Use Up Those Leftovers!
September 13, 2007
Managing leftovers is a challenge we all face! Throwing food away is just like throwing money away. With a little time,organization and using a little ingenuity, leftovers can be dealt with efficiently.
Be sure to refrigerate leftovers promptly and use them within one or two days or freeze. If you have any doubt about whether a food is still safe to eat, throw it out!
Keep your leftovers in a section of your fridge that you designate only for leftovers. Then it’s easy to see what you have.
Leftover meat like roast beef, turkey or chicken can easily be used in sandwiches for tomorrow’s lunch. Or it can be chopped, frozen and used in a casserole later in the week.
Leftover ham makes great ham salad or you can use it to make ham and bean soup.
Leftover onions, green peppers can be chopped and sealed in zipper-top bags and kept in the freezer. It’s economical and time-saving, too. Next time you need chopped onions, just pull a bag out of the freezer!
Leftover bread can be used to make bread pudding. If your family doesn’t eat the heels of a loaf of bread, keep a bag in the freezer and add the heels until you have enough.
Holidays Are Just Right For Chocolates
September 12, 2007
Holidays Are Just Right For Chocolates
by: James McDonald
There are many different holidays that are wonderful for giving and receiving chocolates as gifts. And this is especially true if you have children in the family. Seeing their little faces light up when they bite into a chocolate candy bar or smores treat is absolutely priceless. And if you are lucky enough to be the recipient of the gift, it will be your tastebuds that thank you. Creamy dark or milk chocolate candies are excellent presents to give and receive, which is why the selection is greater than it has ever been.
The Easter holiday is traditionally one for filling baskets with candy for the little ones. You can place white chocolate bunnies that are either hollow or solid in the basket, and surround it with peanut butter filled chocolate eggs. Add a bunch of jelly beans, and maybe some marshmellow treats and your children will be delighted when the actually find the baskets. Be sure to save some for yourself though, because after the ‘hunt’ is over there will be nothing left.
Cooking Filet Mignon
September 12, 2007
Filet mignon is French, of course, with filet meaning “thick slice” and mignon meaning “dainty.” Filet mignon comes from the small end of the tenderloin (called the short loin) which is found on the back rib cage of the animal. This area of the animal is not weight-bearing, thus the connective tissue is not toughened by exercise resulting in extremely tender meat. This also means that the meat lacks some of the flavor held by meat that has the bone attached. In order keep the flavor, you must cook filet mignon quickly. This can be done a variety of ways, including broiling and grilling. It should never be cooked beyond medium rare, because the more done it is, the less tender and more dry it becomes and the more flavor it will lose. You should always use a dry method of cooking, even when it will be a quick method. Methods of cooking that are dry are such types as roasting, pan frying, grilling, broiling, etc. Since this cut of meat is more dry than others, you will not want to cut the meat to check to see if it is done. Instead, you should touch it. The touch-method of checking is not as hard as it may sound:
Can Pizza Actually Be Healthy For You?
September 11, 2007
Can Pizza Actually Be Healthy For You?
by: Ryan Cote
This article may come as a surprise to you, especially if you follow a healthy and nutritious diet…
It’s about pizza, the weakness of many people including me. I love pizza- always have. I make sure I eat it in moderation, but it’s still one of my favorite foods.
Now there’s good news for pizza lovers.
According to Men’s Health magazine, research concludes that pizza can be good for you. It’s important to point out, however, that we’re talking about real pizza- not the kind you get from Pizza Hut, Dominoes or the frozen food section of your supermarket. By real, I mean pizza made with real crust, real tomato sauce and pure olive oil.
According to Men’s Health, scientists writing in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating pizza can reduce your risk of a heart attack. In a 4-year study of nearly 1,000 Italians, those who ate pizza at least once a week were 30 percent less likely to experience a heart attack than the folks who didn’t partake of the pie.
Are You Looking for a Breathtaking Chili?
September 10, 2007
Chili cooks always want to discover that award-winning chili recipe that will be breathtaking for their family and friends and maybe even impress a few chili contest judges. Wouldn’t it be exciting to UNLEASH your chili and rock your family and friends’ worlds, save money and have a great time preparing it?
In my interviews with outstanding chili cooks, I have developed some breathtaking chili recipes that are easy, time and money saving and make your body tingle from the first taste right down to your toes.
The secret ingredient is the key to this breathtaking recipe. This secret “sauce” sets this chili apart from the rest. Actually, it is so sensational that it makes this easy and timesaving chili unbelievably flavorful.
Finding a recipe that uses your local grocery store ingredients is another time and money saving benefit of this chili. There are no fancy ingredients that you have to go to a specialty shop to buy. So, you can get the ingredients during one of your weekly food shopping trips.
This recipe produces a sultry chili that your family and friends will think came from a high-class restaurant.
