How Countertop Convection Ovens Will Help You Save Money!

By Jason H. Blacksmith

Why have countertop convection ovens become so popular? A conventional range takes plenty of time to heat and it consumes lots of energy, whether you have got an enormous quantity of food to heat or not, it will heat the entire unit. It also warms up the kitchen when it is on. This is something you do not want, particularly in the hot summer months. There are some certain benefits to employing a countertop convection oven. The most clear is that it saves both energy and cash.

A real advantage to using convection ovens for a countertop at home is that a fan continually circulates hot air inside the unit. This raises the rate of cooking significantly because rather than simply surrounding the food, heat is consistently blown directly on the food. The great part is, the dish that you are cooking will brown on the outside, and keep moisture on the inside. The circulating air in a countertop convection oven evaporates the butter in crust quickly, leaving it fluffy and flaky.

So how does the a countertop convection stove work? With the use of a fan, it forces heated air inside the cooker and circulates it throughout the oven. This air is moved over and around the food, and can produce a much quicker meal than a typical stove.The great thing is, the convection stove cooks food quicker and it also can cook those meals at lower temperatures.

On average, most cooks see about twenty twenty-five percent less time spent cooking with a small convection oven. You can also set the temperature, on average, about twenty-five degrees lower than the temperature you would normally use in cooking the food.

Usually convection stoves are used in the restaurant industry and for commercial cooking, they are also in great demand . Convection ovens are faster and better than standard ovens, and so they are often not cheap. Experienced chefs from around the world believe in them and depend on them for top-notch food.

With the high cost of full sized convection ovens, countertop convection ovens are a workable alternative. You can find them in any size, which is great for both singles and families. They are stylish and come in chrome steel, and really look great as a kitchen accessory. A countertop convection oven is also economical, and allows anyone to use less energy by using it.

About the Author:

Looking to find the best deal on a George Foreman Oven, then visit www.squidoo.com/george-foreman-oven to find the best deal on a George Foreman Convection Ovenfor you!

A Brief Guide to Mexican Cheeses

By Kc Kudra

Most of us in the US have not had much, if any exposure to Mexican cheeses. When we see cheese in Mexican dishes, it is usually familiar types like cheddar or Monterey Jack rather than a queso fresco or cotija. While these common cheeses may indeed pair well with some dishes, they are by no means the only options out there for cooks looking to add a little something to their Mexican recipes.

Mexico has its own cheese making tradition with many different kinds to try. Fortunately for cooks, Mexican cheeses are becoming more widely available, making this part of Mexico's culinary tradition accessible to Americans interested in trying their hand at this exciting cuisine.

Cheese arrived in what is now Mexico with the Spanish, who brought cows and sheep with them as livestock. Before long, the country had its own styles of cheese and these new foods were incorporated into traditional Mexican recipes as well as in adaptations of dishes introduced by the Spanish colonists. Different types of cheeses were made to complement different dishes and some cheeses from Spain also became popular in the new world, particularly queso fresco and manchego.

Quesadillas are one of the more familiar Mexican dishes in the US; however, queso Oaxaca, the cheese customarily used to make them is far less so. This cheese is a mild flavored string cheese, which is great on its own as a snacking cheese as well as being ideal for quesadillas, enchiladas, and other Mexican recipes with melted cheese. If you can find this cheese in your local markets, give it a try the next time you are thinking of making quesadillas at home.

Some have called Cotija Mexico's answer to Romano and Parmesan cheeses. Cotija is a hard, sharp, salty cheese, which can be crumbled or grated into salads or used to top soups and refried beans. The texture and flavor of this cheese are very much like that of the aforementioned Italian cheeses and it does indeed also make a good accompaniment to pasta dishes. Named for the town of Cotija in Mexico's Michoacn state, this is one cheese you should certainly consider trying for yourself.

A popular cheese for the Mexican sandwiches called tortas is queso criollo. This is a pale yellow cheese with a mild, nutty flavor, which is somewhat like Munster. Originally made in the state of Guerrero, this cheese is a good choice for sandwiches of all sorts; you may occasionally even find it grated for use in quesadillas.

Queso fresco is a very popular Mexican cheese, which actually came over from Europe with the conquistadores. Usually made with a mixture of goat and cow milks, this mild cheese is soft and crumbly and is an excellent partner for tacos, salads and for something a little different, you will find that queso fresco is terrific served with fruit.

There are more wonderful Mexican cheeses than there is room here to discuss; but that just means there is more to explore and experiment with in your kitchen! Next time you are planning to cook your favorite Mexican recipes, have a look at your local Mexican grocery, and seek out some new cheeses to add a new and delicious dimension to your old favorites.

About the Author:

Traditional Mexican recipes make a great change from our usual staples and if you want to surprise your family with something deliciously different tonight, why not check out the recipes at MexicanFoodRecipes.org for some inspiring food ideas? Mexican food is nutritious and flavorful and sure to become a family favorite.

Pink Kitchen Accessories To Add Some Fun To Your Mealtime

By Ian Tyrrell

When it comes to cooking, it seems that most of those utensils are just down right boring. Why not add some flair to your cooking with some wonderfully stylish pink kitchen accessories? No matter how you like to cook or how often you cook, you can easily find some wonderful kitchen utensils, sets, electronics, and more in pretty pink to create a great style as you cook your favourite meals. Check out these six pink kitchen accessories that any pink fan can't be without:

Wire Dish Drainer: You no longer have to dry your dishes in that yucky old, plain colored dish drainers any longer. There are some pretty pink wire dish drainers out there that you can buy to dress up your counters, your dishes, and your dish washing time. Pink kitchen accessories are the next stylish wave and you can get in on your part too and throw out that old dish drainer that you have sitting there.

