After harvesting, caviar, or sturgeon roe, is graded by size and color (just like pearls). Caviar typically comes from one of three species of sturgeon: beluga, the largest of the fish; osetra, the second largest sturgeon; or sevruga. These types of caviar all come from the Caspian Sea area.
Instructions
1. Select caviar that has been processed "malassol," or "little salt."
2. Taste all three kinds of caviar to determine what you like. Beluga caviar is light or dark gray with largish roe. Osetra is golden or dark brown, also with large eggs. Osetra eggs are occasionally light gold. Sevruga roe are small and dark gray.
3. Understand that caviar is graded according to the size and color of the egg. Some people swear by lighter caviar with larger eggs, but others say the grading doesn't necessarily make a difference.
4. Avoid using silver or stainless steel spoons when eating caviar - they give the eggs a tinny taste. Traditionally, horn, bone, mother-of-pearl or even gold spoons are used, but you can use glass or wood.
5. Ask when the caviar was harvested when making your purchase. You want the freshest caviar you can get.
Spend quality time with your children in the kitchen.
Spend a few fun minutes in the kitchen with your kids on Christmas morning. Prepare traditional breakfast dishes and allow your children to enhance the initial recipe with their tasty, sweet, colorful additions. Fruits work well as a healthy alternative to processed sugary toppings. Try raspberries, strawberries, honeydew melon, kiwis and cherries.
Chocolate Chip Santa Pancakes
Chocolate Chip Santa Pancakes are a twist on a fun breakfast food kids love to enjoy. Use a pre-boxed mix and add the chips, or make these pancakes from scratch. The recipe calls for butter, milk, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, eggs, and chocolate chips. This recipe takes approximately five minutes of preparation and 15 minutes to cook. Substitute a bag of chocolate chips with red, green and white coating in honor of the holiday. Allow kids to decorate the surface of their pancakes to look like St. Nick. A can of whipped cream makes the beard and hair. A tube of red icing or red string licorice makes a festive hat, and dark chocolate chips work as the eyes, nose and mouth.
Mini Bagel Wreaths
Make mini bagel wreaths with a few simple ingredients. Best of all, no baking is necessary. Just toast the bagels and add cream cheese. Keep in mind that cream cheese comes in different flavors and colors. Encourage children to decorate their own bagels. Provide them with several options--all green and red--in bowls, and allow them to use as many sweet treats as they see fit. Green and red M&M's, colored chocolate chips, cookie decorating candies, jelly beans, marshmallows and cherries all make appropriate toppings. For a healthier option, sprinkle with green, red and yellow peppers to give the dish a festive confetti.
Breakfast Christmas Tree
Breakfast Christmas Tree is easy enough to make that kids can help prepare it. It requires few ingredients--butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, red and green decorating sugar, regular granulated sugar, two packages of crescent rolls, orange zest and orange juice. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Open both containers of the rolls but do not unravel; slice into 11 equal pieces and flatten. Use 10 pieces to form an evergreen tree shape on the baking pan and the final piece for the trunk. Brush the 3 Tbsp. regular sugar, 2 Tbsp. melted butter and 1 tsp. orange zest on the dough and bake 20 minutes. Cream 2 oz. cream cheese in a mixer and blend in 2 Tbsp. orange juice and 1 cup powdered sugar. After baking is completed, add cream cheese mixture as a topping and sprinkle with red and green sugar.
Tags: cream cheese, chocolate chips, with green, Breakfast Christmas, Breakfast Christmas Tree, Chip Santa, Chip Santa Pancakes
Making a soup or other food that is too spicy is a common kitchen mistake. Even a small amount of spice or pepper may be too much. Additionally individuals have different responses to spice as some people are highly affected by a small amount while others will need a lot of spice before they notice the hotness or spiciness of the soups. However there are many items present in the kitchen that can be used to counteract this spiciness to create a milder soup.
Instructions
1. Make up a second batch of soup and add this to the too spicy soup. This will dilute the spiciness of the soup. Add only a small amount of the new batch of soup to reduce the spiciness a small amount or add the whole batch of new soup to reduce the spiciness by half.
2. Add a can of crushed pineapple to the soup as the sweetness will reduce the spiciness. The pineapple will not greatly alter the consistency, texture or taste of the dish. If you do not want to add pineapple then you can add a small amount of sugar, though you do need to be careful. Adding too much sugar can make the soup taste sweet.
3. Add some citrus juice, such as lemon juice or lime juice to the soup. This acid will also counteract the spiciness of the soup. However if the soup contains dairy products and is creamy do not add citrus as it can cause the dairy product to curdle. However if there is already citrus as a soup ingredients simply increase the amount to counteract the spiciness.
4. Add a dairy product to the soup as it produces a cooling effect. This is a good choice if the soup is creamy and already contains dairy products. However you can also offer sour cream or cheese to each person when serving the soup. This allows the guest to alter the spiciness to his own taste. You can also offer milk to drink with the soup as this also cools the mouth.
Tags: small amount, reduce spiciness, batch soup, soup reduce, soup reduce spiciness, also offer, batch soup reduce
Who doesn't like a yummy apple turnover? Or even just the smell of those turnovers cooking. How would you like to have both the smell of them cooking in the over filling your home and then the pleasure of eating them afterwards? With the following simple and easy to follow directions you should be able to accomplish those goals.
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Gather all of the ingredients and measuring cups. Here you will also need to make sure that the apples are peeled, cored and chopped. Also, in the small mixing bowl you need to mix 2 tsps. of sugar with ? tsp. of cinnamon to make the "cinnamon sugar" unless you have the store bought kind that is premixed.
2. Combine all of the filling ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
3. Prepare Phyllo dough. Place the stacked sheets of Phyllo dough on a flat surface. Cut the dough lengthwise in three wide strips about 4 inches wide. Keep the dough covered with a damp paper towel so that it doesn't dry out.
4. Make the turnovers. Place one strip of Phyllo dough on a flat clean work surface and lightly coat the strip with the cooking spray. Top with a second strip of dough. Pile one heaping teaspoon of filing at one end of the dough about an inch from the corner. Now, fold the opposite corner at the same end over the filling forming a triangle shape. Continue folding and wrapping up the strip folding a flag until the end. Use this process to make the other turnovers.
Hair can be considered a crowning glory for many women and a sign of youth and vitality for men. When men and women begin to lose their hair, this can become a source of insecurity. In addition to products like Rogaine or other prescription medications, there are many natural remedies, like eating pumpkin seeds, that may help grow hair.
Nutrients in Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds contain fatty oils with linoleic acid and oleic acid, both known to prevent cancer-causing cell production. They are also an excellent source of vitamins A, B6 and C. In addition, the seeds contain beneficial nutrients like zinc, magnesium, calcium and iron. Perhaps most important to those suffering from hair loss, the seeds contain cucurbitin, a unique amino that may be responsible for pumpkin seeds' effects on hair growth.
Effect on Hair Growth
There are many causes of hair loss, including poor health or long-term illness, genetics, stress and hormonal imbalance. A lack of important nutrients in your diet can also lead to hair loss or a nonproductive scalp. The oil from pumpkin seeds are believed to effect testosterone and androgen levels in the body. Lack of androgens in the body is believed to be a primary cause of hair loss. Eating a handful of seeds a day can benefit in the fight for hair growth.
Where and What to Buy
Pumpkin seeds are readily available at many grocery, health food and convenient stores, making them an easy addition to your shopping list. You can buy pumpkin seeds raw, dried, shelled, salted or roasted. Another option is to go for pumpkin seed oil. Because it has a strong flavor, mixing it with other oils or dressings can improve the taste.
Ways to Add to Your Diet
Eating a handful of pumpkin seeds is easy enough, but if you're looking for variety try tossing them into a salad for a crunchy addition. Sprinkle them in your bread or other baking recipes for added fiber, or add a small scoop to soup to give it a nutty flavor.