Ingredients
A Guide to Espresso Machines
September 9, 2007
A Guide to Espresso Machines
by: Ted Brown
Early in the nineteen hundreds, an Italian manufacturer was looking for ways to brew coffee faster. He figured that by adding pressure to the brewing process, the process would speed up. His name was Luigi Bezzera, and he invented a fast brewing coffee machine. His process turned out much better than he expected because it produced not only a fast process, but a better tasting, full bodied, strong coffee. Hence, was born Espresso, an Italian word meaning fast.
Bezzera filed a patent for his coffee machine which contained a boiler. The boiler caused water to boil creating steam and the resulting pressure forced the boiling water through the coffee which was finely ground and out into a small cup.
The patent was sold to Desiderio Pavoni who began manufacturing and marketing the machines. He was very successful in his marketing efforts and was credited with changing the way people drank coffee in much of Europe.
In the middle nineteen hundreds, a piston pump espresso machine was designed, manufactured and marketed. The purpose of the piston was to force the hot water through the coffee, and it did so much more efficiently. This machine also had the capability of foaming cream that was placed on top of the brewed coffee.
Baked Oatmeal Supreme
September 8, 2007
Baked Oatmeal Supreme
by: LeAnn R. Ralph
Made with oatmeal, raisins, walnuts and milk, Baked Oatmeal Supreme is a heart-healthy — and delicious! — way to start your day (makes an excellent in between meals snack, too).
2 cups dry oatmeal (I like to use old-fashioned oatmeal)
1/4 to 1/2 cup brown sugar (1/2 cup makes it very sweet)
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup walnuts (or slivered almonds)
1/2 cup raisins
Use a fork to mix all ingredients together thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees in a greased 8×8 inch casserole dish or an 8×8 inch cake pan. Serve with milk if desired.
About The Author
LeAnn R. Ralph is the author of the books “Cream of the Crop (More True Stories from Wisconsin Farm)” (trade paperback, Sept. 2005); “Christmas in Dairyland (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm” (trade paperback 2003); “Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam” (trade paperback 2004); “Preserve Your Family History (A Step-by-Step Guide for Interviewing Family Members and Writing Oral Histories” (e-book 2004). You are invited to read sample chapters, order books and sign up for the free newsletter, Rural Route 2 News — http://ruralroute2.com.
Start Your Wine Cellar The Right Way
September 7, 2007
One of the great joys of wine is to be able to select a bottle from your own cellar, perhaps one that you’ve been storing for some years, draw the cork and enjoy it with friends. You can marvel at the changes brought on by maturity and, as a bonus, you can brag about the price you paid and congratulate yourself on picking up such a bargain! However, wine is an ever-changing thing and how it is stored will directly affect how quickly and how well it ages! Storing wine is very simple ? It requires a constant temperature, humidity, darkness, stillness and a well- ventilated and clean environment.
? Insulation The first essential is to create a storage environment that provides the basics of stable temperature, no light and no vibration. In general terms 4? (100mm) of polystyrene is the equivalent to 3 ft (1 meter) of ground. So if you’re trying to decide between an above ground construction and an underground cavern, you must be prepared to dig deep for the latter. Your cupboard, indoor space or your outdoor construction must be well shaded, well insulated and with the minimum of air movement in and out.
Caring For Your Wooden Cutting Board
September 7, 2007
Researchers have found that bacteria have a tougher time surviving on wood cutting boards. However, plastic cutting boards are less porous than wood, making it less likely to harbor bacteria over a long period of time, but only if it is immediately cleaned. Here are a few tips to caring for your cutting board.
1. It is best to apply the oil slightly warm and with a soft cloth in the direction on the grain. Warming the oil allows it to penetrate deeper into the wood. "Season" your board by applying mineral or butcher block oil and letting it soak into the wood for 15-30 minutes. Apply 4-6 coats before using the board.
2. Oil your cutting board when it looks dry, sometimes as frequently as once a week. If you allow your board to become dry it may begin to crack.
3. Scrub and wash your cutting board with soap and water but don’t immerse it completely in water. In addition, don’t put your wooden cutting board in the dishwasher because it will warp the wood.
Buffalo Meat - A Cut Above The Rest
September 6, 2007
Buffalo Meat - A Cut Above The Rest
by: Mike Sullivan
For many people, nothing could be more stressful than being a meat lover and be prescribed a low-calorie diet. Meat and low calories are self-contradictory, that’s the common perception. Persons who are trying to find a low-calorie meat that could replace the kind they are used to eating would do well to consider buffalo meat.
There are many Western-themed restaurants that offer buffalo (also known as American bison) dishes. Ted’s Montana Grill, co-founded by media mogul Ted Turner, which specializes in hand-cut beef and bison steaks, has locations in sixteen states. The Buffalo Bistro and Buffalo Grill in Utah’s Zion National Park are popular tourist attractions. Customers at such restaurants can anticipate being presented with specialties like roasted buffalo or grilled buffalo with a small serving of mashed potato, buffalo burger type served like Salisbury steak with French fries on the sides, regular buffalo steak with a generous serving of raw onion toppings, and even stewed buffalo served with a large mixture of green vegetables in it.
