Wrapped in bacon, lightly grilled or sautéed in a saffron sauce, sea scallops are one of the most delectable of all shellfish.
Location
Found along the Atlantic Coast from Newfoundland to North Carolina, sea scallops flourish on sandy or gravel beds in waters with a temperature below 68 degrees F.
Harvest
In North America, about 20 million lbs. of sea scallops are harvested every year. Sea scallop fishermen find that their largest markets in Japan, the United States and France.
Color
Before cooking, sea scallops appear white, cream-colored or tan depending on the variety.
Wet vs. Dry
At harvesting, most scallops are treated with a preservative that keeps them fresh but also causes them to soak up water like sponges. At cooking time, the scallops release this liquid, which makes it difficult to achieve a nice seared caramelized crust. Many home cooks are asking their local fish seller for dry scallops.
Most Famous Recipe
Coquilles St.-Jacques is the classic French method for serving scallops. Tossed in a cream-and-butter sauce, the scallops are baked or broiled in a scallop shell.
Skip the deli counter and head to the butcher when shopping for ingredients.
It may be tempting to pop into the supermarket to purchase a deli tray of meats and cheeses, but what you'll gain in convenience, you'll lose in creativity. Think of an empty platter as a palette where you can create an appetizing tapestry of finger foods with spicy meats complemented by creamy cheeses. Presentation is as critical as your choice of meats and cheeses, so take time to plan how foods will be positioned on your platter.
Exotic Edibles
If you're overwhelmed by the myriad choices of meats and cheeses on the market, from the insipid marble cheese to ubiquitous hunks of ham, seek inspiration from a country or region. Italy is a natural standout, but go beyond the expected and offer something more exotic than a wedge of salty Parmigiano-Reggiano and spicy salami. Skewer baby bocconcini (fresh mozzarella cheese) with cherry tomatoes and and fresh basil leaves and accompany with a sweet-tart balsamic vinegar dip. Wrap some salty prosciutto around a ball of honeydew melon (instead of cantaloupe) and squeeze some fresh lime over top for a refreshing variation of the classic Italian appetizer.
Creamy Pate and Cheeses
Creamy pate may by made with a variety of ingredients, ranging from duck liver to cognac and mushrooms. It's usually topped with an edible layer of jellylike aspic that provides a textural contrast to the smooth pate. Arrange two to three types of pate on a platter and accompany with crispy crackers, earthy pumpernickel and crusty slices of French bread as variations on flavor and texture. Creamy cheeses such as Brie or Camembert are natural accompaniments (they spread as easily as pate), as are tiny cornichons (gherkins) or pickled cocktail onions. Serve these in tiny bowls interspersed among the cheeses and pates.
One-Bite Tastes
When planning a cocktail party, remember that guests will often be balancing a plate and a beverage, so aim for one-bite portions. Sausages and meatballs are both prime candidates for a platter. Don't stop at simply plopping a pick in a meatball or slice of juicy sausage; add dipping-sized dishes of spicy or grainy mustard and plum or barbecue sauce. In keeping with the theme, pair the meats with one-bite cubes of cheeses that pack a punch, such as sharp cheddar, Swiss cheese and Stilton.
Accompaniments
Every meat or cheese platter is elevated by accompaniments, so offer plenty of choices. Cheeses are even more decadent when spread with fruit pastes, dipped into honey or enjoyed with nuts (hazelnuts and almonds are good choices), dried apricots and figs. When it comes to meats, think of natural accompaniments you might find on your dinner plates: roast beef and horseradish; ham and mustard; or chicken and capers. And don't forget the olives. Opt for an assortment of sun-dried Moroccan olives, mild green cerignola and briny kalamata olives.
Coffee, ah that heavenly aroma that rises up from the kitchen tickling the senses and making the morning worth waking up to. Some people prefer to buy their coffee rather than make it at home. Maybe they don't know recreate that delightful cup of coffee in their own machine. The trick to achieving the perfect cup of coffee is knowing measure coffee grounds correctly.
Instructions
1. Become familiar with your machine to measure coffee grounds. The general rule of thumb is to never boil coffee; the water should pass over the coffee grounds only once. Some machines, like percolators, do the exact opposite of this and many people enjoy the flavor they produce. Other machines are auto-drip, French press and espresso makers to name a few, and each machine brews coffee differently with the same amount of measured coffee grounds.
2. Make sure the measured coffee is ground correctly for the type of machine into which you place the grounds. Percolators and French presses work best with coarser grinds. Auto-drips use medium and espresso machines work nicely with finely ground coffee. Remember, the finer the grind, the more bitter the coffee.
3. Read the label of the coffee you purchase. Labels are increasingly clear on strength of coffee they contain. Bold coffee is a stronger flavor while breakfast blends are much more mild.
4. Test how much your coffee measure holds. Most claim to hold approximately two tablespoons, but it's best to know exactly how much a level scoop contains as well as a heaping scoop. This helps you judge how much water to add to the machine.
5. Know what strength of coffee you prefer. Although the standard measurement is two tablespoons for every six ounces of water before brewing, this may be a little strong for average coffee drinkers. Be willing to toss out some coffee and make a few pots until you find a strength that suits you taste.
Appetizers can be the perfect start to a great meal. They are oftentimes richer in texture and flavor than other foods that will be served later, such as soup, salad or a protein dish, and can provide the perfect forum for guests to mingle and chat before the more formal dinner begins.
Function
Appetizers are small trays or platters of food that are consumed before a meal's soup, salad or main course. The point of an appetizer is to stimulate the taste buds just a bit and stave off hunger before the rest of the courses are served. Appetizers can be platters that are shared amongst restaurant diners or trays of small bites that are usually passed around or set out for consumption.
Geography
Appetizers are usually served during social get-togethers. Weddings, cocktail parties, holiday parties, birthday dinners, and bridal and baby showers are all places where you are likely to see appetizers. At some events, such as cocktail parties, appetizers may be the only form of food served. At other events, such as weddings or holiday parties, it is simply assumed that the guests will nosh on a few bites to eat before the main meal begins.
Types
An appetizer can take on almost any form. An entire pizza can become an appetizer if you cut it into small, bite-sized pieces. However, there are a few types of appetizers that are most common, including cheese, meats (cold cuts), bruschetta, vegetables, shrimp, puff pastries, mini quesadillas, fruit cups or platters, meatballs, pigs in blankets and crackers topped with various items such as salmon and cream cheese.
Time Frame
Because an appetizer serves as an appetite stimulant, it is usually served 20 minutes to an hour before a dinner will be served. For many events, such as weddings, this may mean serving the appetizers during the cocktail hour. This will allow the guests to counterbalance their cocktails with some food, and should prevent anyone from becoming famished before the sit-down dinner begins. At a restaurant, an appetizer will likely be served 15 minutes or so before the main course, though servers usually use their discretion as to whether tables seem ready to move onto the next course or not.
Misconceptions
Though the French term "hors d'oeuvre" is synonymous with an appetizer, an "amuse boush" is not. An amuse boush is literally a small, bite-sized culinary creation that is served before appetizers. An amuse boush might consist of a chip or fried wonton topped with some fixings, a small lettuce cup filled with caesar salad trimmings or a small serving of shrimp tempura.
Tags: amuse boush, events such, before main, cocktail parties, dinner begins, events such weddings
An avocado seed will sprout a few weeks after planting.
Next time you make guacamole, save the pits from the avocados. Avocado seeds sprout easily, and growing avocados indoors is a great activity for kids. In warmer climates, the sprouts can be planted outside, and in a few years, they may produce fruit. In colder areas, avocados can be grown as a low-maintenance houseplant.
Preparation
Choose an avocado that is perfectly ripe and firm, without any squishy parts. Carefully cut the fruit in half, taking care not to damage the pit. Lightly scraping it with the knife won't hurt it too much, but do not cut through the pit's husk. Peel and eat the fruit. Avocados can be mashed to make guacamole, and sliced avocados are a nice addition to salads or sandwiches. Rinse the pit clean with running water, and fill a 6-inch pot with potting soil.