Toast pumpkin seeds at home for a spicy snack. First, bake them on a cookie sheet for about one hour at 300 degrees to dry the seeds. Then add 1 tbsp. of olive oil and 1 tsp. of cumin to a skillet. Add crushed red pepper, garlic powder or cardamon, depending on your preference. Cook the seeds in the skillet until toasted. Once cool, enjoy anytime as a spicy treat.
Time Frame for Results
Do not expect to see a change in hair growth immediately. It can take anywhere from six months to a year to notice changes. Patience is key in most attempts to improve hair growth.
When you're watching your weight every little calorie counts. Luckily there are so many substitutions for your guilty pleasures, with the right choices you won't even miss a thing. If you're craving a delicious, hearty sandwich but are stumped on what will work with your low-calorie diet, there are plenty of options available to you. No matter if you're looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth or need something that's filling, you can build a sandwich suitable to satisfy your hunger and your waistline.
Hot Off The Grill
Fire up the grill and throw on a few boneless skinless chicken breasts with plenty of seasonings. Shower your breasts with peppers and onions or flavor-adding herbs and spices from your spice rack. Peel the well-done poultry off of the fire and lay on a low-calorie wheat bun topped with spicy brown mustard, a half piece of provolone cheese and lettuce and tomatoes. Split the breast in half and chop into smaller pieces if you wish; your finished sandwich should set you back only about 400 calories.
Meatballs
If you've been missing your meatball sub from the dirty little sub shop around the corner, rid yourself of the calories and cholesterol by creating your own healthy rendition. Substitute ground turkey for ground beef or pork. Mix black pepper, sage, oregano, onion powder and fresh garlic in your meat mix then separate and roll into large meatballs. For your serving size, roll the balls into 1 oz. portions, about three to four meatballs should fit in the palm of your hand. Brown meatballs and line a low-calorie wheat loaf with a few sprinkles of Parmesan cheese. Top the meaty concoction with a low-calorie pasta sauce and sprinkle some oregano on top. Enjoy a yummy sandwich that's easily a third of the original calories, giving you a safe 300 calories.
PB&J
When your inner kindergartner comes out and you must have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, play it smart by looking at labels to get your childhood favorite. Choose a peanut butter that has the lowest amount of fat and pay close attention to your labels for a low calorie option. Choose a sugar free jelly for your filler to cut the calories easily. For only a few calories over 200, you'll be happy to have your favorite snack in low-calorie form.
The Green Stuff
If you're fan of veggies, you'll have no problem cutting calories. Stock a low-calorie vegetable wrap with lettuce, spinach, tomatoes and plenty of seasonings of your choice. Add a low-fat Italian dressing and wrap tightly. At 260 calories, you can afford to eat another one.
Preserve vegetables in a vinegar solution to make pickles. The most common one is a cucumber, but others such as squash, tomatoes and even pumpkin make unusual pickles. Pumpkin is available fresh during the fall months when it is plentiful and reasonably priced. Buy discounted pumpkins right after Halloween, slice them up and make some sweet pickles for a different side dish or accompaniment for sandwiches and burgers.
Instructions
1. Peel a fresh pumpkin; discard the seeds and inner pulp. Cut it into long slices that will fit easily into pint canning jars. Place the sliced pumpkin in a metal colander and set over a saucepan of boiling water. Do not allow the pumpkin to touch the water. Cover the pan and steam approximately 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside while preparing the vinegar mixture.
2. Mix vinegar and sugar. Combine turmeric, celery seeds, mustard seeds and salt in a small saucepan. Add any other desired spices. Cinnamon sticks add a different taste. Simmer on low heat for approximately 15 minutes. Add prepared pumpkin slices and simmer for three more minutes. Remove from heat and allow this mixture to stand at room temperature for about 24 hours.
3. Heat and simmer the pumpkin mixture for five minutes. If you used a cinnamon stick, remove it now. Pack the hot mixture in hot canning jars. Leave at least 1/2-inch space at the top of the jar. Secure flats and rings on each jar and tighten. Fill a heavy kettle with water and bring to a rolling boil. Place the jars into the hot water bath and process for 10 minutes. Cover the jars completely with water. After processing, use tongs to remove from water and then set aside to cool. A loud "popping" sound from each lid indicates a properly sealed jar. Store in a cool place or in the refrigerator.
Tags: approximately minutes, canning jars, with water
Dull knives can cost you time and make your work more difficult. Buy a good butcher knife to make cutting up large pieces of meat easier. Follow these tips to buy a butcher knife.
Instructions
1. Know what you want the knife to do so you can choose the right kind of knife for the job. Some knives are made for cutting meat and others are made for cutting vegetables.
2. Understand the difference between a butcher knife and other kinds of meat knives. Butcher knives chop up big hunks of meat and carving knives slice steaks and smaller pieces.
3. Choose a stiff, thick blade that is not bendable. A harder blade holds its sharpness longer and cuts through thicknesses of meat better.
4. Check that the metal runs the whole length of the handle to increase sturdiness. You don't want the blade to bend where the handle meets the blade.
5. Pick the right size for your needs. Buy a large butcher knife if you are using it for large-scale industrial work as in a restaurant and buy a smaller butcher knife for home use.
6. Compare quality with prices. Great quality butcher knives don't necessarily have to cost top dollar. They come in a large range of prices, from around $40 to $200 for a top-line brand.
7. Buy a butcher knife in a set of knives to get a better price. Prices per knife come down as quantity goes up. You will probably need a variety of knives for all your cutting needs.
Mango wine is a delicious, fragrant and golden wine, though it takes patience to make and time to age before you can enjoy it. This wine goes with almost any meal and tastes great over ice. The following steps will show you make your own mango wine.
Instructions
1. Put 3 to 4 pounds of fresh, peeled mango into a straining bag, tie the bag and place it into a primary fermentor. Use a potato masher or your hands to mash the fruit.
2. Measure out 3 and a half quarts of water into a sauce pan and bring the water to a boil. Add 2 and a half pounds of sugar and stir until the mixture is a syrupy consistency.
3. Allow the syrup mixture to cool until it is a little warmer than room temperature. Pour the syrup mixture over the mango in the fermentor.
4. Measure out 1/4 teaspoon of tannin and add to the fermentor. Also add 1 1/2 teaspoons of acid blend, 2 campden tablets and 1 teaspoon of yeast nutrient into to the mixture.
5. Cover the fermentor and store for 1 day at room temperature. After this time period, add ? teaspoon of pectic enzyme and cover again and let sit for 12 more hours. Add 1 teaspoon of Montrachet or Champagne wine yeast to the fermentor.
6. Squeeze the straining bag 2 to 3 times a day for 10 days. After the tenth day, drip drain the bag into the mixture and squeeze to get all the juice out. Discard the bag and pulp.
7. Allow the wine to set overnight and siphon it into the secondary fermentor. Do not stir before pouring. You don't want to stir up the sediment on the bottom of the fermentor during this process.
8. Attach the airlock to the secondary fermentor. After letting it sit for 30 days, siphon the wine off the sediment (called racking the wine) and return the wine to the fermentor. Rack the wine again once every 2wo months for 6 months and let it sit for 10 days before racking it into bottles.
Tags: into mixture, room temperature, secondary fermentor, syrup mixture
Although it can be expensive, raw sushi-grade fish is typically of higher-quality than its cook-and-eat counterparts. Sushi-grade fish is cut into thin slices and served atop rice as sashimi, or used to create sushi rolls. Some types of sushi-grade fish include salmon, tuna, mackerel and yellowtail. Be sure to store delicate sushi-grade fish properly to ensure the best taste and prevent the possibility of food-borne illness. Always place raw fish in a refrigerator or freezer immediately upon bringing it home from the store.