Cutlery Sets: But it's not just dish drainers, you can have some other great pink kitchen accessories to go into your drainer too. You will find some beautiful pink cutlery sets out there, as plain or ornate as you want, to fit any budget. It doesn't matter what your style is, you can find some great silverware sets to show off how much you love your favourite color.

Cooking Utensils: There are more great pink kitchen accessories out there for any cooking style as well. With thousands of other great items out there, you'll find exactly what you want: from tasting spoons, basting brushes, ladles, spaghetti spoons, spatulas, and just about every other type of utensil that you can imagine. Now you can use your favourite color at any time when you're ready to cook it up.

Muffin Pans: Want to whip up a batch of your favourite muffins? You will find some cute pink muffin pans and moulds out there to help you cook in style. You'll easily impress your friends and family as well as be able to create your favourite treats in style. No longer do you have to settle for those old silver or black pans and muffin moulds - you can cook in style.

Party Silverware Sets: While there are some beautiful cutlery sets, there are even more ornate party sets that come in pink. These pink kitchen accessories offer you a wonderful way to express yourself at any party. From birthdays to tea parties, any of your family and friends will appreciate these great pink sets as a way to enjoy some girl time.

Microwave: Now your larger electronics can get in on the fun of pink kitchen accessories as well. You will find that there are several different makes of microwaves out that now come in pink and allow you to add some fun to any meal that you might want to cook. And, with different sizes of microwaves, you'll find the right one for you to fit within your budget.

There are literally thousands of different pink kitchen accessories out there that you can purchase for your home or as a gift. There are different larger electronics, thousands of smaller items, beautiful potholders and place mats and more. Don't rule anything out, chances are it's out there in pink and you can find it pretty easy.

About the Author:

Ian discusses kitchen fashions like pink cutlery and a pink kettle and toaster

Retro Kitchen Aprons - A Potted History

By Abby Cardin

If you remember your grandmother or great grandmother, you probably recall her wearing a kitchen apron whilst she was home and dressed. Kitchen aprons began as a very simple but essential part of a woman's wardrobe and date back before your grandma.

Aprons were designed with one thing in mind. They were to keep your limited wardrobe clean while you did the chores and took care of the children. Wardrobes were small and limited among the middle class women for many centuries. The women of the lower class were even more limited with perhaps two dresses so the aprons were essential. The wealthier woman did not wear an apron since she had staff to take care of chores and nannies to mind the children. But the staff did wear aprons.

The first aprons were made of feed sacks and were not very stylish. They were decorated with simple rick rack and buttons if those items were available and either tied at the back or buttoned down the back. The aprons showed just a few inches of hemline in the 1920s and 1930's. Wasting was not a practice during these hard times so kitchen aprons were made from any fabrics available.

By the time the '50s rolled around, almost all the magazine ads were showing the everyday woman wearing some apron during the day while they made their own fashion statement. In the '50s women were wearing cinched waist aprons and you would never arrive at a home dinner party without seeing your hostess donning a half apron. Some of these aprons were very beautifully embroidered and sheer. Some vintage catalogs and Ebay as well as flea markets and antique shops often house dozens of these aprons.

In the 1960s the full length apron came back and captured the heart of the slogan industry. Smart, cute little sayings were written on the kitchen apron and you were even invited to "Kiss the Cook". Even dad cashed in on these as the Sunday backyard bar-b-ques continued to grow in popularity. The kitchen apron went to the yard, but still never to the stores or down the street.

Before the doctors' white coats they were wearing aprons. Nuns' habits were, and in some cases still are, protected by aprons. Nurses wore aprons as well as hospital technicians who did certain lab work. Children use their dad's old shirts are aprons for finger painting and other art projects. Carpenters were aprons to hold tools and some short aprons to hold the tools are referred to as tool belts, but kitchen aprons are here to stay and are used once again in the modern kitchen as well as the professional kitchen.

When you were a little girl, you probably wanted to use mom's neat new sewing machine and you learned to make your first apron. You were able to make the apron and begin your sewing skills. By junior high, you may have made another apron in home economics class as a quick project to learn more sewing techniques.

Practical, nostalgic, cute and fun, the kitchen apron will never go out of style, regardless of which style you choose. White tops are saved from spaghetti sauce when you keep the kitchen apron covering your decent clothes. Laundry day is less challenging when you don't have to get food stains from grease splatter out of your blouse. The kitchen apron is here and probably always will be!

About the Author:

Kitchen Aprons at Best Kitchen Aprons and Retro Best Kitchen Aprons

Wilton Cake Supplies: Why You Cannot Be a Real Cake Decorator Without Them!

By Maria Campbell

Wilton Cake Supplies offer quality baking and cake decorating tools at affordable prices. Whether you just want to impress your friends and family with your fabulous looking cake, or you are an expert in cake decorating, you need the high quality Wilton cake supplies.

Wilton is probably the most famous name when it comes to cake decorating. This is because Wilton cake supplies, equipment, and tools are made of high quality and are sold at very affordable prices. This company sells everything you?ll ever need for enjoying your hobby.