Planting and Germination
An avocado pit has a wider, slightly flatter end and a narrow, pointy end. Plant the avocado so that the pointy end is sticking up. The pit should be buried 3/4 of the way in the soil. It may still germinate if you plant it deeper, but it will take considerably longer. Avocado plants prefer loose, well-draining, evenly-moist soil. Water the avocado regularly so that the soil remains as wet as a wrung-out sponge. Depending on temperature and light conditions, it will take between two weeks and six months for your avocado pit to germinate. The long, hot, sunny days of summer are a perfect time to plant avocados. Avocados can also be grown by suspending the pit with toothpicks in a glass of water, but planting the pit directly in soil often produces a stronger plant.
Indoor Care
As a houseplant, avocados require very little specialized care. They prefer high humidity and lots of sunlight, so they do best with regular waterings and a south-facing window. Mist the leaves in the winter if the air in your house is dry. Once the avocado plant is well established and is at least 12 inches tall, fertilize it every two to three weeks in the summer and every six to eight weeks in the winter. Avocados have an extensive root system and do best in large pots. A healthy avocado may need to the re-potted every spring. Avocados grown indoors rarely produce edible fruit.
Outdoor Care
Avocados thrive in full sunlight and loose, sandy, loamy soil. For best fruit production, plant two or more avocados, and since the root systems may crowd out other plants, provide at least 20 feet of space between your avocados and other trees. Avocados will only grow in climates where there is no danger of frost, and will onlyproduce fruit in tropical or subtropical conditions.
Tags: avocado that, make guacamole, produce fruit, will only, will take
Wild turkey is likely to be tougher than farm-raised birds. Wild turkeys also have less breast on them because they have not been pumped with hormones or kept consistently fed with a fattening diet. Wild turkey also has a somewhat gamier taste. Wild turkey does present some differences when cooking and eating that shouldn't be ignored.
Instructions
1. Clean your bird. If the turkey is not skinned, skin it, cut off its head and feet, and clean out the intestinal cavity. Or follow Step 2.
2. As an alternative, boil a very large pot of water. The pot should have enough room so that when the turkey is added, the water doesn't overflow. It's best to do this outside. Dip the turkey in the boiling water, which allows the feathers to be easily plucked out, and then cut off the head and feet at the joint. Clean out the intestinal cavity after this method, also.
3. Consider meat tenderness. Because the breast is smaller, it may get tougher quicker when cooking. Avoid this by slicing off the outer layer of muscle on the turkey breast.
4. Bake the wild turkey just like a regular turkey, but pay extra attention to basting to keep it from drying out. You can also place the turkey inside a special ovenproof plastic bag; however, some people have complained that these bags cook wild turkey too fast. Set the oven to 350 degrees, and cook the turkey about 15 minutes for each pound. The turkey is done when the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh is 165 degrees, as measured by a meat thermometer.
5. Deep-fry your wild turkey as an alternative. This keeps the turkey moist, but you must be very careful, and this should be done outside because it can be very dangerous. When deep-frying, make sure the fryer doesn't have so much oil that it spills out when the turkey is added.
Tags: Wild turkey, head feet, intestinal cavity, turkey added, when cooking, when turkey, when turkey added
The styles that look great inside the hacienda-style house also work outside.
Hacienda-style patio decorating complements the growing popularity of outdoor rooms. The same vibrant colors, textures and accessories of the Spanish and Mediterranean-influenced style that look so good inside the house will look great outside as well.
Features
The colors of the outdoors exert some of the greatest visual influences on the hacienda style of decorating. Bright yellows reflect the sunniness of Mexico and the Mediterranean. Additionally, blues, terra cotta, reds, oranges and greens are popular. Add these colors to places like the back fence, windowsills and patio support beams.
Accessories
Homeowners should look for items like brightly colored Mexican pottery, wrought iron patio furniture, ceramic fish and birds, and poppy flowers or broad-leaved plants like the yucca.
Considerations
Some items like outdoor terra cotta fireplaces are also popular in this style, and indeed they make great accessories for that barbecue with margaritas out on the back patio. However, homeowners should exercise caution when using them. Keeping them a few feet away from the patio will minimize the possibility of sparks flying and possibly causing fire.
Tags: items like, look great, terra cotta, that look
As a mom of 5 children I am constantly looking for healthy snacks that my children will actually eat. I have some very picky eaters in my household. They do however love granola bars. So I found this recipe to be perfect for them, healthy yet really yummy too!
Instructions
1. First you need to preheat your oven to 325. Then lightly grease a 9x13 pan. I use Mazola Pure Cooking spray and spray a little on the pan and take a paper towel to spread it around.
2. In a large mixing bowl you will need to combine oats, flour, vanilla, baking soda, applesauce,honey, flaxseed, and brown sugar. When you are done mixing that stir in nuts and shredded coconut. You have the option of adding your own things to the mix such as raisins or chocolate chips.
3. Lightly press mixture in 9x13 pan and bake at 325 for 20 minutes. Let them cool for 15 minutes and then cut into bars. Make sure you let them cool completely before serving. This recipe makes 24 bars.
Spiral sliced hams make baking and serving a deliciously succulent ham easy as there is no need for the fuss of carving the perfect slice of ham for your guests. Cut in a spiral to form uniform slices the spiral cut ham is ready to serve right from the oven. With a little prep time and a little basting this ham practically bakes itself and comes out tender and juicy.
Instructions
1. Remove from the wrapper and discard any juices in the package. Remove the plastic disc that covers the bone on the top of the ham. This is put in place for appearance and serves no purpose in cooking.
2. Place the ham meat side down in a baking pan. Cooking the ham with the flesh down holds the slices firmly in place and prevents drying. Add ½ to ¾ cup water to the bottom of the pan.
3. Cover with a loose tent of aluminum foil and crimp the edges to the rim of the pan. If you choose to use a roaster keep in mind that the ham will cook faster and may be subject to drying. Monitor closely if baking in a roaster.
4. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes per pound. Internal temperature should reach 160 degrees. The ham is generally fully cooked and just requires heating to release natural juices and enhance flavor.
5. Baste with ham juices every 20 minutes to keep the ham moist and to retain flavor.
6. Apply glaze 10 minutes before ham is done. Most come with a glaze packet that may require mixing with water to prepare. For a tastier glaze, use orange or pineapple juice instead of water when making the glaze. Brush the glaze over the entire surface of the ham and allow to bake uncovered for the remaining 10 minutes to create a nice caramelized ham.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut whole slices away from the bone by making a vertical along the bone. Serve on a platter with the condiments of your choice.
Water purity data inaccuracies result from field kit testing of water pumps.
Water purity qualitative analysis determines the presence or absence and amounts of chemicals and their mixtures in water. This type of measurement requires field kits for testing water facilities, including varieties of pumping stations. General disadvantages include inaccuracies in data, limitations of single-factor testing measuring chlorine levels in pools and spas, and further drawbacks of measuring multiple aspects of water purity at sites including factories and metropolitan facilities.
General Disadvantages
Qualitative field-type water monitoring doesn't test global WFD 33 water criteria.
Disadvantages of field qualitative testing kits include an inability for reproducing statistics. Field location wind, rain, noise and temperature add to the inherent disadvantages of this qualitative field-type water monitoring. In addition, according to expert Neil Grant of Kennet Water Components, field kits cannot test the global Water Framework Directive (WFD 33), outlining 33 chemically polluting substances in water like chloride, nickel and benzene, set by the European Commission.
Spas, Pools and Tap Water
Site applications of pool water to test strips determine water purity.
Applying site water to test strips, mixing water with biological powders in vials, or testing water with a digital probe exemplifies testing of spa, pool and tap water purity. Both strips and vials change color to indicate if the water purity meets safe levels, while the probe gives the same read-out data. The test results provide low to moderate accuracy in measuring amounts of chlorine, bacteria and acidity (pH levels) that affect water purity.
Photometer Drawbacks
Incorporating the photometer qualitative water purity field test can result in drawbacks from moderate measurement accuracy for multiple types of water purity statistics. Used in municipal, industrial and residential water systems to test variables affecting water purity for human consumption and use, as well as monitoring water purity for healthy ecosystems of other living organisms, photometers measure temperature, pH levels and desalination (salt control) compounds.
Chemistry-Type Tests
A chemistry-based qualitative water purity test drawback is that it measures only dissolved iron.