Instructions
1. Leave raw, sushi-grade fish in its original wrapper when preparing to refrigerate it. Place the fish in the coldest section of your refrigerator, where you can store it for up to two days. Make sure your refrigerator is set between 32 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Prepare the raw fish for freezer storage by wrapping small portions tightly with two layers of food-grade plastic wrap.
3. Place the plastic-wrapped fish onto a cut-to-fit sheet of aluminum foil. Wrap the fish tightly with the foil to create an extra moisture-free barrier.
4. Write the fish type, amount and storage date on a piece of freezer tape to create a convenient label. Attach the tape to the foil package.
5. Store the fish in a freezer set at or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit for two to three months.
Tags: sushi-grade fish, degrees Fahrenheit, fish freezer, sushi-grade fish, tightly with, your refrigerator
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, food-borne illnesses can be prevented by practicing the correct personal hygiene when handling food. While it may seem like common knowledge to wash your hands before dealing with food, you must follow other hygiene procedures to ensure you don't inadvertently spread bacteria and contaminate food.
Hand Washing
Personal hygiene when dealing with food begins with cleaning your hands the right way, especially after using the restroom. It's not enough to just quickly rinse hands with a dab of soap. Run warm water (not overly hot or you can irritate your skin) and wet your hands. Add half a palm full of liquid soap and rub your hands together to form a thick lather. Clean your hands for at least 20 seconds to ensure the soap and warm water have enough time to kill any germs on your hands before you touch any food. Make sure you clean underneath your nails and between your fingers where germs like to hide. Rinse your hands, then dry them completely with a clean towel or air dryer. If any moisture is left on your hands, bacteria can build up.
Gloves
Washing your hands should be sufficient in your own kitchen, but if you're serving a crowd, wear disposable plastic gloves when assembling food. This is especially important if you have any cuts or wounds on your hands. According to the University of Missouri Extension, bacteria can grow in any skin sores and that bacteria can spread to any food you touch with your hands. If you cough, sneeze or rub your nose while wearing your gloves, throw them away and get new ones to prevent spreading any germs.
Hair
If you have long hair, pull it back into a tightly secured bun so it doesn't hang near your face. The University of Missouri Extension reports that hair is a source of bacteria. Hair that hangs loosely is more likely to shed into food and contaminate the dish with germs. When you pull your hair back into a bun, make sure no pieces frame your face or could easily get near your eyes. If you're constantly having to push your hair out of your eyes, you're more likely to spread the germs from your hair to your hands or gloves that handle food.
Contamination
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that it's essential to ensure that bacteria from raw meat and poultry does not contaminate other foods and kitchen surfaces. If proper personal hygiene isn't followed to prevent cross-contamination of meat and poultry with other foods, it can spread food-borne infections such as salmonella or E.coli. Wash your hands or change your gloves every time you handle any type of raw meat or poultry. This includes if you touch any utensil or surface that came into contact with raw meat.
Tags: your hands, meat poultry, your hair, back into, dealing with, dealing with food
Drying fruit helps preserve the quality and taste of the fruit for a long time. Kiwis take less time than most fruits to dry, but plan to spend about four to five hours to complete the drying process.
Instructions
1. Prepare a salt solution with three teaspoons of salt to one gallon of water. This will prevent the kiwi fruit from losing its color. Set aside salt solution.
2. Wash the kiwis. Peel off the skin. Cut out any imperfections of the fruit such as bruises, decayed spots or damages parts.
3. Cut the kiwi into slices. The slices should be about 1/4 of an inch thick.
4. Dip the fruit into the salt solution. This prevents discoloration and browning.
5. Lay wax paper on a baking tray. After dipping the kiwi slices in the salt solution, place them on the wax paper. The wax paper prevents a reaction between the metal baking tray and the fruit.
6. Heat the oven to 140 degrees. Place the baking tray in the oven and bake the kiwis for four hours.
7. Stir the kiwis every two hours for even drying and to prevent them from sticking to one another.
8. Timing may vary so test the fruit every time you stir it. Fruit should not be brittle; instead it should be soft and pliable with no moisture.
9. Cool the kiwis completely before storing them in an airtight container.
Tags: salt solution, baking tray, Kiwis take, Kiwis take less, less time, less time than, most fruits
One of the most recognized and most popular breakfast cereals is Cheerios. The little round sand-colored are oat-flavored morsels. Cheerios are a favorite and familiar among babies, children, teens and adults. Cheerios are not only savored as a breakfast treat; they are eaten and enjoyed all day long.
History
Cheerios made its debut in 1941 as the first ready-to-eat oat cereal that did not require cooking. It was introduced by General Mill located in Golden Valley, Minnesota.
Inventor
Lester Borchardt, an employee at General Mills, receives credit for inventing Cheerios. It was first sold as Cheeri Oats, however another company already owned that name. In 1945, its name was officially change to Cheerios.
Mascot
The first mascot for Cheerios was a cartoon character called Cheeri O'Leary. In 1949, Cheerios sponsored the popular "The Lone Ranger" radio show. Its mass appeal grew and propelled Cheerios to be the top breakfast cereal.
Worldwide Acceptance
Cheerios are enjoyed all over the world in somewhat different versions than the variety popular in the United States. Overseas, Cheerios is sold by Cereal Partners under the Nestle brand. In England and Ireland, they are marketed with five grains and four oat colors: maize, oat, barley, wheat and rice.
New Brands
As sugary cereals grew in popularity, Cheerios embraced the competition by introducing a new brand of Cheerios with a twist of honey and nuts. Honey Nut Cheerios became a big success in 1979 and was soon followed by Apple Cinnamon, MultiGrain, Frosted, Millenios and Berry Burst Cheerios.
Healthy Alternative
Many believe breakfast to be the most important meal of the day. Endorsed by the Heart Foundation, Cheerios claims it is loaded with essential nutrients, fights cholesterol and is a smart choice for the morning meal and as a snack.
Hazelnuts are true nuts that are often used for making confections.
The definition of a true nut is a hard seed that is an indehiscent fruit, which means it doesn't open up at any point in its mature ripened stage. The English language tends to attach the word "nut" to most hard kernels, sometimes including seeds and legumes, which are not classified as nuts in the biological sense of the word. Thus, some of the most common edible true nuts include hazelnuts, chestnuts, acorns and pecans.
Hazelnut
Sometimes referred to as a cob nut or a filbert nut, hazelnuts come from the hazel (Corylus) tree, which is commercially grown in Europe and the Middle East. The nut is edible in its raw state but is often roasted to produce a slightly tart and sweet flavor. Its thin, slightly bitter skin is sometimes removed before culinary applications, which include confectionery pastes, pralines and mixtures with chocolate. Other applications of hazelnuts include beverages, as the flavor has been used to enhance coffees and make liqueurs, such as Frangelico.
Chestnuts
The chestnut can be harvested from any of the eight chestnut trees and scrubs in the beech (Fagaceae) family. Also known as chinkapin, the nut is native to countries in the northern hemisphere, places like the United States, Western Europe and Asia. It is high in starch and low in fat, giving it a nutritional value that is closer to a potato rather than other nuts. It can be extremely perishable and should be stored in temperatures around 40 degrees F, according to C. Bruhn and L. Harris. Though chestnuts are edible raw and roasted, they are often roasted before consumption.
Acorns
Hailing from the oak tree, the acorn is a nut that is encased in a tough leathery shell. The trees can be found in many warm to cold climates, though they are native to the northern hemisphere. Though acorns are consumed by wildlife, they are also included in international cuisines. Before eating acorns, much of the tannic acid is removed by soaking the nuts in a hot water bath. They can then be ground into a flour that is used for culinary applications, such as Japanese acorn cakes or Korean jellies.