You will find all the tools necessary for your cake decoration at Wilton. The metal spatulas are heavy and will help you get that smooth finish of icing without much effort.

You?ll also need a good decorating kit. Sometimes it?s cheaper to just buy a kit than purchase each of the Wilton cake supplies individually. A kit should include pastry bags, mixture of tips, tubes, and couplers. There should be at least a few open tips in a variety of styles.

They sell pastry bags of various sizes for your decorating needs. They are easier to use and clean and can be used with different sized couplers and tips.

Some more Wilton cake supplies you need to get are turntables and stands. The company offers a variety of them online, including ones for multi-tier cakes and cupcakes. Make sure you get at least one or two, depending on the type of cake you think you?ll be making the most.

At Wilton supplies you can find all the tools for the special cake you are baking- the special cake pan you are looking for your child?s birthday and you will find quality supplies even to decorate the wedding cake.

You can order Wilton Cake Supplies online now. You can browse through the catalog and find all that you need for your project. Find all the tools necessary to create your dazzling masterpiece.

About the Author:

There are a ton of Wilton Cake Supplies that are available for sale. They make supplies for every level of cake decorating expertise. There are even whole sets that you can purchase if you need a good all around basic set of tools. Check them out at www.CakeDecoratingLessons.net.

Tips to Make a Simple and Easy Pumpkin Soup Recipe

By Kc Kudra

Do you always have leftover pumpkin after Halloween or Thanksgiving, and want to know how to cook it? Do you love pumpkin soup and want to make sure that you do not make any mistakes? Whatever your reason, there are lots of important tips for cooking with this versatile squash relative.

While most people stick to plain old pumpkin desserts, there are lots more options out there. Let us take a look at some of the things you should know about the pumpkin before you get started cooking. You will have a lot more luck!

The first thing you should know is that Halloween jack-o-lantern types of pumpkins are not a great choice for fall recipe use. Unfortunately, these large, sturdy specimens are bred for their looks, toughness, and regular appearance, not for their edibility. They tend to be fibrous and low on taste.

While jack-o-lantern pumpkins are cheap and readily available at supermarkets and roadside stands (especially right after Halloween), they are not always the best pick for eating. They can be fun to feed to local animals and they compost well, but their flesh is not most people's top choice when they want to eat pumpkin.

That does not mean you cannot eat them at all, but it is a good idea to "hide" this type of pumpkin in other foods. Cook your surplus pumpkin down by baking or boiling it, scrape the pulp out of the shell, and blitz it in a food processor once or twice. Then put it in pumpkin bread, cookies, or even chili.

What about foods where pumpkin is the star of the show? When you are going to make a pumpkin pie, or a simple pumpkin soup recipe, sugar pumpkins are the perfect choice. They are full of vitamin A, potassium, fiber and more, and they have a lot more flavor. These are sweet little pumpkins with smooth flesh, making them popular for dessert use. However, they are great in all kinds of savory dishes, too.

Pumpkins can be used in pumpkin soup in chunks, or pureed for a smooth, silky texture. Some recipes even cook the soup right in the pumpkin, and stir the flesh off the walls to make a creamy, interesting texture. It all depends on your preferences. Just make sure you process the pumpkin carefully, according to the recipe directions, to prevent problems with water content or incompletely cooked pumpkins.

Pumpkin is a great choice for making soup, and a whole lot more. By paying attention to the type of pumpkin, you have and making sure that you cook it correctly, you will have a much better chance of getting a great fall meal. Try all the great options for making pumpkin soup, and do not forget to buy the right kind of pumpkin.

About the Author:

Cooking safety and hygiene tips are important to learn. This will keep your kitchen a safe place to prepare and eat food. Teach these skills to your children so they can learn to cook safely and keep their kitchens in a hygienic manner when they grow up. Food safety is very important.

Choosing The Best Steak To Grill - Jargon Explained

By Mia Kane

The saying goes "rubbish in equals rubbish out". This applies to grilling a great steak. If it's not great to start with then you will have an almost impossible task trying to make it better during the grilling process.

A great steak starts with a quality piece of meat. But how do you know a good piece of meat from a not so good? How do you get through all that jargon? The variety of steaks to choose from can be very confusing.

If you are lucky enough to have a butcher in your area, then I would always suggest getting your steaks there, especially if you like medium or rare. It tends to be fresher and the butcher can give you some great advice. Or even in your supermarket they often have a fresh butcher section. Try there for your steak. Here are some tips on getting through the jargon.

What's in A Cut?

There are lots of different cuts available. The best cuts for grilling are the Rib Eye, T-bone, Porterhouse, Strip Steak and Sirloin. There are of course the Tenderloin cuts that give you your fillet and Chateaubriand. These cuts are very tender but contain very little fat and are not very flavorful, so not good for grilling. The rib eye probably contains the most fat out of the bunch, and is definitely one of the more flavorful cuts.

What Is Marbling?

Marbling is the name given to the lines of fat running through the steak. It's a good thing. Marbling means flavor. The marbling should be thin and evenly spread throughout the steak. If the marbling is thick then avoid, as this will make your steak tough.

What Grade Should You Use For Grilling??

There are three different grades of beef in the United States: Prime Grade, Choice Grade and Select Grade. Prime the top of the grade and is only a small percentage of beef the beef you will find in the shops. You will mostly see Prime Grade beef in restaurants. Choice and Select are usually the grades that are available in supermarkets or butcher shops. This is the steak you will most likely be grilling with.