Using chemistry-based field-testing to gather qualitative water-purity data gives incomplete statistical outcomes, similar to the pH colorimetric qualitative testing. Operating at a neutral pH, chemistry-based testing, like colorimetric tests, measures particular aspects of inorganic substances in water, rather than all its characteristics. As an example, at neutral pH, both these tests measure dissolved iron amounts, but not iron particles. In addition, ammonia levels from biological decay compromise qualitative measurements using chemistry-based field testing of nutrients in wastewater.
Tags: water purity, testing water, dissolved iron, field kits, field testing, field-type water
Good deals on cold cuts and cheese are hard to pass up. However, these items spoil quickly, generally within one week of purchase for cold cuts and within three weeks for hard cheeses. Luckily, you can freeze these items to extend their life. Because certain types of products freeze better than others, finding the right type of product to freeze is essential. Additionally, the manner of packaging and eventually using the products is important if you want to avoid eating potentially contaminated foods. Meat and dairy products require special care to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria that cause food poisoning.
Best Cold Cuts and Cheese to Freeze
Sliced meats such as chicken, turkey and roast beef freeze well, as do processed meats such as bologna. Hard and semi-hard cheeses generally freeze better than soft cheeses. Examples of cheeses that freeze well include swiss, gouda and cheddar. Blue cheese, brie, Camembert and Roquefort do not freeze well.
Freezing Cold Cuts
Remove the plastic packaging and place the cold cuts in freezer bags. Separate the meat into smaller portions for later use. Freeze the cold cuts as soon as you get home from the grocery store. If you are planning on making sandwiches out of your cold cuts, you can save considerable time if you assemble the sandwich before freezing. Freeze each sandwich in a separate resealable plastic bag, and place all of the sandwiches in a larger freezer bag. Because the plastic of freezer bags is thick, your sandwiches will not get freezer burn.
Freezing Cheese
Frozen cheeses have a tendency to become crumbly after thawing. The cheese's texture improves considerably if you grate it before thawing. Alternatively, you can cut the cheese into smaller chunks. Seal the cheese in a freezer bag and place in the freezer.
Using Frozen Cold Cuts and Cheese
Frozen cold cuts must be consumed within two months. Thaw the meats in the refrigerator before using. You can safely freeze cheese for 6 to 8 months before using it. Place the frozen cheese in the refrigerator to thaw. Because it is not safe to refreeze the cheese, use the thawed cheese within 3 weeks and discard any remaining cheese. If you froze a sandwich with cold cuts and cheese, simply put the sandwich in your lunch bag in the morning. The sandwich should be completely thawed by lunch time. Packing frozen sandwiches eliminates the need for ice packs to keep the sandwich cold.
Tags: cold cuts, Cheese Frozen, freeze well, before using, better than
Customize your pizza sauce with your favorite seasonings.
Pizza has three main parts -- crust, sauce and toppings -- and all three are important for a fantastic pizza. When you make your own pizza, you can save money and get it just the way you like it. This basic pizza sauce starts with canned tomato sauce and can be customized it any way you like, so feel free to experiment. This sauce is also great as a dip for breadsticks or in a meatball sandwich.
Instructions
1. Pour the tomato sauce into a cooking pot. Toss in the spices, olive oil and garlic. Stir thoroughly.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until some of the moisture has evaporated and the sauce has noticeably thickened.
3. Allow your pizza sauce to cool to room temperature before using or storing it in the refrigerator. It will keep well for 3 to 4 days and will have a better flavor if allowed to sit overnight and give the ingredients time to meld.
Tags: pizza sauce, your pizza, tomato sauce, your pizza sauce
Magnificent sprays of edible flowers on cakes can be awe-inspiring to behold. You need not be a professional cake decorator to craft delicate and lifelike hydrangeas composed entirely from sugar. Create royal blue hydrangeas from a variety of different media. To make them out of icing or fondant and gum paste, you will need some advanced planning and a variety of tools. Fondant will give you pliability, while gum paste will give you strength; combine the two for a sturdier hydrangea. Buttercream may be more accessible and doesn't require as many intermediate steps.
Instructions
Buttercream
1. Create a free-standing cluster of royal blue hydrangeas using a piping bag filled with royal blue-tinted buttercream with a #102 tip. The buttercream should not be too liquid, or it might be difficult to transfer the dried flower later.
2. Pipe a small amount to create the effect of the flattened hydrangea petal; there should be four petals per flower. Keep piping, amassing the flowers together, overlapping and layering them on top of each other for a three-dimensional effect.
3. Transfer to another piping bag with a different tinted buttercream, such as yellow, and a #2 tip to create the pistils of the hydrangea --- in this case, small daubs in the center of the flower. Wait for at least 24 hours, up to 48 hours, for the flowers to dry. Then transfer them onto a plate with a spatula.
Gum Paste and Fondant
4. Use a 50/50 mixture of fondant and gum paste to create a "flower pot" of royal blue hydrangeas. For a more structural and vertical presentation of a hydrangea with its distinctive "bushy" shape, use a Styrofoam ball to serve as the base for the hydrangeas.
5. Color some of the 50/50 gum paste and fondant mixture with the royal blue icing tint. Roll the mixture out into a thin sheet using the rolling pin and cut out the hydrangea patterns with the hydrangea cutter.
6. Dust each flower with cornstarch and place between the veiner molds and press, shaping them individually to look more natural. Transfer the flowers onto the egg carton foam to dry for 24 hours.
7. Dust the center and edges of the dried petals with contrasting dust colors, darker hued dust in the center and lighter for the edges. For the centers, use a #2 tip to pipe a dot of white royal icing in each flower.
8. Affix the Styrofoam ball into the sugar pot after applying some royal icing into the opening. Twist to ensure a good seal.
9. Cover the ball with the hydrangea flowers, starting from the top of the Styrofoam ball. Adhere them onto the ball using royal icing colored to the same shade as the royal blue of the flowers.
10. Hold the flowers in place with pearl-headed pins until dried. Remove pins.
Tags: blue hydrangeas, royal blue, royal blue hydrangeas, royal icing, Styrofoam ball, Blue Icing
Use a variety of mushrooms to make a delicious soup.
If you love cream of mushroom soup, try making your own. This recipe is very easy and it will become a favorite soup recipe that you go back time and again. Start with the basics, adding flavors such as leek and onion as you try variations. Remember that one of the keys to tasty cream of mushroom soup is reserving the liquid from boiling the mushrooms to make the broth.
Instructions
1. Place a pot with the water on the stove to boil. Separate the stems from the main part of the mushroom by slicing the stem off with a sharp knife. Chop the mushrooms into small pieces.
2. Cook the stems and mushrooms in one cup of water for 15 minutes once the water is boiling.
3. Place a colander in a large bowl. Pour the mushrooms into the colander and retain the liquid. Set the liquid aside.
4. Put the butter and chopped mushrooms in a frying pan and cook on low for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the flour and stir to blend with the mushrooms.
6. Add the mushroom liquid, milk, salt and pepper.
7. Serve as is, or run through a blender to make a fine puree.
Tags: cream mushroom soup, mushroom soup, mushrooms into, mushrooms make
Recipe to make french onion soup. This is an easy recipe to cook french onion soup. Prepare and serve french onion soup for family or friends tonight! Cooking is fun with easy recipes check all my easy recipes here on eHow.
Instructions
1. Making French Onion Soup is fun and easy recipes on eHow. Step one in making your French Onion Soup with this recipe is to slice onions 1/8 inch thick.
2. Step two in cooking your French Onion Soup with easy recipes like this one, is to melt butter; add onions and saute slowly for 1 ? hours in a large saucepan.
3. Then, add butter, pepper, salt, paprika, and flour and saute over low heat for 10 minutes.
4. Add bouillon and wine. Simmer for 2 hours.
5. Adjust color to a rich brown by adding some Kitchen Bouquet, if desired. Season to taste with salt. Refrigerate overnight before serving.
6. The final step to make French Onion Soup with this recipe is to to serve it right. To serve...Heat soup. Fill individual ovenproof bowls with soup. Top with 1 ? inch slice of French bread and a generous amount of grated cheese. Place under the broiler until browned slightly.