Pecans
The pecan is the nut of the hickory tree, which is native to south central areas of the United States and Mexico. The tree bears the pecan nut, which is green at first but turns brown with maturity. The nut, which is an oblong-shaped fruit, can be eaten raw or roasted, and has a buttery flavor. Though there are some savory culinary applications for the nut, pecans are often used in desserts, such as pecan pie and praline candy.
Tags: culinary applications, northern hemisphere, often roasted, often used, tree which, true nuts
A drizzle of chocolate makes everything taste better!
No one can refuse a delicious mixture of chocolate and caramel, especially when it is on a favorite snack food like popcorn. Cooking up a batch of chocolate caramel popcorn might make your hands a little messy, but that's a small price to pay for such a savory after-dinner snack.
Making Caramel
Anyone who has made caramel will tell you that it can be a sticky affair, which makes sense, considering it is mostly hot sugar. In a large saucepan, you need to mix 1 cup sugar, ½ cup corn syrup, and ¼ cup water. This mixture will need to be cooked on medium-high heat. Please note that caramel is prone to excessive bubbling, so a large pot will help alleviate that concern, as well as giving you enough space to add 4 cups of popped popcorn. Do not add the popcorn until the mix achieves a nice, golden-brown color. Pour the warm caramel-covered popcorn onto a sheet of wax paper so that it does not form a massive popcorn clump in the saucepan.
Choosing the Chocolate
The wonderful thing about chocolate is that it comes in different varieties. You can choose white chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate--whatever pleases your palate. Simply warm up one pound of the chosen chocolate and drizzle it over the cooled caramel popcorn with a large spoon. Continue to leave the popcorn on the wax paper to cool.
What Now?
Now you can eat the popcorn, or you can put it into containers to send to friends and neighbors. If you put the cooled popcorn into goodie bags for party favors, people will always want to attend the parties you throw. Whatever you choose to do with it, just make sure the kids don't eat it on your new, white furniture!
If you cook rice too long, or forget to stir the pot as the rice cooks, you often get left with cooked-on residue that is hard to remove. You could try scrubbing down the pan with soapy water or even letting the pot soak in water, but often this is just not enough to remove all of the burned rice. Instead, use something that quickly breaks up the burnt residue and leaves the pot clean and residue-free.
Instructions
1. Fill the pot with equal parts water and white vinegar. Fill until the burned residue is submerged by about 3 inches of liquid.
2. Bring the water and vinegar mixture to a boil, and let it boil for 10 minutes.
3. Allow the liquid to cool slightly and scrub down the pot with a nylon scrubbing pad. Don't use a metal scouring pad, as this can scratch the pot.
4. Continue until you remove all residue. If any burned rice remains, pour vinegar into the pot and let it soak overnight.
5. Wash the pot with warm, soapy water after removing all of the burned residue.
Tags: burned residue, burned rice, down with, soapy water
Children's dietary needs change as they grow. Smaller, less-active children don't need as many calories as teenagers, and girls don't need as many calories as boys. Regardless of age, all children need certain nutrients to help them grow and develop. Pepperidge Farm Goldfish snack crackers aren't a significant source of those nutrients, but they do contain some nutrients.
Calories
Children's caloric needs vary based on their weight and activity levels. A toddler needs between 1,000 and 1,400 calories per day, while an adolescent boy may need up to 2,600 calories. Calories should come from fruits and vegetables, whole grains and foods that contain protein, calcium, vitamins and minerals. One serving of 55 snack crackers contains 150 calories, made up mostly or carbohydrates and fat.
Nutrients
Certain nutrients, including calcium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin A, folic acid and vitamin B6, are often found to be deficient in a child's diet. Goldfish crackers contain 1.08 milligrams of iron, which aids growth and learning. A serving of snack crackers contains none of these other nutrients.
Fat
Experts agree that fat in a child's diet should be restricted after age 2. Children up to age 8 may consume between 33 and 54 grams of fat per day. One serving of crackers contains 6 grams of fat. Goldfish crackers contain .5 grams of saturated fat, which is not recommended in any amount.
Carbohydrates
Toddlers need up to 163 grams of carbohydrates per day, while children ages 4 to 8 should consume 135 to 228 grams per day. One serving of Goldfish crackers contains 20 grams of carbohydrates, which is well within the daily limit.
Protein
Toddlers need plenty of protein -- up to 50 grams per day. Older children need up to 135 grams of protein per day. One serving of snack crackers provides 3 grams of protein per day.
Salt
Children should consume no more than 1,500 to 2,200 milligrams of salt per day. One serving of 55 crackers contains 230 milligrams of sodium, so crackers are within the acceptable nutritional sodium restrictions for children.
Tags: crackers contains, children need, Goldfish crackers, serving snack, serving snack crackers
1. Wash cucumbers thoroughly and cut them into spears. Place the cucumbers in a large plastic container and cover with water. Refrigerate for at least two hours, but no longer than four.
2. Boil jars and lids in a large pot for 10 minutes to sterilize. Place the jars on a cookie sheet covered with a thin dish towel. Leave the lids in hot water.
3. Put three dill weed springs and two garlic clove halves in the bottom of each jar. Pack each jar with cucumbers. Place two dill weed sprigs and two more halves of garlic on top of the cucumbers.
4. Combine the water, vinegar and salt in an enamel pot. Bring the mixture to a boil.
5. Ladle the boiling brine into each jar, leaving a 1/4 inch at the top of each jar. Gently jiggle each jar to release any air bubbles.
6. Wipe the top of each jar with a clean damp cloth. Gently screw on the lids and place the jars in a pan of boiling water. Water should cover more than half of the jar. Boil for 10 minutes.
7. Remove the jars from water and leave them undisturbed for 24 hours. Check to make sure jars are sealed properly and store for up to two years. Pickles can be eaten after eight weeks.
Flour tortilla chips can be made in the simplest manner or by using a more complex method from scratch. If you're going to make them by means of pre-maid packaged tortillas, that's fine: just cut up the tortillas, grease them lightly with a small amount of oil and then bake or fry them until crispy. However, if you're going to start from scratch, you'll need 3 cups of flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 4 tbsp. margarine and 1 1/4 cups warm water.
Making the Dough
Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl until well combined. Cut in the margarine with a fork until all the dry ingredients are well mingled with the margarine. Mix the dry ingredients and margarine with your hands until it starts to get dough-like. Start adding the warm water, except just do it a little at a time and mix the dough with your hands. You want the dough to be soft but without stickiness. You might find that you use slightly less than 1 1/4 cups of water. That's fine. Judge how much water the dough needs by the quality of the dough in your hands.
Cooking the Tortillas
Divide the lump of dough that you already have into 12 small balls. Set them aside and start to heat up the griddle or comal. You can use a frying pan if you don't have a proper griddle. Put the heat on the stove to medium. You want the heat to be hot enough to heat up the pan but you don't want the tortillas to cook too quickly once they get on it. Roll out the tortillas with a rolling pin until they are almost paper thin. Place each tortilla on the griddle for a few seconds. They barely need any time to cook. Turn the tortilla over and you should see speckles of brown spots all around it.
Making the Tortilla Chips
Lay your finished tortillas in a flat stack. Using a sharp knife, cut the stack in half and then into quarters, so that you have a pile of four equal-sized triangles. Heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Add any spices to your tortilla triangles, such as salt or pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic salt, whatever you like. Place the tortilla pieces evenly around the cookie sheet. You're going to bake the tortillas for approximately six to seven minutes, until their edges start to curl. Be certain to watch the tortillas very carefully after five minutes because they could start to burn easily.
Let the finished chips cool, which will give them more time to crisp and curl slightly.