So experiment with T-bone, Porterhouse and Strip, in the choice and select range, and you will be well on your way to finding the steak that is best for you and your grill.

About the Author:

Need a great grill to go with that steak for your steak then check them out here GreatGrillsReviewed

Butcher's Block Makes A Great Alternative To Stone And Granite Counter Tops

By Albert Northerly

Butchers block has been around for a long time in professional kitchens and is now becoming more commonly seen in the home. butcher block consists of several boards that are glued together side by side, providing a great cutting surface.

Made out of Maple these boards are durable and resistant and provide a superior surface for cutting. More modern materials such as polyurethane do not hold up to constant use the way butcher block work surfaces and counters do.

While concrete products such as grain may offer a rich and sophisticated look they are not necessarily a logical choice if you actually plan on using your kitchen for more than just a show piece.

Chances are you will place a butchers block chopping board on your granite counter if you plan to prep any food, so why not just build with this durable material and leave the attractive look of stone to the floor.

There are only two styles of butcher block, end grain and edge grain.





More popular of the two is end grain butchers block. The basic difference is how the grain is laid when the wood is glued together. With end grain the grain is laid perpendicular to the surface and with edge grain the grain is laid parallel. While both projects are similar edge grain butcher blocks are easier to make, but are not as resistant to wear.

End grain butcher block makes a great gift to anyone who enjoys cooking or even just wants their kitchen to look good.

End grain butchers block boards make a nice decorative gift for anybody. They are not only usable but they are also attractive and the user will prepare dinner and remember that you went through the trouble of making this project specifically for them.

Regardless of which style you choose or if you make it yourself or buy it at a flea market or even from a major home goods store butchers block is a great way to provide your kitchen with an attractive and durable look.

End grain or edge grain. Store bought or home made. butchers block boards are a smart and attractive gift that will be appreciated for years and butcher block counter tops and tables will hold up to daily use and retain their smart appearance for years. butchers block comes in many colors, depending on the type of wood used and the oil they are stained with.

If you are thinking about redoing your kitchen then you owe it to yourself to consider seriously whether you want the more costly stone counters or if you want to keep costs down and do the wise thing and build with butchers block counters.

About the Author:

The recent proliferation of butchers block in home kitchens is largely due to the high quality, beauty and longevity of artisan made butcher block counter tops and cutting boards.

Choosing The Right Bread Machine

By John McKain

If you like bread, then you're going to love having a bread machine! With all the styles and price ranges out there, you are sure to find one to fit your needs and budget.

Bread machines have been around for a while, but for commercial purposes. It took until the 1980s for some new start-up companies to realize that a household model could sell like hotcakes. And so, the residential bread machine was born and hit store shelves all over. They disappeared quickly from these shelves even with prices averaging in the hundreds of dollars.

It took about ten years for the big name kitchen retailers to produce their own bread machines, but when they finally brought these newer models to market, prices had dropped to under $100 and they were lighter, tinier, and quieter. Even with these price reductions, options and styles increased.

Bread machines originally produced only round loaves of bread simply because the ingredients needed to be mixed and it was impossible to put a square mixing pan in and expect decent results. Although a bit awkward for sandwiches and the like, the bread nevertheless rivaled what grandma used to turn out by hand.

Today bread machines are able to produce square and rectangular loaves although the original design is still more practical and the end result is more consistent. The square loaves tend to have uncooked or burned edges, or even sections that were not mixed correctly at the beginning of the cycle.

Bread machines don't just make bread, either! Most of them have settings for pizza dough, bagel dough, and various stop and start manually controlled switches that allow you to mix the dough but remove it at various times to add ingredients or split the dough into smaller sections.

If you have ever tried to make your own home made bread, you'll see right away how much time and effort these machines save while still producing equal or better bread. They are set up to standardize mixing times, raising times, and kneading times. If you have ten minutes to add the ingredients, and if you know how to push a button, you already know how to use a bread machine.

Before making a decision on which one to bring home, look at it to see how easy it is to keep clean. When mixing begins, flour tends to get all over the place as does any liquid ingredients. Check out the machinery to see which parts are removable and washable. Also check to see if the heating coils are protected at all - these are fragile and difficult to clean at all costs.

If nothing else, try to find a machine with a completely removable cover that is dishwasher safe. Dough can easily get burned onto this, making cleaning a pain. Also try to find a machine with some sort of internal guards that can be removed for cleaning.

About the Author:

John McKain makes the tastiest bread in his restaurant. He tried many best bread machines and he can tell you how to pick the best one. He wrote bread machines reviews in his best bread machine blog.

Outdoor Cooking Advice: Amazing But Easy

By Wendy Racklave

Outdoor cooking possibly will be a challenge when you don't have all the supplies you require. Excellent tasting meals can be a part of your next camping trip by using these five simple steps for hassle free cooking.

Recipes: The best tip any knowledgeable outdoor cook will offer is to plan your meals and gather your recipes prior to heading out. Some recipes simply can't be carried out in the campground and you don't want to be ready to eat before you find out this fact. Select recipes that don't need special kitchen equipment due to the fact that these will not be available.

Ziploc bags: Utilizing food storage bags to arrange your supplies makes for super easy meal times. Try pre-cutting your meats, fruits and vegetables before you go and organizing in bags. Using larger ones to keep ingredients and recipes for every meal is very helpful as well.