Tags: easy recipes, Onion Soup with, Soup with, your French Onion, French Onion, french onion soup
Keep lettuce away from fruit which gives off ethylene gas.
Lettuce is a favorite addition to salads, wraps, burgers and sandwiches. It is easy to store and keep fresh if you remember a few cooking fundamentals. Now you can store your favorite greens for longer and keep then fresher, but always buy the freshest lettuce you can find. Correct cleaning and storage of lettuce will produce healthy, good quality dishes and salads and will save you money by reducing waste.
Instructions
1. Store lettuce in its original bag. Shredded lettuce and many store-bought varieties are sold in bags that are made from a special plastic that preserves freshness. Once you have used the lettuce, wrap the remaining leaves tightly in the bag and keep in the bottom, crisper section of your refrigerator. If the lettuce does not come in a bag, store leaves in a sealable plastic bag. Place the leaves inside and squeeze out as much air as possible, without damaging the leaves, before sealing.
2. Using metal on lettuce causes a chemical reaction that turns the lettuce brown. It is better to tear lettuce rather than slice it with a knife. Avoid storing lettuce in metal containers; use a plastic container that seals tightly.
3. Store lettuce at a constant temperature. Freezing lettuce will render it soggy and useless on thawing. Opening the fridge too often lowers temperatures and causes condensation. Water dripping on the lettuce will cause it to get soggy. Do not pile other vegetables and fruit on top of your lettuce as bruised leaves spoil faster.
4. Wrap fresh lettuce in an absorbent paper towel, before returning it to its original bag, and place it in the fridge. The paper towel will absorb extra water and will prevent the lettuce from becoming soggy and going bad.
Baked pumpkin seeds are a delicious and easy-to-make treat.
Pumpkins are carved each year for Halloween, but the seeds that are removed to make Jack-o-Lanterns can be easily transformed into a delicious and nutritious snack. According to "World's Healthiest Foods," pumpkin seeds are a good source of several nutrients like magnesium, iron, zinc and Vitamin K. Pumpkin seeds are also a natural anti-inflammatory and contain phytosterols, plant-based compounds shown to reduce cholesterol and protect against some cancers. Enjoy baked pumpkin seeds with minimal effort.
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin with the kitchen knife and remove the seeds with the spoon. Place the seeds and pulp in a bowl or on newspaper.
2. Pour the seeds into the colander, place under warm running water and clean by removing any large chunks of pulp and strings with your fingers. Pull firmly if necessary and rinse until completely clean.
3. Spread the clean seeds on paper towels and allow to dry for about thirty minutes.
4. Pour the dry seeds into the gallon zipper storage bag, add one to two tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil and your seasoning of choice, such as salt, chili or garlic powder, to taste. Seal the bag and shake vigorously to coat the seeds.
5. Oil the baking sheet or line it with parchment paper and spread the coated seeds in an even single layer on the baking sheet.
6. Bake for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until dry and golden brown. Once cooled, the seeds can be stored in an airtight container for at least a week.
Tags: baking sheet, Pour seeds, Pour seeds into, seeds into, seeds with
Breakfast can bring the family to the morning table or be in hand as you are scrambling out the door. These cool breakfast ideas put a twist on some of the old favorites and offer ideas for the family on the go. Whichever way your family eats the first meal of the day, these ideas will surely please them all.
A Tradional Twist
Pancakes can be intimidating for the novice cook. They look simple enough, but there is much timing and exact flipping involved. You cannot ruin scrambled pancakes. They taste just like a pancake should. Make the pancake mix as you would from the directions on the box of mix. Turn the burner on medium heat. Pour the mix it into a greased fry pan and scramble. When this delicious breakfast scramble is done, it looks just like cut up crapes. Drizzle the traditional maple syrup on top and you have a hearty meal. The kids will love them.
If you are trying to get your family to eat more fruit and vegetables, you can try this banana treat for your family at breakfast. It is quick and easy for a healthy start to the day. You can prepare them the night before to pop in the oven in the morning. You slice up bananas and put them in a cup cake tin with liners. You put a dash of sugar and cinnamon over the bananas. Top with crumbled graham crackers and dot with butter. Put in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 10 minutes. Clean up is virtually nothing. An added bonus is the banana aroma that has your home smelling like a bakery.
French toast is a traditional breakfast food and so is grilled cheese. Mixing the two is a delicious morning treat. It cuts down on your families sugar intake because there is no sugary syrup needed. It is simple. Make french toast as you usually do and cook them well. Put a slice of cheese between two pieces of french toast and return this to the grill. They are done when the cheese starts to melt. You have a breakfast sandwich the kids will love. You can eat this with a fork or cool a few minutes to consume as a sandwich.
On The Go
Making breakfast cookies from oatmeal is one way to get your family to eat this healthy breakfast food. Most kitchen cabinets hold the instant oatmeal individual serving size packages. Here is a recipe using them. Any instant oatmeal will do, it can be flavored or plain. For every 4 individual serving oatmeal packets, you would use 1/4 cup of flour, 1/4 stick of butter or butter substitute, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and 1 egg. Add the flour, egg, sugar, baking soda,and butter into the oatmeal. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Mix together well. Form into round golf ball size balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. This will go into a 350 degree heated oven for 8-10 minutes. When cooled you will have a great chewy breakfast cookie for your family to eat on the go.
A healthy crunchy cereal and vanilla yogurt is what you need for this to-go cup for your family. This will work with any cereal that has "crunch" in it's title. Paper cups filled with 1/2 cereal and 1/2 vanilla yogurt along with a plastic spoon, makes a healthy travel breakfast. The kids can eat this in the car on the way to school. It has a thick consistency so even when tipped over, there is no mess. It stays right in the cup. It is delicious and tastes more like a dessert than it does a breakfast.
Breakfast wraps for a take away breakfast works well. Fill the wrap with eggs, ham, and cheese that you popped in the microwave to cook. Mix 2 eggs, bits of ham, and bits of cheese in a small microwave safe bowl. Three minutes on high cooks the mixture into an omelet. Place this egg delight in a wrap, roll it up and off they go. Microwave times differ so make sure the mixture is cooked until solid.
Tags: your family, breakfast food, cereal vanilla, cereal vanilla yogurt, french toast, individual serving, instant oatmeal
Feijoa trees produce a unique fruit that is also called pineapple guava. The fruit is common in New Zealand and Australia, and prefers sunny, warm temperatures. Northern California and Florida are idea climates for the tree, where subtropical temperatures can give way to a cool season in winter. The tree fruits better when exposed to a three month period of cool temperatures as low as 12 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Feijoa can get up to 20 feet in height and bears green pear shaped fruit. The flowers are very interesting, with long, brightly colored stamens at the center. Even if the fruit is not your favorite, the tree makes an excellent ornamental specimen.
Instructions
1. Open the feijoa fruit and squeeze the pulp into the bowl of water. Cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to sit on the counter for four days. Drain the water after this time has elapsed and let the seeds dry out.
2. Create a planting medium of 1 part peat moss, 1 part sand and 2 parts potting mix. Moisten the medium and fill the 2-inch pots. Press the seed in 1/4 inch deep. Put the pots in a warm 70 degree Fahrenheit area and keep them lightly and evenly moist. Germination will take place in three weeks.
3. Move the pots to a light filled area and grow the feijoa on until they have produced two sets of true leaves. Acclimate the pots to outdoor conditions in late spring by leaving them outdoors for gradually longer periods of time. It is a good idea to plant at least two feijoa trees the same time since they need each other to cross pollinate.
4. Perform a soil test. Feijoa trees prefer acidic soil. If the test reveals that the soil is alkaline, add sulfur in the amount the packaging recommends to acidify the soil. Prepare the garden bed by working in 3 inches of compost to enhance the nutrient level and drainage.
5. Dig a hole as deep as the pot in which the feijoa has been growing, in a sunny location. Remove the plant and gently spread its roots out into the hole. Backfill with the amended soil and press it in around the roots. Water to compact the soil.
6. Cut of the tips of the lateral branches to encourage new growth, and help the tree flower and produce fruit sooner, as well as to create a sturdy framework. Keep the interior of the tree thinned out so light and air can penetrate.
7. Fertilize in spring with a high phosphorus fertilizer. Apply it at the rate the manufacturer recommends. The phosphorus will encourage good root formation, and flower and fruit production.