Alternatives to Baking
Fry the tortilla pieces into crispy chips, if you're so inclined. Put 2 inches of the oil of your choice into a frying pan and heat until hot. Add the chips to the pan and turn them over once. They cook incredibly fast so you have to watch them carefully.
Tags: your hands, baking powder, baking powder salt, flour baking, flour baking powder, from scratch
Salmon has to be on of the most commonly cooked fish recipes. Salmon is a very healthy fish and makes an excellent meal even for those on a diet. If you are looking for a quick an easy way to make salmon, you should give the microwave a try. Here is how you cook salmon in the microwave:
Instructions
1. Head to your local seafood market to pick up some fresh salmon. That is the best way to ensure that you get a fresh piece of fish. If you are not sure tell if a piece of salmon is fresh ask the merchant to give you a quick lesson.
2. When you get home with your Salmon you need to marinate it. Place your salmon in a microwave safe cooking dish and add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Now sprinkle some salt and pepper on the top. Not too much, but definitely more pepper than salt. Then let your marinade sit for at least one hour. You want to do this in the refrigerator instead of leaving it on the counter. That can cause bacteria to start growing whereas the cold temperature of the fridge will keep the fish safe.
3. Once your hour is up, take the Salmon out of the refrigerator and cover with saran wrap. If you have your saran wrap on tight make sure you cut a little slice in the top to allow the steam to vent during cooking.
4. Now place your salmon dish in the microwave and turn on for 4-6 minutes. Microwave times may vary so make sure you keep and eye on the fish. You could even stop and check on it at least once. You will know your salmon is done when it is flakey with touched with a fork.
5. Put the Salmon on a nice serving dish and you are all done!
Tags: your salmon, keep fish, make sure, salmon microwave, saran wrap
Supermarket honey is heated and filtered, making it more appealing looking, but depleting it of any health benefits that the original product contained. There is a much healthier way to buy honey and increase the health benefits you reap from consuming this natural sweetener.
Raw honey (unfiltered, unstrained & unheated and containing pieces from the honeycombs & the bees) is by far the healthiest honey. Phytonutrients found both in honey and propolis have been shown to have cancer-preventing properties. Additionally honey can aid in digestion, treats allergies, and heals wounds. There are many other researched benefits honey provides. The more processed the honey is the less it contains these beneficial phytonutrients.
To find out more about the benefits of raw honey, see Benefits-of-honey.com and ReallyRawHoney.com. To find out buy this healthy honey, read the tips below.
Instructions
1. Decide how raw you really want your honey. There are varying degrees of "advertised" raw honey-some is only heated to a minimum degree or is filtered/strained minimally. If you want the purest, healthiest honey as described above, you will usually have to work directly with a local producer and let them know exactly what you want.
2. Buy honey locally. Local is best because it's produced by bees which are from the environment in which you live. It is always best to consume foods from the area you live as they contain the immune stimulating properties needed for your body to adapt to its environment.
3. Visit your local farmer's market to find honey suppliers and ask them about their honey. Ask them if they would be willing to sell the honey as you request it. Visit Localharvest.org for local honey resources if you are not able to visit a farmer's market.
Use an ice cube tray that's free of cracks when making butter molds.
You can use an ice cube tray to make butter molds the same way you would use it to make ice. Your dinner table will also look more festive when you use decorative trays that are intended for special occasions. For example, make butter molds in shamrock-shaped trays for a St. Patrick's Day party, or create heart-shaped pats of butter for an anniversary dinner.
Instructions
1. Sit a tub of butter on a kitchen counter until the butter softens enough to be scooped with a spoon. This could take one to two hours, depending upon how hard the butter is and the room's temperature.
2. Scoop out 1tbsp. of butter and drop it into an ice cube mold. You might need to add a little more or a little less to completely fill the mold.
3. Press the butter completely into the mold with a small plastic spatula. The mold should be evenly filled, up to the very top.
4. Repeat until all the molds in the tray are filled.
5. Wipe off the top of the tray with a paper towel to remove any excess butter that didn't fit into the molds.
6. Put the ice cube tray in a freezer and leave it there for half an hour.
7. Remove the tray from the freezer. Test that the molds are ready by tapping a fingernail against one of them. If your nail easily scratches the butter, freeze the tray for another 10 minutes.
8. Flip the ice tray over and sit it on top of a cookie sheet.
9. Sit the tray and the cookie sheet beneath a faucet and run hot water over them for a few seconds to loosen the molds.
10. Turn off the water and lift the ice cube tray. The molds should fall out of it. If they don't, flip the tray back over and run it under hot water for a few more seconds. Then, very gently, twist the opposite ends of the tray to pop the molds out.
With the right skills, anyone can carve a giant mum out of a pumpkin.
Kae Sa Luk, the Thai art of fruit and vegetable carving, is about more than creating beautiful garnishes. Like much of Thai culture, it's about elevating simple natural items---in this case, foods---to heights of spectacular, showy beauty. Happily, any cook can learn the art form's basic skills.
History
Kae Sa Luk came into its own as a Thai art form more than 700 years ago. According to Thai legend, a servant of the king invented the art for a festival in the northern province of Sukothai. Written record of the art form is scattered throughout Thai history.
Kae Sa Luk nearly perished after a revolution rocked the country in the 1930s, since most Thai citizens were focused more on day-to-day survival than creating beautiful foodstuffs. As a result, many of its practitioners and patrons rushed to ensure its survival. As a result, the art is now taught in the Thai public school system and in a number of private culinary schools around the country.
Best Items to Carve
Kae Sa Luk practitioners tend to favor firm fruits and vegetables with regular shapes and different colors on and under the skin, such as apples, cucumbers, radishes and carrots. Watermelons hold a special place of favor due to their size, firmness and the range of colors that are exposed as the fruit is carved. However, a skilled carver can do amazing things with even the softest, oddest-shaped subjects. Spring onions are split and curled into grass, soft tomato flesh is spun out to become roses and winged insects, and pineapples reveal cheery, yellow butterflies.
Tools
There are five main tools used in Kae Sa Luk. The first of these is a small knife with a short, thin, straight blade that is usually made specifically for Kae Sa Luk and fitted with an embellished handle. This first tool is tailor made for dipping lightly and carefully into the surface of hard-skinned, soft-fleshed fruits and vegetables. The second tool is a tiny-tipped carving knife used to carve out fine details, such as fish scales in a carrot. Then there's a carving knife with a longer blade to trim larger parts of the fruit or vegetable, a simple peeler and a melon baller, which is used to scoop ball shapes from soft-fleshed fruits. Edible inks and paintbrushes are sometimes used to paint details on the finished carvings.
Schools
Since Kae Sa Luk was born in the inland province of Sukothai, many traditionalists argue that Sukothai is the best place to learn this art. Even so, Kae Sa Luk schools and classes are not uncommon in the rest of Thailand. Bangkok boasts some excellent facilities, and many cooking schools in the Chiang Mai area have special classes in carving technique.
Tips
For those unable to hop on a plane to Thailand, there are plenty of Internet videos that can guide a carving knife. In the absence of a teacher, it's helpful to keep a few things in mind. First, strive to avoid over-carving. Cut the smallest possible amount of material away from the vegetable or fruit you are carving. Secondly, work with cool, clean, firm-fleshed fruits and vegetables. Thirdly, try to carve shapes and sizes that are pleasant to dip into sauces and eat without requiring additional cutting on the plate.
Tags: carving knife, fruits vegetables, creating beautiful, fruit vegetable, knife with, more than, province Sukothai
Paneer is an unaged cheese with Indian roots. It has a very mild flavor, does not melt when cooked and is quite easy to make at home. Paneer is typically served cut into cubes or strips, then fried and mixed into spinach or tomato sauce--often with vegetables--accompanied by a side dish of basmati rice. Because paneer is made without rennet, it is a suitable protein for vegetarians. Use this homemade paneer in your favorite Indian recipes instead of paying a premium for premade paneer at a specialty store.
