer and 2 ounces of spiced rum. Pretty simple and delicious-sounding (unless, of course, you don't like root beer and/or rum, I guess). Some people, however, think the amount of rum should be kicked up a notch. This one calls for some experimentation.

Tomato-based crimes are on the rise this week. First we had the massive, multi-state recall of tomatoes from restaurants and supermarkets, and now comes word of a tomato plant stand being recalled.

Or sister blog DIY says that the planter stands are being recalled by QVC and the Consumer Product Safety Commission because the legs at the bottom of the planter could become detached, which could injure someone. And this isn't just a precaution: there have been almost 350 reports of the planters falling, causing over 150 injuries.

Coming soon: Ketchup bottles: friend or foe?

Excuse the standup comedian tone, but what's the deal with all these "anti-energy" drinks? First I posted about Drank, and now comes VIB - short for Vacation in a Bottle.

The web site says that you you will "experience the tender Polynesian breezes and the serene harmony of rolling waves with a vacation in a bottle." VIB has no caffeine, no alcohol, and is high in anti-oxidants while low in carbs and calories. Sounds like the perfect drink, if the taste is there. But that sounds good too: it's pomegranate berry, slightly carbonated.

Of course, I'm not talking about the ways you try to keep cool in general, such as cranking the AC, jumping into a pool, or going to the beach. I'm talking about liquid refreshment.

There are many schools of thought on this. My mom used to drink hot coffee in June, July, and August, going by the old theory that drinking hot liquids in hot months actually cools you down. I myself like iced tea and ice cold water during the summer, with some diet soda and icy Ocean Spray Light Ruby Red here and there too. Others seem to like beer and cocktails, though I really doubt their effectiveness (beyond the initial hit of cold liquid going down).

After the jump, give us your liquid solutions for the summer. Besides the drinks above, I'm thinking about asking the owner of the liquor store down the street if I can live in his giant walk in fridge for the summer..

All of the McDonald's restaurants have stopped serving sliced tomatoes in all of its locations after various customers got sick in 16 different states in what might be an outbreak of salmonella poisoning. 23 people have gotten sick so far, so McDonald's doesn't want to take any chances.

Odd how all of this talk about the fast food industry and eating meat and all that, and what is making people sick is tomatoes. The chain says that they'll still keep serving grape tomatoes, but they aren't serving sliced tomatoes until further notice.

Update: the problem is even more widespread than we thought.