If you are only planning to have a few guests over for turkey, or if all of your guests prefer white meat to dark, roasting a turkey breast rather than the whole bird may be a good decision. The breast of a turkey takes considerably less time to roast than does a whole bird.
Turkey Breast Facts
Turkey breasts usually weigh between 4 and 12 pounds. You can find frozen breasts in most supermarkets, but if you have a source for fresh whole turkeys, you may also be able to get a turkey breast from that vendor.
Safe Thawing
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has developed useful guidelines for safely thawing and roasting a turkey breast. You can thaw a frozen turkey breast in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave.
In the refrigerator, a frozen breast will take about one day for every 4 lbs. to thaw. Thus, a 12 lb. turkey breast will take about three days to thaw. A breast will thaw faster if you put it into the kitchen sink and fill the sink with cold water, changing the water every half hour. This method will thaw your bird at the rate of about a ½ lb. per hour. You can also thaw the turkey breast in your microwave oven. Consult the owner's manual to find out how big a breast you can safely thaw in it. Take the wrapping off and put the breast in a microwave-safe container.
Getting Ready to Roast
When you've thawed your turkey breast, it's ready to roast. Preheat the oven to at least 325 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the lowest temperature the USDA recommends. If you didn't thaw the turkey breast in the microwave, take its wrappings off, dry it inside and out with paper towels, season it and put it on a rack in an open roasting pan.
Cooking Times
According to the USDA, the cooking time for a 4- to 8-lb., unstuffed turkey breast is between 1 ½ and 3 ¼ hours at 325 degrees. Generally, you wouldn't stuff a breast weighing less than 6 lbs. For a stuffed breast weighing between 6 and 8 lbs., the roasting time would range from 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours at the same temperature.
Internal Temperature
You may feel supremely confident that your bird will be done when the suggested time has elapsed, but for safety's sake, check the temperature of the breast meat before you take it out of the oven. The USDA recommends you roast your bird to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tags: turkey breast, turkey breast, breast will, your bird, breast weighing, breast will take, cold water
Chocolate provides a wide variety of desserts with a decadent, sweet and simply luxurious flavor whether it's in simple chocolate chip cookies or more intricate delicacies. One delicious treat to make with chocolate is the chocolate hot pot. This small bowl of fluffy and creamy chocolate souffle is a decadent and sweet chocolate dessert.
Instructions
1. Assorted ramekins
Place the four small ramekins, or ceramic baking dishes, onto the baking sheet. Lightly coat the inside of each ramekin with a thin layer of butter. Make sure each ramekin is no larger than one cup in size.
2. Pour both types of chocolate chips and butter into a double boiler, and place the boiler on low heat to melt the chips. Allow the mixture to simmer slowly for approximately 25 minutes, or until the chocolate and butter melts into a velvety smooth sauce.
3. Combine the cake flour, eggs and fine granulated sugar in a mixing bowl and mix the ingredients together until the consistency is smooth. Using fine granulated sugar as opposed to granulated sugar gives the dessert a smoother base without the gritty texture that undissolved sugar granules can cause. Cake flour, a much lighter flour than self rising or all purpose flours, provides the dessert with a light and airy consistency.
4. Allow the melted chocolate and butter mixture to cool for approximately five minutes after it has melted by removing the insert from the double-boiler and setting it on a pot holder.
5. Pour the cooled, melted chocolate butter into the bowl of flour, sugar and egg. Mix the ingredients by hand thoroughly for about three minutes, or until it is completely blended into a smooth and silky base.
6. Pour the mixture into each small ramekin, making sure to only fill each one three-quarters of the way.
7. Bake the hot pots on the baking sheet for approximately 20 minutes, or until the top of each pot is dark and crackled in appearance.
8. Allow the hot pots time to cool for approximately five minutes before serving with a spoon and an optional dollop of whipped cream.
Tags: chocolate butter, granulated sugar, minutes until, approximately five, approximately five minutes
There are just as many ways to lose weight as there are people wanting to lose it, but what has worked for me in the past is exercising more and a high protein diet (no I don't eat large slabs of bacon). Protein can and should come from a variety of sources.
This is one of the easiest and least expensive ways I have found to get more protein in my diet.
Instructions
1. As part of a diet made up of several small meals, I like to have a protein shake right before bed time. That way I can keep my metabolism up without adding extra fat or carbohydrates to my diet.
2. There are many types of protein available. You can even just buy the shakes at the store, but those are far more expensive than making them yourself. I prefer to buy a giant bag of vanilla protein powder (it takes on other flavors better than chocolate).
3. Get out your blender and put enough protein powder in for 21 grams, which is usually about 1/3 cup. (Increase or decrease the amount of protein depending on your body size.)
4. Pick out a flavor of fat free, sugar free pudding mix that you like. I love the cheesecake kind. Pour 1/3 of the package into your blender. You can use more or less depending on the thickness you like in your shakes. I use a third because it makes the shakes pretty creamy and goes further than a half.
5. Add one cup of either water or milk. I use fat free milk because it is creamier and tastes better than the water in my opinion, it does however add more calories to the drink.
6. Put the lid on the blender and mix the drink together. Slowly add a few ice cubes in and blend until the ice is mostly crushed.
7. Pour and drink!
Tags: better than, Cheap Protein, Cheap Protein Shakes, Lose Weight, protein diet, protein powder, Protein Shakes
Chewing gum that uses xylitol as a sweetener is proven to not cause cavities.
Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar substitute made from sugar alcohol. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it has been scientifically proven not to cause cavities, unlike other sweeteners. For this reason, it is now being used in a variety of specialty and mass-market gum products commercially available in the United States.
B-Fresh
B-Fresh chewing gum costs about $10 for a bottle of 100 pieces. There are .85 grams of xylitol in every piece.
Spry
Spry typically costs about $6.20 for a pack of 100. There are .72 grams of xylitol in every piece.
Xponent
Xponent gum costs about $14 for each bottle of 100 pieces. There are .72 grams of xylitol in every piece.
Xylichew
A pack of 100 pieces of Xylichew typically costs about $9. There are .72 grams of xylitol in every piece.
Trident
Trident's variety of xylitol gum costs $1.29 for a pack of 18. There are .17 grams of xylitol in each piece.
Tags: grams xylitol, There grams, There grams xylitol, costs about, every piece, grams xylitol every
By the time Columbus reached the New World, natives cultivated peanut plants (Arachis hypogaea) all throughout the warm regions of Central and South America. The Spanish introduced peanuts to Southeast Asia in the Philippines and the Portuguese carried them into Africa, where slaves shipped to North America brought the seeds, which they called goobers. Peanut plants begin to yellow and wither when hints of harvest time beckons.
Peanut Development Timeline
Farmers sow peanuts in middle to late spring when frost no longer occurs and the air and soil are warm. Approximately six to eight weeks after germination, peanuts begin to produce their first blossoms, which look like sweet pear flowers. Anytime from 120 to 150 days after planting, the peanut plant produces ripe seeds or kernels ready for harvest. The kernels develop underground and pull energy from leaves in the final stages of maturation, causing the plant leaves to yellow and partially wilt and dry up.
Harvesting Peanuts
When the majority of peanut plants in the patch display yellowing leaves late in summer or early fall, it's time to harvest. Timing is crucial, as premature harvest yields pods with shriveled kernel nuts inside, while late harvesting often yields few pods since they have already detached from the plant and rest somewhere in the soil profile. Inspect a few pods on a yellowing plant to gauge readiness for harvest. Carefully dig and pull up a peanut plant with a potato fork or shovel. Cracking open a peanut pod at harvest should reveal dark veins inside and a light pink papery skin on each kernel nut.
Curing Peanuts
Do not pull off the peanut pods from the peanut plant stems. Dig and pull up each peanut plant and gently shake off soil from the roots and stem system. Invert the plants and place them back on the ground with roots up toward the sun to dry until the whole patch is dug. Then relocate the plants to air dry in a warm, shaded location, such as a shed, with good air circulation. Two to three weeks of drying and curing causes the kernel nuts in the peanut pods to dehydrate for roasting later. If you wish to boil peanuts for eating, do so immediately after digging pods up at harvest time.