Instructions
1. Pour milk into pot and set over low heat, stirring occasionally. Let the milk come to a simmer--you want bubbles to form and pop. Leave the heat on.
2. Give the buttermilk a shake, then pour it into the milk, stirring gently. The milk will begin to curdle immediately. Clumps will form and the milk will become lighter, looking more like skim milk than whole.
3. Pour in the acid a few tablespoons at a time, still stirring. More curds will form and the liquid will lose its white color entirely, becoming clear and yellow.
4. Turn off the heat and prepare the sieve. Move the sieve to the sink, letting it balance by itself if possible, and line it with cheesecloth.
5. Pour the curd mixture slowly through the sieve. The liquid (whey) will drain away, leaving the curds. Let the curds drain for approximately 1 hour.
6. Remove the cheesecloth, with the paneer in it, to a flat plate or cutting board. Ensure the cheesecloth is wrapped completely around the cheese and press the package into a rough square, then place the other plate or cutting board on top of it. Weight the top plate or board to encourage more liquid to drain from the paneer. Move the assembly to the refrigerator to drain and compress for approximately 1 to 2 hours.
7. Unwrap the paneer and run it through a food processor for a few minutes or knead it by hand until it is creamy but not too sticky. If the paneer sticks or smears, it needs more draining. If it does not become a coherent ball, it needs just a few drops of milk.
8. Form the paneer into a rough cube and cut into 6- to 8-ounce sections, then rewrap in fresh cheesecloth and a zip-top bag and refrigerate for up to one day or freeze for up to three weeks.
Potato pancakes, also known as latkes, are rather temperamental food in terms of reheating. You can reheat them successfully --- that is, you can if you do so within a few hours of originally cooking them. They reheat better from frozen than from being refrigerated for more than a day or two, so if you do not plan to use your potato pancakes quickly, store them in the freezer until shortly before you wish to eat or serve them.
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 350 F for fresh or refrigerated potato pancakes or 400 F for frozen potato pancakes. Place a baking rack onto a baking sheet.
2. Arrange the potato pancakes, either frozen or fresh, on the baking rack. The pancakes should not overlap or touch, but may be close together. If you cannot fit all of the potato pancakes onto the rack without letting them touch, reheat them in batches instead of all at once.
3. Place the baking sheet and rack holding the potato pancakes into your preheated oven. Bake them for approximately five minutes for fresh potato pancakes to 10 minutes for frozen potato pancakes. To check their doneness, insert a food thermometer into the center of one of the pancakes. They are ready to eat when they reach 165 F.
Strawberries are full of fiber, potassium, vitamin C and phytonutrients.
Strawberries are one of the most recognizable fruits. It's hard to confuse that teardrop shape, bright red color and those indistinguishable spots for another piece of produce. Many often wonder what the spots are and why strawberries have so many of them. When you bite into a strawberry, the spots are everywhere, but not everybody knows why. The question of why strawberries have spots has a simple answer. As with every piece of life, a strawberry's spots serve a biological function.
What are the Spots?
When you bite into a strawberry, the texture is smooth, squishy and a little bit crunchy. The crunchiness is all thanks to those pesky little spots. It may seem like the crunch lasts forever because, on average, there are over 200 spots in a strawberry. The reason the spots are crunchy is because each spot is a seed.
Function of the Seeds
Simply put, the function of a strawberry seed is to continue the life cycle of the strawberry. Humans have developed methods of cultivating and planting strawberry plants, but nature has its own way of creating new strawberries. As animals eat strawberries off the plant, the leftover strawberry -- the portion not eaten by the animal -- is often discarded. As the discarded portion of the strawberry rests on the ground, it decomposes. Once the strawberry decomposes, it leaves behind nothing but the seeds. The seeds develop into new strawberry plants and the life cycle continues. Seeds are also left on the ground as the strawberry plant dies.
Culinary Uses
Strawberry seeds are small, but they still pack a large punch in many fine dining restaurants. The seeds are used to garnish desserts such as flan, basque cake and ice cream. They are also ground into a powder and used to flavor fruitful dishes, including tarts and custards. When toasted, strawberry seeds develop a nutty flavor. The toasted seeds pair well with earthy dishes such as sweet rolls and breads, including strawberry banana nut bread.
Commercial Uses
Strawberry seeds are edible, but the uses for the seeds are not limited to the kitchen. The oil of strawberry seeds is often extracted and used in many commercial products. The oil by itself is sold as an beauty product which is said to make the human body healthier. The oil is also added to nutrition supplements and beauty products such as body lotions, creams and facial cleansers. The use of strawberry seed oil is not limited to the human body; it is used in some animal health treatments as well.
Tags: into strawberry, bite into, bite into strawberry, human body, life cycle, seeds develop
Mango is a fruit that grows best in a sub-tropical climate. Most mangoes sold in stores in the United States are imported from Mexico. Mango trees are evergreens that grow approximately 60 feet tall with softball-size fruit that have a consistency and taste similar to a firm peach. The exterior is covered in a tough, inedible skin that must be removed prior to use along with a large pit that sits at the center of the fruit.
Instructions
1. Select a ripe mango. When choosing a mango, look for a fruit that yields slightly under gentle pressure. The color of the skin is really not an indicator of ripe fruit; mangoes come in many varieties, some of which remain green after ripening. If you purchase firm or hard mangoes, allow them to sit at room temperature until they ripen, usually this will only take three to six days.
2. Wash the fruit prior to peeling the skin to remove any pesticide residue or germs on the exterior of the fruit from people handling it prior to your purchase. This will avoid your fruit being contaminated during the peeling and chopping process.
3. Cut both ends off to create a flat surface. Use a sharp knife to remove the end of the mango where the stem attached to the tree and the end directly opposite.
4. Tip the mango up on end so it is resting on the surface from which you removed the stem. Run a sharp knife down the sides of the mango removing the skin in strips.
5. Remove the flesh from the pit by sliding the knife down each side of the pit, finally removing the narrow strip of flesh left on the other two sides of the pit. The pit of a mango is more flat than the pit of other fruits. You should be able to see the direction the pit runs from the end you removed where the stem was located. While this is a general guide, you will have to allow the shape of the pit to guide your knife because no two pits are exactly the same.
6. Cube the flesh and enjoy it fresh, in dessert recipes, smoothies or freeze for later use. Mango is a versatile fruit and while it is delicious raw, it can also be used in recipes, such as marinades, chutney, sauces, quick bread, muffins and salsa.
Tags: fruit that, knife down, Mango versatile, Mango versatile fruit, sharp knife, sides mango, versatile fruit
Beets are winter plants (part of the Amaranth family), and a very popularly consumed vegetable, in particular the red-rooted garden beet. They are very nutritious and used in many different types of cooking. They can be grown in the cooler seasons, including autumn and spring (they do very poorly in hotter weather, so growing them in the summertime is not an option).
Benefits
Beets have some terrific nutritional benefits. They have detoxification qualities and are a great source of folate, which is essential for a healthy cardiovascular system, as well as for thriving fetal development. It is a good idea for pregnant women, or women who are thinking about becoming pregnant soon to eat a lot of beets in order to get the folate. Beets are also very low in fat and calories. Additionally, beets are a good source of fiber, and is known to help protect against colon cancer, birth defects and heart disease.
Types
Garden beets, although by far the most popular, are not the only variety of important and essential beets out there. Other types of beets include chard (aka Silverbeet and Crab beet), spinach beet, sugar beet (vital to the production of table sugar) and Mangelwurzel (a crop for animal feed).