Coolers: Meals would be fairly dull if you could only use shelf stable foods, so don't forget to bring the cooler to hold all those ingredients fresh. Meats, fruits and veggies ought to be kept cool to avoid spoiling. Coolers also work well for storing leftovers from previous meals. Simply toss leftovers in storage bags and throw them on ice.

Foil Packets: Cooking with foil packets sounds simple enough because it is. All you require to do is put all your ingredients in one packet and lay on the fire for hassle free cooking while you spend time doing other things. Inspired cooking sees no end with this process due to the fact that just about anything can be utilized for a fun new meal. It is really recommended to use heavy duty foil however to prevent accidents.

Snacks: Preparing snacks at home before heading out on your adventure will eradicate the need for unnecessary cooking, leaving you more time for fun. Trekking, swimming and other outdoor activities can make waiting for meal time a struggle. Wrap up snacks for everyone before you go to hold them over. Trail mix, fruits and cereals work well for delicious and energizing snacks on the the go. Bear in mind to keep treats like fruits in the cooler.

Outdoor cooking can be easy as well as a enjoyable and thrilling experience as long as you are prepared. Don't be afraid to attempt new things. In any case, it's supposed to be an adventure.

About the Author:

Wendy Racklave writes for website Outdoor Supreme which has info on all sorts of outdoor subjects like rock climbing and camping tents.

Buying A BBQ Grill, Get Ready For Summer

By Franklin Greyklon

As soon as winter thaws start and spring flowers begin to bloom, you know that it will soon be time for a BBQ. Now is the time for buying a BBQ grill if you do not already have one.

When buying a BBQ grill, you will first need to determine the type of fuel that you want to use. Propane grills are easy to light and give even heating. Most modern grills no longer use lava rock to keep down the flare ups, but have heat defusing plates that give a more even heat to the cooking surface.

Homeowners with natural gas may prefer a natural gas grill rather than the propane model. It is much less expensive to cook with natural gas and it is available without taking the bottles to the gas station for refilling. The primary disadvantage is that natural gas limits portability.

Although sometimes difficult to light and keep even heat, nothing adds flavor to grilled foods like a charcoal grill. These grills can be inexpensive small table top models to large grills that can cook twenty to thirty hamburgers at once. In addition to charcoal, you can choose to cook with wood chips such as hickory or mesquite to add even more flavor to your foods.

Some charcoal grills are able to cook with slow indirect heat to smoke and slow cook foods. This is a great option for tougher cuts of beef, but is also good for poultry and fish. Many of these grills are called smokers.

By buying a BBQ grill, you can take the heat of cooking a meal outside on many summer days. You may even choose to dine on the patio and enjoy some of the fresh summer air. Use of the patio in this way expands the living space of your home.

Do not limit your use of the BBQ grill to meats only. While they are great for beef, chicken and pork, they can also be used to cook the vegetables to accompany the meal. Steamed vegetables can be wrapped in aluminum foil on the grill. A small amount of water in the packet will help with the steaming process. If you prefer, vegetables can be sliced and cooked directly on the grill or may be added to skewers for cooking.

If you are looking for a quick marinade for veggies or meats on the grill, try using Italian dressing. The mixture of oil and vinegar makes for tender meats that are moist and the seasonings add a great flavor.

About the Author:

About the author - do a search for the best prices on BBQ grills at Franklin Greyklon's BBQ grill website.

Making Ice Cream Using An Electric Ice Cream Maker - Tips To Make It Great

By Mia Kane

Electric Ice Cream Makers are one way of helping you make ice cream at home. But is it cheaper to make or buy? Well the answer to that is both Yes and No, and it also depends on what ice cream you usually buy.

I have kids that eat a lot of ice cream, so mine is nearly always cheaper. Sometimes for special occasions, I dress it with an expensive or exotic fruit, but not for the kids. The fruit usually ends up on the floor or up a nostril. Mostly if I am using fruit, it's tinned or frozen and tastes just great.

Picking free seasonal fruit like blackberries and blueberries helps, but I know not everyone can do this, so I just buy frozen, or when I see a good deal on fresh fruit, buy it and freeze it myself.

Frozen and tinned fruit work fine. Whether you put them through the mixture or serve on the side or top of the ice cream. Drain off the juice from the can if you want to keep it lower fat. Here's some other things that will help your ice cream.

1. Once your ice cream has defrosted, do not re freeze. The texture will be awful, and there is also a danger of food poisoning.

2. Sometimes I make my ice cream manually, especially when I want to entertain the kids for an afternoon. I get them involved and helping. Mostly though I use an electric ice cream maker, when you make ice cream several times a week, the hands on approach of manual making can be laborious and time consuming.

3. One of the advantages of home made ice cream is that it does not have the additives or preservatives that you get from shop or store bought. What this means is that it won't last as long in the freezer, so be sure you don't leave it too long (10 days is about right), before you eat it.

4. It's best not to serve your ice cream too cold. It can give you brain freeze, but also takes away from the flavor because it's just too cold to taste properly. Take out of the freezer for about 10 minutes before you dive in.

5. I keep and freeze all left over chocolate sweets and biscuits. They come in really handy, when looking for something to add to the mixture or just crumble over before serving.

6. Blueberries must not go into the ice cream. When they freeze they go rock hard and could take out a tooth. So if you want to put them in, crush them first or just serve them on the side.