How Peanuts Develop
Peanuts do not grow and develop like the underground tubers on potato plants. Rather, the long stems of peanut plants bear flowers that are pollinated by bees. The petals wither away, but the flower stem, called the pedicel, elongates and curves downward to the soil. Rapidly dividing cells in the flower ovary form a burrowing structure called a peg with a protective cap. The growing ovary pushes itself about 1 to 1 1/2 inches into the soil and then orients itself horizontally. The fruit or pod then matures. Proper harvest time correlates to yellowing leaves and plump kernels in the pods that are still attached to the pedicels. Therefore, pulling up the plant collects all attached pods, making harvest easy and efficient.
Stickers are a useful promotional tool, labeling device or creative outlet for children. Businesses use them to help expand their brand and make their logo more recognizable, families may use them to help organize home storage, and kids use them to decorate school books and laptop computers. Buying stickers can get expensive, but making them at home gives you more creativity and control.
Instructions
Make Stickers at Home
1. Open Microsoft Word or a desktop publishing program such as Print Explosion. Open to a blank page or download a template from the sticker paper blanks manufacturer.
2. Design your stickers. For business stickers you may have to scan a company logo or use a jpeg file of your brand. For stickers for kids you want to look for images that they enjoy, such as images of animals, superheroes, trucks, cartoon characters or flowers.
3. Insert your artwork into your Word or Print Explosion page. For Word users, click on Insert, and then choose From File or Clip art. Find the files or artwork you like and click OK. For Print Explosion users, go to the Graphics button on your toolbar, and browse through the clip art or your own files to insert images.
4. Insert your sticker paper into your home color printer. Load the paper so that the sticker paper will be printed on correctly. Refer to your printer manual if you are unsure load the paper.
5. Print your stickers. Go to your Printer icon or command and select the best settings for your printer. Some printer software also allows you to select specialty paper, so see if you can select Sticker Paper from a drop-down menu.
6. Cover the sticker sheet with clear self-adhesive paper, if you are planning on using the stickers outdoors, or if the stickers will be getting a lot of wear and tear. Measure the self-adhesive paper to fit, peel off the backing and press over the stickers, starting at the top and slowly working your way down. Press out any bubbles or wrinkles.
7. Cut the stickers apart. For business stickers you'll want to use a straight edge or scrapbooking cropping tool to get a clean straight line. For stickers for kids, you can be a little more creative and cut the stickers out in circles or closely cropped to the image.
Tags: Make Stickers, Make Stickers Home, Print Explosion, Stickers Home, business stickers
Swiss chard is a green that is easily grown in the backyard garden. Chard is low in calories but delivers large amounts of vitamins A and C to a person's diet, along with contributing iron, Vitamin K and antioxidants. Chard can be found with white stems or red, yellow and orange stems, making a colorful addition to the garden.
Instructions
1. Cut the Swiss chard low on the stem, near the ground. Soak chard in a large bowl with warm water and a quarter cup of salt. Swish the chard in the water, rinse and repeat to remove dirt.
2. Saute chard in olive oil over medium-low heat. Add a handful of greens at a time, allowing greens to wilt before adding another handful. Add a small amount of water and cover. Simmer over low heat for 5 to 15 minutes until tender.
3. Substitute Swiss chard for spinach in vegetable lasagna. In fact, Swiss chard can take the place of spinach in any recipe.
4. Wrap Swiss chard leaves around a Spanish rice mixture and bake in the oven on medium heat for a twist on the typical cabbage roll.
5. Add steamed Swiss chard to pasta for a tasty and nutritious side dish. Steamed chard is also an excellent additional to an omelet.
6. Swiss chard can be used raw as a salad green topped with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Roast potatoes are an excellent addition to a great meal. Follow the steps below and your family and guests will ask for these potatoes every time!
Instructions
Roasting Potatoes
1. Peel potatoes if desired, and cut each potato into 6 cubes. One cut lengthwise and two cuts width wise will do it. Have a large bowl of water and place potatoes in water after cutting. This helps stop discoloration from the air.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In bowl combine 2 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar. For example start out with 2 tbsp. of oil and 1 tbsp. of vinegar. Add minced garlic and potatoes. Toss well.
3. Spray shallow baking pan with non stick coating and then place potatoes in a single layer. Salt and pepper to taste and put in hot oven. Turn over after 10 minutes and bake an additional 10 minutes. Start checking for doneness by inserting toothpick or fork to see if it goes in easily. They may need an additional 5 to 10 minutes depending on how big the potatoes were to start with.
4. Remove from oven when tender and serve. Potatoes will be golden, tender, and delicious!
Tags: additional minutes, Cook Roast, Cook Roast Potatoes, place potatoes, start with
For many people, a crisp, ripe watermelon is the fruit that epitomizes summer. Watermelon selection may seem like a mysterious ritual because you often see potential buyers tapping or thumping the watermelon rind and listening for the sound that signals that particular watermelon is the best choice. In actuality, you can do a number of things instead to pick out the best watermelon for your family, not one of which involves thumping.
Instructions
1. Look for a brightly coloredwatermelon rind. This often indicates the watermelon hasn't been away from the patch for many days. Depending on the type of watermelon, the rind may be a light color. For traditional seeded watermelons, a dark green color often indicates the melon's ripeness.
2. Check the watermelon's ground spot. This is the yellowish or orange spot on the underside of the melon that indicates how long the melon sat in the field maturing. A green spot indicates the melon didn't ripen on the vine and may not be as sweet.
3. Choose a symmetrical watermelon. If the rind has an odd shape, this may indicate the melon lacked water at some point in its growing season. This may affect its juiciness. While the watermelon rind may have some scratches from transit that won't hurt its flavor, avoid melons with major flaws.
4. Pick up individual watermelons of a similar size to compare their weights. The heaviest melon is going to have the most juice. Watermelons are at least 92 percent water, so choose the heaviest melon you can for the juiciest selection.
5. Select a watermelon from an unrefrigerated crate rather than a refrigerated one to have more lycopene and carotenoid nutrients available. While you may refrigerate the melon when you cut it and prior to serving it, once you cut the melon its nutrient level begins to decrease.
Be creative and place complementary foods together on a tray.
The proper arrangement of food on a tray can make a presentation look impressive and professional. This does not require a great amount of money or time. Let your creative juices flow and with a little practice your food trays will look like works of art.
Instructions
1. Select the type of tray you want to use for your presentation. To save on money you can use a piece of cardboard covered in foil; either the shiny or the dull side works nicely. Add a paper doily and your homemade tray is ready to be presented. Other tray options include glass, silver, plastic, wood, crystal, basket, sectioned and tiered.
2. Group complementary-tasting foods together on trays. For example, put fruits together on one tray, vegetables on another tray, and breads or sandwiches on yet another tray. It is not visually appealing for a juicy food to leak onto a dry food; this will also ruin the flavor. Keeping the foods on each tray somewhat consistent also helps guests to more easily decipher what is included on each tray. Do try to place a variety of colors next to each other, avoiding a monochromatic tray.
3. Cut foods in decorative ways and arrange them on a tray. If sandwiches are being served, cut them into small triangles with the crusts removed and place them in a straight line with each corner resting on the bottom of the above triangle. This works best on a square or long rectangle tray. For fruit, use a metal scooper to carve out a melon into small balls and place in a bowl as a tray center piece. Then use a knife or triangle kitchen tool to carve decorative cuts into other fruit to be placed around the bowl of melon.
4. Use a basket tray to serve bread items. A basket tray allows for a varied presentation of muffins, breadsticks and bread loaves. Place long pieces of bread loaves and breadsticks along the interior sides of the basket tray, then place other bread items inside the basket. Provide a small set of tongs for guests to easily retrieve their selection.
5. Place desserts on a tiered tray, the order dependent on the type of dessert. Place small pieces of pie on the top tier, small squares of cheesecake on the middle tier and cookies on the bottom tier. These types of desserts are interchangeable, but always put desserts most likely to crumble on the top tier to make them easy to retrieve with less mess. Solid desserts, such as cookies and cheesecake work well on the middle and bottom tiers since they are solid enough to be taken with tongs.