History
Beets originate in the Mediterranean region. However, beets started off being used primarily for medicinal purposes. They were grown solely for their leaves. It wasn't until approximately the 1800s when beets became a common food (creative chefs in France then realized their amazing culinary potential).
Potential
Beets have a lot of potential when it comes to cooking. There are countless recipes in which beets are the main ingredient. Some popular beet-based dishes include borscht (very common Eastern European vegetable soup), pickled beets, beets Parmesan, beet roesti with rosemary, summer beet soup and Russian potato salad.
Time Frame
Beets can be found and purchased all year round, but they are primarily a winter vegetable and thrive most when grown in cooler temperatures. Beet season runs from June through October, so you will be able to eat delicious beets all through the hot summer and into the early fall. Summertime is when the most tender, youngest beets are available everywhere.
Hearing the clinking of the ice cubes and the shaking of the martini shaker just makes one feel like relaxing. Once the workday is finished and you're ready to kick back, you can enjoy a martini from the privacy of your own backyard. With just a few fun ingredients, you can mix up your own martinis in no time--and you don't have to be limited to the gin and green olive martini.
Instructions
Procedures
1. Fill a 14 to 16 oz. glass with ice. Pour in the selected liquor and ingredients. Let sit for a few seconds.
2. Pour the liquid and ice into the second glass and then back into the first glass. Alternate pouring into the glasses three or four times.
3. Strain the ice out by placing the lips of the glasses together at a 45-degree angle. (Practice at first with water and ice.) Pour the liquid into your martini glass and serve.
Martini Recipes
4. Raspberry Martini: 1 oz. vodka, 1 oz. Chambord, 1 tsp. honey
5. Bloody Mary Martini: 4 oz. vodka, 2 oz. tomato juice, 1 tsp. green hot sauce, juice of one medium lemon, 1 oz. dill pickle juice, dash of Worcestershire sauce
6. Pina Colada Martini: 2 oz. vodka, 2 oz. Malibu rum, 2 oz. pineapple juice
7. Lemon Martini: 2 oz. vodka, 1 oz. lemon juice, 2 tsp. sugar syrup, lemon peel for garnish
8. Cranberry Martini: 4 oz. vodka, 2 oz . cranberry juice
9. Chocolate Martini: 3 oz. vodka, 1 oz. chocolate liqueur
Tags: Martini vodka, liquid into, Pour liquid, Pour liquid into
Dandelions are commonly eaten in salads and soups.
Dandelions spread their bright, yellow flowers throughout the lawns, parks and roadsides from spring to fall. There are plenty of fun crafts children can create from these flowers. So, get into the yard, pick a few and get crafting.
Dandelion Chains
Collect a bunch of dandelions with the stems attached. Using a fingernail or a similar tool, make a small slit along the stem large enough to pass the head of another dandelion through. Take another dandelion and thread it through the hole and continue until the chain is long enough for a bracelet, crown or necklace. Join the last dandelion to the first to complete the chain.
Pressed Dandelions
Put some dandelions between a sheet of folded baking paper. Carefully put the baking paper between the pages of a heavy book and leave for a few days. This will flatten and dry out the flower. These pressed flowers can be glued to cards or stuck between two pieces of sticky, clear film to make a bookmark.
Dandelion Painting
Dandelions can be used as paint brushes and stamps. Dip the flower head in paint and swirl it across a piece of paper. To make dandelion stamps, dip the flower head in paint and gently dab it down onto the paper. Use a new dandelion for each new paint color.
Miniature Dandelion Garden
Fill a pot with a few pebbles and fill it to half way with soil. Dig up a dandelion plant making sure to get as much of the taproot as possible. Place the dandelion upright in the pot and add more soil pressing down firmly to hold the dandelion in place. Water well and place in a sunny spot. Within a few weeks the flower should have produced more buds and more flowers will appear.
Tags: another dandelion, baking paper, flower head, flower head paint, head paint, stamps flower
Expect your chocolate fountain to be the most popular attraction at weddings, birthdays, baby or wedding showers, reunions, and holiday events. If you have a chocolate fountain, you must also have an assortment of fruits, salty snacks and sweets to dip into the moving display.
Fruits
Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, pineapples, apples, grapes and kiwi are all fruits your guests can enjoy with a chocolate fountain. Keep fruits chilled until just before serving. Include a tall paper cup or other holder with skewer sticks next to your fruit plate. Don't use toothpicks, as they are too thin and may not hold the combined weight of fruits with chocolate.
Salty Snacks
Pretzels are a favorite dipping item for the chocolate fountain. Use whole pretzels or thick pretzel sticks. Skip the thin short pretzel sticks, however, as they can be hard to handle after dipping. Ritz crackers or any other cracker with a wide surface area can also be included. Potato chips are not recommended as they are generally too thin and will become soggy and crumble.
Sweets
Cookies, biscotti and marshmallows are confectionery delights that complement without overpowering the dipping chocolate. With these sweets, guests can enjoy their own creations. This saves you from having to prepare additional desserts.
Display Tips
Your chocolate fountain should be the center of attraction of your food table. Place the fountain at least 6 inches back from the front edge of the table to eliminate the possibility of it falling off the table. If you are also serving hot food or are having a buffet style dinner, set up your fountain display at a separate table. Spread the plates of fruits, pretzels and sweets around the sides of the fountain. Place plates, forks and napkins at each end of the table so that they are accessible from either side.
Preparation and Serving Tips
When preparing fruits, sprinkle a dusting of salt over fruit in a bowl and toss around to ensure every piece has touched the salt. This slows the oxidation process, which turns the fruit brown. Lemon juice also works well. After tossing the fruits, transfer them to a large serving plate and store in the refrigerator. You may also include a cup of skewers with the marshmallows for easier dipping; cookies and crackers have a large enough surface for guests to dip without getting chocolate on their hands.
If you have ever tasted Spanish rice and enjoyed it, than you will love this recipe. It's a simple recipe that the whole family will enjoy.
Instructions
1. Start by adding enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the cauldron generously (about 1/3 cup). Turn on your stove to medium high. Add 1 TBSP of Recaito and 1 TBSP of Sofrito. Mix with oil and allow to simmer. If you are adding salchichon, you can add it in now allowing it to simmer with the other ingredients.
2. Open your can of beans and drain liquid from can. Add beans to hot mixture. Add 2 TBSP of salt and one packet of sazon. Mix well. Allow for this mixture to simmer. Add a 1/4 cup of water if mixture is too dry. (Its too dry if the mixture is sticking to the cauldron or pot.)
3. While the ingredients in the cauldron are simmering, add 2 1/2 cups of rice to a bowl and rinse. Rinse the rice through clean water 2 or 3 times, draining the dirty water before each rinse.
4. Add rice to the simmering ingredients. Mix well. Add hot water to the mixture a little at a time, mixing as you go. Rice should be covered by about 1/4 inch of wet mixture. This equals about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of water. Cook uncovered on medium high until the 1/4 inch of wet ingredients have been absorbed. Mix ingredients once more, cover and lower to low heat.
5. Allow covered pot of rice to cook for 20 minutes. Mix again after 20 minutes. Cover again and allow to cook for an additional 10-15 minutes.
Rice is ready when the rice is not wet and cooked all the way through.
6. Cooking variations depend on cooking pot and range. Rice is not ready if its still hard or wet. If after 30 minutes of cooking, rice is still hard, add water 1 TBSP at a time).
Tags: after minutes, medium high, Rice ready, still hard, water mixture
A chocolate fondue fountain is a tasty and fun experience that all kinds of people can enjoy at your party. Purchasing a fountain can be prohibitively expensive, which is why many people choose to rent one when planning a social gathering or special party occasion. Since a chocolate fondue machine is such a specialty item, it can be tricky finding a store in your area that rents one.