Making ice cream at home yourself is so rewarding. The end taste is great, you know what you have put into it, and you can make any type of flavor you want. The kids love getting involved. I like to bring ice cream around to friends' houses for dinner, we usually have for dessert on the night.

About the Author:

If your thinking of purchasing an electric ice cream maker, this is a great site to check out, read the reviews and you can make a better informed decision. IceCreamMakersReviewed

Learn How To Have A Low Fat Diet

By Fiona Wyresdle

Low fat cooking is a great way to change your life to becoming a healthier you. The first to step to switching to low fat cooking is making sure you have low fat food products to cook with. There are some great low fat recipes that should be used. Low fat food should not be bland and your low fat cooking should use plenty of herbs, seasonings and spices.

The first step to using low fat cooking is to replace all of the high fat foods in your kitchen with low fat alternative. Some good low fat food product choices include oils, canned fish, canned fruits and vegetables, legumes and grains, pasta, soups and stocks, herbs, spices, seasonings, whole grain breads, dried fruits, seeds, nuts, maple syrup, honey, pretzels, popcorn, applesauce, and fat free/sugar free pudding.

Food items that are high in fat and should be avoided or only eaten sparingly include white bread, coffee creamer, potato chips, corn chips, items with partially hydrogenated on the label, sugary cereals, cheese sauces, pancake mix, gravy mixes, flavored pasta, rice mixes, macaroni and cheese, creamed soups, chowders, canned meats, oil packed tuna and other fish, shortening, regular mayonnaise and oil based dressings.

There are many other foods that contain fat of which you may be unaware. While whole milk has plenty of calcium and other important nutrients it also is high in fat. In order to reduce the fat in milk enough you would need to change to drinking at minimum 1% milk though skim milk is the best. Other dairy products should also be low fat if possible as cheese and regular yogurt can have a lot of fat.

Butter and margarine are full of fat and margarine is full of Trans fat. If you still want to use products like butter or margarine try liquid spreads that have no Trans fat or products that blend oils with the butter. Eggs have a lot of cholesterol but they are choke full of good nutrients and vitamins. Instead of using whole eggs, use egg white or egg substitutes and keep your use of whole eggs to a minimum.

Eggs also are good for you but the yolks can be very fattening. You should try to use egg whites or egg substitutes instead of whole eggs. Try to use whole eggs sparingly.

Meat also needs to be lean and there are options you can use instead of eating very fatty meat. Beef hamburgers and hotdogs have a lot of fat and contain high levels of salt. Instead of these items you can have turkey dogs and vegetarian burgers. One of the leanest cuts of meat is pork tenderloin. Chicken instead of beef is also a good option.

About the Author:

For those of you who love trying out recipes then you should look at recipe for easy Mexican cornbread and recipe for refried beans.

Time Tested Ways to Learn Cake Decorating Techniques Using Fast and Easy Methods

By Maria Campbell

Imagine if you learned the cake decorating techniques that the experts on TV use. Picture your next party: As your family and friends enter the dining room, they see a beautifully decorated cake sitting in the center of the table. You beam with pride as everyone compliments what you have created all by yourself.

Whether you?re brand spanking new to cake decorating or simply want to refine your skills, you can learn everything from basic techniques to more advanced ones right on the computer sitting in your own house.

Online courses are the way to go because they allow you to learn at your own pace and practice techniques over and over again. Plus, they cost a LOT less than onsite classes! When you are trying to learn a new technique, do not allow yourself to become discouraged. Even if you make an enormous mess, do not give up. Keep practicing until you learn your new skills.

There are a few easy things you can do to make cake decorating techniques easier to master. For example, you must make sure you?re using the right pastry bag. You should not use large bags because they can be awkward to handle. When beginning, smaller ones will make adding color and writing a lot simpler.

Using the smaller pastry bags will also help to stop you from wasting a lot of icing. The larger ones may be valuable later on but you only need to practice the techniques---not perfect them! The more you practice, the better you will be.

Another thing you can do to make sure that your practicing goes well is to learn to cut the pastry bag the right way. It must be cut so that it fits the coupler perfectly. Remember that the bigger end of the coupler faces up towards the tip of the bag. Position it down inside and then slice the end of the pastry bag so that the smaller end of the coupler sticks out a little.

Never forget that there are how-to videos available online for you to watch any time you need help with any technique. You can watch them over and over again while you practice. You can go at your own pace, and can watch the videos anytime you want.

Whether you want to learn basic cake decorating techniques or more advanced, intricate ones, you need to accept the fact that you probably won?t learn everything in just one night. You may find yourself talented at one style but not so much with another style. Just take your time, don?t get discouraged, and good luck!

About the Author:

Learning cake decorating techniques does not have to be difficult! Here's a thought: Get a comprehensive online course, take it in the privacy of your own home and then make a amazing cake for your extended family. They are going to be SHOCKED when they see what you can do! Hey, you can even turn it into your new home business and make extra cash each month!

Small Gas Grills - What You Need To Consider Before You Buy

By Mia Kane

When deciding to buy a small gas grill, there are some basics you need to consider.

One of the main reasons people buy small gas grills is because the space they are going to be grilling in is limited. So the the first thing to do is get an idea of the measurements of that space. How much space do you really have for your grill?

Small grills are commonly used on small balconies, patio's, veranda's and courtyard gardens. So stand in that space, give yourself extra to move around the grill and then you will have a fair idea of what size grill you can comfortably fit into the space you have available.