Tags: basket tray, another tray, bread items, bread loaves, each tray, foods together, into small
For a quick and easy appetizer, consider making a spicy cheese dip to please guests of any age. Make this recipe ahead of time and serve with any kind of corn chips. Best of all, you can alter or add your favorite ingredients to this spicy cheese dip.
Instructions
1. Gather your ingredients and a 9 x 13 in. glass pan. Pre-measure the ingredients if possible.
2. Allow the cream cheese to thaw for half an hour before use. You need to spread the cream cheese easily.
3. Dice the tomatoes and jalapeno peppers and set aside. You can also use a small, 7 oz. can of tomatoes and peppers if you prefer.
4. Spread the cream cheese along the bottom of your glass pan using a spoon. The layer should be spread evenly so that you cannot see the bottom of the pan.
5. Open the canned chili and spread evenly, covering the cream cheese layer completely. You may opt for canned chili with or without beans, depending upon your preferences.
6. Sprinkle the diced tomatoes and jalapenos over the chili layer. Use these ingredients sparingly if you do not like very spicy foods.
7. Add the shredded cheese to the top of the tomato layer. Any type of shredded cheese works well for this recipe, including cheddar, Mexican blends, Colby and Monterrey Jack blends.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the dip for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese bubbles.
9. Serve with corn chips. You may also opt to offer shredded lettuce, sour cream or salsa on the side.
Pizza is one of America's favorite foods, as is evidenced by a high number of pizza companies such as Pizza Hut, Papa John's and Little Caesar's. Like all foods, pizza contains energy that people need in the form of calories. Pepperoni pizza often contains more calories than a normal cheese pizza, but the number depends on where the pizza is from.
Domino's Pepperoni Pizza
A single slice of a 14-inch Domino's peperoni pizza contains 324 calories.
Papa John's Pepperoni Pizza
A single slice of a 14-inch pepperoni pizza from Papa John's contains 338 calories.
Pizza Hut's Pepperoni Pizza
A single slice of a 14-inch pepperoni pizza from Pizza Hut contains 290 calories.
Little Caesar's Pepperoni Pizza
A single slice of a 14-inch pepperoni pizza from Little Caesar's contains 246 calories.
CiCi's Pizza
A single slice of a 14-inch pepperoni pizza from CiCi's pizza contains 160 calories.
Tags: contains calories, pizza from, Pizza single, Pizza single slice, single slice
Blackberries are also delicious in jellies and pies.
Blackberry syrup is a way to use the flavors of juicy, fresh blackberries in dishes where you don't want the pulp and seeds. You can use blackberry syrup in place of simple syrup for mixed drinks, iced tea or lemonade, or reduce the syrup until it thickens and serve it over pancakes, waffles, ice cream or cheesecake. Blackberry syrup will keep in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Instructions
1. Add the blackberries and sugar to a large saucepan. Heat over medium, without stirring, for about 5 minutes or until the berries begin to break down.
2. Continue cooking the blackberries and sugar, stirring every 5 minutes, until the sugar is completely melted and has begun to simmer.
3. Strain the blackberry syrup into a bowl through a fine mesh strainer. Work very slowly and gently, or the berries will get crushed and the syrup will not be clear. Let the berries sit in the strainer for at least 1 hour so all the juices will run out.
4. Store the blackberry syrup in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator or freezer.
If you find that your wine collection is increasing, but you're running out of space, it might be time to build a wine rack to store your spirits. A wine rack will keep your bottles neat, safe and easily accessible to you when you would like to access a bottle. This article explains build a basic wine rack.
Instructions
1. If your wine collection is relatively small, it is best to start with a simple table top wine rack. This is easily made in a short amount of time, at minimal expense. Create what will loosely resemble a book shelf frame out of your wood. You can use a hammer and nails to secure the shelves, or you can use a nail gun for faster assembly.
2. Do not add a back to your shelves, leave your frame as an open air design. Ensure that your rack is sturdy before moving on to the next step.
3. On each shelf, add two strips of wood with three inches of separation in between each pair of wood strips, perpendicular to the front of the frame. Repeat across the shelf until you are out of room. Each pair of wood strips will serve as a secure resting place for each bottle of wine.
4. Sand all of the surfaces and edges of the wine rack with the sander, paying special attention to the corners and sharp edges. Begin with a coarse paper, and finish with a finer grit to ensure smoothness and uniformity.
5. Use a wood stain of your choice to stain the wood and make your wine shelf more attractive. Varnish to protect once the stain is dry.
6. Alternatively, you can purchase a wine rack kit online or in most home improvement stores which come with everything you need to make either a standard wine cellar rack, a wine bin, wine cube or other wine storage.
Tags: wine rack, your wine, pair wood, pair wood strips, that your, wine collection, wine rack
Growing your own black tomatoes from seed can fill up a garden.
Black tomatoes started appearing in gardens in the early 2000s. Within a few years, they became highly sought-after varieties. Many of the original seeds came from Eastern Europe as illustrated by their names, such as Purple Russian, Black From Tula and Black Krim. Others, such as the Japanese Black Trifele and the Black Ethiopian, come from around the world.
Considerations
A black tomato's colors range from dark purple and maroon into deep brown. Some varieties have highlights of pink and green. There are cherry- and plum-style black tomatoes, along with larger ones for slicing. Black tomatoes grow as other varieties and need the same conditions. Many varieties are not sold in garden centers and are only available through catalogs and the Internet.
Ripeness
Judging the ripeness of a black tomato is the same as with other types. The color darkens as the tomato ripens, and the flesh feels soft to the touch. A firm-fleshed tomato, such as a plum, has just a little give. Ripe tomatoes generally separate from the vine with little pressure. Because the color is different from the standard red tomato, it may take some experience to judge exactly when to pick the black tomato.
Taste
The taste of a black tomato is subtlety different from other tomatoes and is driving much of its increasing popularity. The flavor is described as having, "especially bold, complex and earthy flavors" by Gary Ibsen, noted expert and author on tomatoes. Others describe the flavor of many of the varieties as "smoky" with complex, rich flavors that blend sugar and acid. The Paul Robeson was selected the overall best-tasting tomato at the Carmel TomatoFest in the late 2000s.
Using Black Tomatoes
Black tomatoes can substitute for other tomatoes in many recipes. It is best avoided where a delicate hint is preferred. The earthy flavor overpowers other, weaker flavors. Roasting the black tomatoes on the grill or in the oven intensifies their already-strong flavor and adds more sweetness to it. Whether chopped fresh for salads or cooked into stews and soups, black tomatoes just off the vine create a new taste sensation for gardeners.
Tags: black tomato, black tomatoes, different from, other tomatoes
Wine adds depth of flavor and acidity to sauces, but you can substitute a variety of ingredients.
Wine is used in a few ways in cooking. Red and white wines are most often used to marinate meats or deglaze a pan when making a sauce. Champagne is mostly in sauces and desserts. There are several substitutes for when you don't want to add alcohol to your recipe.
Red Wine
Substitutes for red wine in cooking should add the depth of flavor that the wine would have. Diluted red wine vinegar is a natural choice for marinades. Add approximately a one to one ratio of water and vinegar, along with a little sugar. Tomato juice, beef broth or cranberry juice all work for deglazing a pan.
White Wine
If the recipe calls for white wine to tenderize meat, substitute diluted white wine vinegar along with sugar. For deglazing a pan, instead of white wine, you can use apple or grape juice diluted with vinegar, chicken or vegetable stock, liquid from canned mushrooms or even just water if you will get enough flavor from the other ingredients.
Champagne
Champagne isn't used in cooking as often as red and white wines. It is used in desserts, often with strawberries, or in sauces as other wines might be used. Substitute sparkling white grape juice, soda water or ginger ale to get the acidity and sweetness in the recipe. You can purchase champagne extract to add extra flavor if you wish.
Tags: white wine, along with, depth flavor, grape juice, vinegar along
If you've had a kitchen mishap and your roasting pan is caked with black burned-on gunk, don't throw out that ugly pan. With a little elbow greased, it can be salvaged.
Instructions
1. Fill the roasting pan with ammonia and put the entire pan in a large plastic garbage bag. Tie the top of the bag securely and put the pan away for a few days. Remove the bag, dispose of the ammonia, and wash the roasting pan as usual.