Instructions
1. Locate a shop in your area that has chocolate fondue fountains available for rental. There are search websites available that can help direct you to the appropriate retailer in your city or state. Typically, you will find these types of machines at food equipment stores, wedding/catering rental companies and even some higher end chocolate shops.
2. Contact the store associates to ensure that they have a fountain in stock before visiting the store in person. Don't frustrate yourself with a long trip to a retailer only to find out that the owner has already rented his machine out for the weekend.
3. Complete a rental agreement with the retailer. This typically entails a provision for reimbursement should you damage the machine while it is in your possession. It will also outline the rental price and when the machine is due back at the store.
Tags: area that, chocolate fondue, your area, your area that
Since the time of the Romans, humans have been consuming oysters for sustenance and pleasure. Despite many modern fears about the safety of filter-feeding shellfish due to heavy metal content, oysters are a delicious and healthful choice for the vast majority of potential consumers. While originally considered a food of the lower class, oysters exist on menus at both high-end restaurants and local fried seafood shacks alike.
Oyster Content
Raw oysters consist of 23 percent carbohydrates, 33 percent fat and 44 percent protein. This makes them a balanced food and a good source of protein and Omega-3 fatty acids.
Vitamins and Minerals
Oysters are a good source of zinc, selenium, vitamin D, iron, magnesium and phosphorus.
Zinc
Oysters have 225 mg of zinc per serving (1,500 percent of recommended daily value). According to the International Zinc Association, zinc is an essential mineral for cell division, skin and hair health and immune response.
Selenium
One serving of raw oysters also contains 158 micrograms, or 226 percent of your daily value, of selenium. This mineral is an antioxidant that prevents the buildup of free radicals within cells and aids in immune response.
Amino Acids
Oysters are a complete protein in that they contain all essential amino acids necessary for proper functioning of the human body.
Warnings
The American Pregnancy Association recommends pregnant women avoid the consumption of raw shellfish due to potential heavy metal content and algae-borne illness. Additionally, oysters are high in cholesterol, so those trying to reduce serum cholesterol levels should not eat them.
Tags: daily value, good source, heavy metal, heavy metal content, immune response, metal content
Discover which brand of gum results in the largest bubbles.
Science projects don't have to be boring. One way to get young children interested in the sciences and the scientific method is to create science projects that are entertaining and educational. A bubble gum science project is a perfect example of a fun yet informative project. Although there are countless bubble gum science projects that could be conducted, one of the most interactive experiments is the bubble blowing project. This project uses multiple brands of gum to explore which brand creates the biggest bubbles.
Instructions
1. Purchase five different brands of bubble gum. Make sure the gum is bubble gum and not chewing gum. If possible, try to use the same flavor as well so that you are not introducing any added variables into the experiment.
2. State clearly what your problem is. The problem is the part of the scientific method that conveys the purpose of the experiment. In this case, your problem should be something like "What brand of gum generates the largest bubbles?"
3. State your hypothesis. Which brand of gum do you think will generate the largest bubbles? Add a sentence or two to provide insight into your prediction.
4. Lay out each brand of gum. As you conduct each step of the experiment, write down the step. This will be your project's procedure.
5. Chew the first piece of gum for 10 minutes. Once you have thoroughly chewed the gum for 10 minutes, begin blowing bubbles. You will want to blow 10 bubbles for each brand of gum. Attach a paperclip onto your ruler to mark the zero point. Attach the other paperclip to make a homemade caliper. Slide the other paperclip along the ruler to measure the diameter of each bubble. Write down this diameter on a piece of paper. By the end of the experiment, each piece of gum should have 10 measurements.
6. Take an average of the bubble sizes for each brand of gum. To do this, you will want to add your 10 measurements, and then divide this total by 10. These raw numbers and results are your experiment data.
7. Write your experiment's conclusion. Which bubble gum had the largest bubbles on average? What was the smallest? Was your hypothesis correct?
Tags: largest bubbles, each brand, other paperclip, projects that, science projects that
Brie and gruyere are both high-quality cheeses with bold flavors. The cheeses differ in appearance and general use, but both make functional cheeseboard offerings as well as while cooking. Brie originated in France and is made with cow, goat or sheep milk. The cheese gained popularity due to its production proximity to Paris. Gruyere was originally made in Switzerland and requires the milk of black and white Fribourg cows. Gruyere is a specific type of cheese, but it can also refer to a larger class of cheeses, such as Beaufort, Emmentaler and Gruyere de Comte.
Flavor Profile
Gruyere has a higher quality taste than a standard Swiss cheese. The flavor profile tends to have a nutty notes typical of cheeses made in the Swiss cities. The consistency is buttery and melts well, making it ideal for fondue. At its most mature stage, brie's typical flavor profile includes rich mushroom characteristics. The consistency is creamy, but not runny. The savory taste of brie pairs well with meats such as prosciutto and smoked salmon.
Rind
Gruyere rind is kept constantly moist to prevent cracking. When ready, the rind turns reddish-brown and is tough, indicating that the flavor will have further developed the nutty flavor associated with gruyere. The rind on brie cheese shows you when it is mature and ready to eat. The rind begins to show pigmentation, or a slight change of color. This means the inside should be soft and creamy. You can eat the rind on brie cheese. It is not recommended to eat gruyere's rind due to its maturing in the open air, making it subject to dirt and dust from the atmosphere.
Aging
Gruyere cheese is often aged until five months and then sold. The cheese is easier to cut at this stage. The flavor will be mild compared to a cheese aged a full year, which is more typical of a higher quality cheese. Brie is typically aged for at least four weeks. If left to mature longer, the flavor becomes stronger and the rind darker and crumbly.
Storing
Store gruyere and brie cheese similarly. Wrap the cheese in wax or parchment paper and cover the entire wheel or wedge in plastic wrap. Gruyere cheese keeps for three to four weeks in the refrigerator, while brie will only keep for one week. Wrap both types of cheese in heavy duty aluminum foil and store in the freezer for up to three months.
Have you ever opened your fridge and in a fit of self-pity groaned, "There's nothing to eat!"? If you fill your pantry and refrigerator with the basics below, you can throw together a darn good dinner. Create a simple and savory white bean soup from canned cannellini beans, garlic and chicken stock. Or throw together cooked penne with leftover cheeses, milk and a pinch of dried mustard, cover with bread crumbs and pop it under the broiler for a real treat.
Instructions
1. Stock up on dry goods. These are the staple of the nothing-to-eat kitchen. Flour and baking powder are essential basics. Beans of all varieties are great non-perishables--black, navy, limas, pintos, lentils. Rice and couscous are cheap by the pound, expand when cooking so you get more bang for your buck and they both last incredibly long. Chicken and beef broth have an incredibly long shelf life and are a great flavorful substitute in most cases where water is called for. Dried fruits make for good snacks, and add a nice touch to salads. Canned vegetables, sweeteners and peanut butter round out some of the dry-good necessities.
2. invest in herbs and spices. These can be expensive in a one-off purchase, but small doses are called for, so they last fairly long. They also add great flavor. Stock up on classic, go-with-everythings like basil, pepper varieties, seeds, thyme, salt, oregano and cinnamon. Bay leaves are wonderful addition to soups, broths and most liquid-based cooking methods. Other herbs and spices to build up on are cumin, fennel, ginger, nutmeg, peppercorns and chili powder.
3. Use your refrigerator and freezer to your advantage. Condiments--mayo, mustard, ketchup--last for ages. you can extend the life of your coffee grounds by months if you freeze them (and they still remain relatively loose). Frozen berries are the best type of fruit to stash in the freezer. Bread crumbs, broths and nuts live much longer in your kitchen if placed in the refrigerator after the container is popped open. Many cheeses also have a long refrigerated shelf life, but not all do, so check to be sure before purchasing.
Tags: herbs spices, incredibly long, shelf life, throw together