Now another reason people like small grills, is because they can easily be transported to a friends or the park or the beach. I say easily, but that is only if they fit into your car. So the next thing to do is measure that space.

Lastly, what about storage, where will you be storing your grill when not grilling. Your grill will last a lot longer if you have somewhere out of the reach of the elements, where it can be kept when not earning it's keep.

Having made your purchase it is a good idea to get a cover. You can buy one or make one, as long as it covers the grill it will be invaluable.

It's important after buying the grill that you log it with the manufacturer, there are a few reasons you should do this.

1. You invoke your 12 month or extended guarantee. Don't forget to do this, and yes sometimes things can go wrong with them.

2. The supplier will often contact you with news and updates on your grill, which are handy to know.

3. You can be contacted immediately if there are any problems found with the particular grill you have purchased.

A call back is a good thing in a sense and a positive step that a supplier or manufacturer can take if they have found lots of customers and users reporting problems with the product.

Caring for your grill. Now the tedious part is that you should clean it after use. That is, if you really want to get value for money. Keep it clean and shiny and you will get many years out of your grill. Oh yes, and make sure you use the cover, they do not work very well when left in the box.

What should you be looking to spend on your small gas grill. Well small isn't necessarily cheaper, but the most crucial things is that the grill is right for you and does what you want it to do, including fitting in to the area you have for outdoor cooking. You don't need to spend a whole lot for good functionality, just don't get carried away with all the extra gadgets that you really don't need, if you are on a budget.

Lastly, you can have fun all year round with your grill. Cooking outside on a cold clear day with a cold beer can be just as good as on a hot summers day. There's something special about a barbecue in winter, all wrapped up warm.

About the Author:

I never buy anything online without first looking into what other users have said, it's easy to do and makes good buying sense I check here SmallGasGrillsWarts&All and for some good discount deals check here GreatGrillDiscounts

Cooking Perfect Steak

By KC Kudra

Sirloin refers to steak cut from the lower portion of beef ribs, continuing from the tenderloin, which is where we get prized steaks like filet mignon. Sirloin is a high quality cut, since the muscles are still doing a reasonable amount of work, giving it more flavor than other areas. The sirloin is divided into a number of different kinds of steak.

Out of these types, the top sirloin is the most prized. You are unlikely to get it unless you specifically look for it, since most sirloin steak is actually bottom sirloin. Less tender and much larger, this is more common and less expensive. The bottom sirloin is connected to the part of the animal called the sirloin tip roast. This is a good roast, but is often somewhat tough, so do not try to eat it as a steak.

The tri-tip steak is a robustly flavored portion of the bottom sirloin, but is the leanest part, so it overcooks easily. Sirloin pin bone steak is cut from the front of the steak and contains an oval pin bone, while sirloin flat bone steaks can be identified by the pieces of backbone and hipbone they contain.

Sirloin round bone steaks contain less bone and fat than the majority of other sirloin cuts, while sirloin wedge bone steaks come from the rear of the sirloin, and contain small wedge shaped bones. These, and many other kinds of steaks, are all readily available at most markets.

Sirloin cuts tend to be lean, not as buttery and tender as higher end steaks, but with a deep rich flavor and lower price. They work well when prepared using dry heat, meaning that pan frying, roasting, grilling, sauting, broiling and similar methods are a good choice for cooking sirloin steak. Different parts of the sirloin will require different treatment, and sirloin steak cooking methods will depend on which part of the sirloin you are going to be cooking.

Be sure to purchase sirloin steaks that are clear and red. When beef is exposed to oxygen, the usual purplish color turns bright read. Make sure sirloin steak is cold and the package is free from holes. Beef should feel firm, and the sell by date should be after the date you are purchasing it. Keep it in the coldest part of the refrigerator for three to four days, and trim external fat before cooking if you want to.

Your steak will be done to medium rare when the internal temperature is 145 degrees Fahrenheit, and well done at 165 degrees. Turn steak with tongs only, since forks can cause juices to escape, and allow steak to rest five to ten minutes before serving to preserve juices.

Broil steak in a pan two to four inches from the heat source for eight to ten minutes. Grill brushed lightly with oil and placed over the heat source for six to eight minutes, or pan broil on a stovetop for thirteen to fifteen minutes.

About the Author:

There is nothing like cooking steak on a grill. It just feels right. A good marinade will make that grill flavor even more exciting! Choose from a huge assortment of marinade recipes at EasySteakMarinades.net for the most amazing steaks you will ever eat and be sure to read their tips on grilling.

How To Choose A Rice Cooker

By John McKain

One of the most useful small appliances that you will ever buy is a rice cooker. A rice cooker can do much more than cook rice and is useful in both the kitchen and the dorm room.

Rice cookers can cook rice of course, but they can also cook other hot cereals, steam vegetables, cook deserts and even cook stews and soups. While not all rice cookers can do all of these tasks, many are able to do most of them.

The best rice cookers are made in Japan. There are other models that may be less expensive from other countries, but you will enjoy using the Japanese rice cookers the most.

Rice cookers come in several sizes, some cooking over fourteen cups of rice at one time. You should choose the cooker that corresponds to the amount of rice you normally would cook. Large cookers can be used to cook smaller amounts, but they work best when three quarters to all the way full. Be careful not to overfill a rice cooker.

Additionally, you need to know that a Japanese cup is six ounces as compared to the American cup size of eight ounces. Be sure that you adjust recipes by remembering that the cups from the rice cooker are only three quarters of an American cup.