2. Fill the roasting pan with water and squeeze in a generous dollop of dishwashing liquid. Put the roasting pan on a burner and bring the soapy water to a boil. Let it boil for several minutes and then turn the heat off, allow it to cool and scrub the roasting pan as usual.
3. Sprinkle baking soda on the burned areas. Mix 1/3 cup of vinegar with 1 cup of hot water and pour it over the baking soda. Allow it to fizz and bubble for a while, and scrub the pan clean.
4. Spray the roasting pan with oven cleaner in a well ventilated area. Lay the pan on a thick layer of newspapers and let it sit overnight. Soak it in a sink full of hot water the next morning, and wash it with dishwashing detergent.
Tags: roasting with, baking soda, Fill roasting, Fill roasting with, roasting usual
This is a great pickled garlic recipe. It's fun to put together and enjoy with a nice glass of red wine. The following article will detail all the steps for making this pickled garlic recipe.
Instructions
1. For this pickled garlic recipe you will need to prepare the spiced brine ahead of time. Place the pepper flakes, the ground mustard, the salt and the sugar in a mason jar with the white wine and white vinegar. Let this mixture stand for 48 hours in the refrigerator. If the sugar is not dissolving, give it a good shake every few hours.
2. Peel all the garlic. Make sure you do not leave any paper on the garlic cloves for this pickled garlic recipe.
3. Chop up the red bell pepper into quarter inch square pieces. If you prefer bigger pieces, you can do that.
4. Let the brine sit on the counter so that any spices which are floating in it sink to the bottom. This pickled garlic recipe should not have anything floating in it besides garlic and bell pepper.
5. Pack your mason jars with the garlic and bell pepper. Make sure they are packed full to the top.
6. Slowly pour the brine over the packed garlic to fill the mason jars. If you pour slowly, you should be able to leave the majority of the spices in the bottom of the jar instead of transferring it to the garlic. Much of the flavor should have already been infused into the brine and will now infuse into the garlic.
7. Seal the jars with scalded lids and place in a hot water bath for 10 minutes to seal them. Store these in a cold dark place for 2-4 weeks before eating them.
Tags: pickled garlic, pickled garlic recipe, bell pepper, garlic recipe, this pickled, garlic bell
A chocolate fountain is ideal for parties or celebrations. It provides tasty treats and a stunning centerpiece. Melted chocolate is pumped through the fountain system and falls over the top tier, oozing down. Adults and kids love it, and you can provide dozens of items to dip in the chocolate. Chocolate fountains are less expensive than other centerpieces, such as wedding cake, and it doesn't hurt to keep in mind that chocolate is an antioxidant as well.
Where to Use a Chocolate Fountain
There are several events you can use a chocolate fountain at. These include birthday parties, bar or bat mitzvahs, weddings, engagement parties, going away parties, welcome home parties, christenings, baby showers, holiday parties (such as Halloween, Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, Fourth of July), bachelorette parties, conferences and exhibitions. At events such as these, there are usually food tables already set up buffet-style or with platters. A chocolate fountain is best placed in the middle of these tables as the centerpiece. Decorate around it with greenery, flowers, themed objects or photographs.
Chocolate Ideas
Creating the chocolate to put in the fountain is fairly simple. You simmer cream over medium heat, then stir in chopped up pieces of chocolate. When the chocolate begins to melt, you can add in other things that you desire. You can use many of different varieties of chocolate for a chocolate fountain. Besides just white, dark, or milk chocolate, imagine mixing the chocolate with something else, such as caramel, honey or butterscotch. You can also add an exotic twist by adding flavored liquor, such as coffee or orange, or rum. Other ideas include chunks of peanut butter, fruit purees, fruit zests like lemon or orange, espresso powder, spices, or herbs such as mint or hibiscus.
What To Dip Into the Chocolate
You can dip whatever you like into the chocolate fountain, but it is always ideal to have a variety of items ranging from sweet to salty to savory. You can pretty much use any type of fruit, but the most popular include strawberries, cherries, pineapple, banana (raw or grilled), berries, apples, tangerines, oranges, pears, dried fruit, peaches, pomegranate and figs. Other ideal dipping items include marshmallows, biscotti, ladyfingers, gummy candies, gingerbread, sugar cookies, cubed brioche, baklava, fruitcake, chopped nuts (to sprinkle on dipped items) thick cut potato chips, candied ginger, Rice Crispies squares, pretzels, angel food cake, graham crackers, amaretti, brownies, meringue cookies and animal crackers.
Coming up with creative ways to cut costs without sacrificing the wedding of your dreams can be hard. But, little cost-cutting efforts can sometimes generate the best memories. With only a sketch pad and a few stitches, you can design a one-of-a-kind cake topper to cherish.
Instructions
1. Before you actually begin making the cake topper, take some time to brainstorm. In a perfect wedding, what does your cake topper look like? Look through bridal magazines for some ideas, and ask friends and families about what they've seen at other weddings they've attended.
2. Sketch out the design. Play with it. Are the bride and groom dressed in the traditional wedding dress and tuxedo, or something less traditional? What about adding details such as flowers and leaves, or clear ornaments that look like bubbles, or even some small shimmering stars? How about adding a cascade of beads? Should the topper be all-white, or do you want to add some color? Want a knight in shining armor or a damsel in distress on your cake? Children's toys are a great alternative.
3. Make a list of materials you'll need in addition to a base, figurines or dolls, fabric and glue. Head to the nearest crafts store for supplies. Most craft stores sell basic cake toppers, bases and figurines.
4. Time to get to work. Depending on the type of base you choose, you may have to glue the figurines onto the base first. Check the instructions that came with the base.
5. Now it's time to customize the bride figurine. Wrap a strip of fabric around the bride create a simple bodice. To create a skirt, wrap a larger piece around the waist, and gather the edges as you glue it to the figure. Lay the material in a variety of ways on your figurines and tack it in place with a few stitches. Once you're satisfied everything is just the way you want it, glue the bodice and skirt in place and remove the stitches.
6. Stand up your cake topper and let it dry. Ask a trusted friend or relative to deliver the topper to the reception hall on the big day, and make sure it is put on the cake.
Tags: cake topper, your cake, about adding, look like, your cake topper
For a perfect pot of rice, steaming has advantages over boiling. The rice cooks more evenly, and there is less risk of the it burning. Having an appliance devoted to cooking rice may not be a necessity in some households, if you cook a lot of rice, it can make your life easier -- and your rice consistently well-cooked.
Stove Top Steamer Pot
A stove top steamer cooks rice on the stove with indirect heat. The design is similar to a doubleboiler, but instead of a solid-bottomed pan sitting over a boiling water bath, the pan had small holes in it. Water is placed in the bottom pan, and measured rice into the top pan. When the water boils, it steams the rice without touching it. You have to time the cooking based on the type of rice; long grain white rice takes about 20 to 25 minutes.
Electric Rice Cooker and Steamer
A basic electric rice cooker/steamer will cook your rice in about 15 to 20 minutes, then either shut itself off or switch to warming mode. Measure the rice and water -- usually two parts water to one part rice for long grain white rice -- pour it into the pot, and turn it on. To reduce the amount of starchy residue that can stick to the warmer -- and the rice -- rinse the rice in a bowl before cooking it: Pour cold water over the rice and stir with your hand until the water is cloudy, then drain and repeat until the water stays clear.
Microwave Steamer
A microwave rice steamer works in the same way as a stove top steamer, but it's made of microwave safe material, usually a type of plastic. Microwave steaming takes less time for small amounts of rice, but can the same amount of time or more for larger quantities. For 2 cups of cooked white rice, it takes about 15 minutes. Microwave steamers are easier to clean and store than electric steamers, and are usually less expensive.
Bamboo Steamer
A bamboo steamer is a traditional type of rice steamer. It works in the same way as a stove top steamer, with hot steam from a pot or wok cooking the rice, which rests in a bamboo basket. The pot of a Thai sticky rice steamer can be placed directly on a stove top burner to boil the water, or it can be heated with coals. Round basket steamers are designed for use in an electric or stove top wok; water is heated in the bottom of the wok, and the basket of rice is placed on top.
Tags: rice steamer, about minutes, white rice, cooking rice, grain white