In Japan, the favorite size of rice cooker is the five-cup one.

One feature that you will find very important for easy cleanup is the non-stick pan. This is a very high quality non-stick coating and rice literally slides out of the pan. A quick rinse and you are ready to cook the next batch.

When shopping for rice cookers, you will find that there are four basic choices in the type of cooker you choose.

On/off models cook the rice and then turn off automatically. There may not be an indicator light but these inexpensive models are very versatile and do a great job at cooking rice.

The next step up in rice cookers will keep the rice warm when cooking is finished. They do not have a true off position, so be sure that you unplug the cooker when finished. You will need to buy at this level or above to get a rice cooker with a non-stick pan.

Some of the more expensive rice cookers have fuzzy logix. This means that they have differing settings for soup or brown rice. Some of these machines even allow you to choose the texture of your finished rice.

The newest and most expensive rice cookers offer induction heating. Rice comes out perfect each time as they can compensate for variations in measurements.

If you like steamed vegetables, be sure that you buy a rice cooker that has the plastic steamer basket. You can even steam the vegetables as you cook your rice.

If you have a college student who will be living in a dorm room a small (three to four cup) rice cooker is the perfect gift. It allows the student to have rice, steam vegetables and warm soups. It is a great way for the student to have healthy meals and avoid eating only fast food.

About the Author:

John McKain writes rice cookers reviews. His rice cooker blog contains everything readers want to know about sanyo rice cooker, panasonic rice cooker, and zojirushi rice cooker.

Espresso Machines Make The Best Tasting Coffee

By Mark Knowles

If you enjoy a morning cup of coffee from one of the drive through coffee shops, here is a way to have that same great cappuccino or espresso without having to go out of your house on your days off. Get yourself one of the new espresso coffee making machines.

Some inexpensive electric espresso coffee makers can be purchased in the thirty to fifty dollar range.

The inexpensive espresso coffee machines rely on steam to force the water through the grounds. The water is sealed in an airtight container and heated so that the steam pressure builds up enough to force the water through the coffee grounds to form what many people say is not a true espresso, but simply just a strong coffee.

One feature that many people enjoy about these inexpensive machines is that they are equipped to steam milk and make the froth needed for a latte or a cappuccino.

The more expensive espresso coffee machines pump driven espresso coffee making machines begin at about one hundred fifty dollars and can range up to over five thousand dollars. They have a pump that forces the heated steam through the coffee grounds at the correct pressure to make a true espresso.

While some of the more expensive espresso coffee machines also have a steaming port, many do not offer this feature. If you find that you need this feature, then make sure that the machine you choose has it available.

If you want to enjoy your espresso like they do in Italy, choose one of the stovetop models. They are readily available in the United States. Any type of stove, hotplate or even campfire will provide all the heat that is needed for a great cup of espresso every time. It only takes three to five minutes to brew a very fine cup of espresso. Most people can tell no difference in this espresso than that of the most expensive of the pump driven machines.

. Remember that espresso cups are very small, generally 1. 5 to 2 ounces. If you buy a nine cup espresso maker, it will only produce 18 ounces of espresso at one time. That is about enough to fill one large coffee mug, but enough to make two quads from the local coffee shop. You should only expect to make two coffees for the average American using the nine ounce espresso maker.

The cheapest of the stovetop espresso coffee machines had the largest number of complaints. They are often made in PRC and replacement parts are not available, even though they often break. Many purchasers of these cheap models, found that the replacements they made with better stovetop espresso machines would last from ten to fifteen years.

Users of all models of espresso coffee makers agree that the key to making a good cup of espresso, no matter which machine you are using is to choose the best coffee you can afford and to grind them fresh. Often the difference between a home brewed cup of espresso and the coffee you pay three to five dollars for at the drive trough is simply the beans that you choose.

Do not buy beans in large quantities unless you make large amounts of espresso every day. Coffee beans are best when used within a week after roasting and ground fresh for each brewing of coffee.

About the Author:

Before buying an Italian espresso maker, it is vital to do some research and testing if possible. Italian espresso makers can vary greatly in price and quality.

New Features To Look For In Microwave Ovens

By Reese Cook

What do you use your microwave for? In actuality, even though there is a microwave oven in almost every home, we only use them to reheat leftovers and to defrost meats. Some people may use them for popcorn or a hot dog on occasion. Other than that they seem to just sit on the counter and take up space.

Many of the early models of microwave ovens were not suitable to do much cooking. They were great at defrosting mats or reheating meals. You could even get away with cooking a hot dog in one. However, try to cook a chicken breast in one and you came up with a misshapen white hockey puck. It was rubbery, tough and tasteless.

Microwaves of today are totally different. Now they can cook an entire dinner. You can have meats that have actually been browned on the outside and are crispy. On the inside they are still tender and flakey. Vegetables are moist and tasty. In fact the meal is just as good as if you had cooked it in or on your range.

To get all these features, you may have to pay about one hundred dollars more that for the simple reheating or defrosting model, but in the long run, you will save money. This is because a microwave uses less power than a standard oven and cooks in less time. If you get a microwave that is full function and avoid use of the range oven, the savings on your utility bill can pay back the initial cost in only a few months.

You must decide if you want a microwave that is mounted over your kitchen range or one that sits on the counter. The countertop models are less expensive and have the largest selection of options if you have enough room.

If your kitchen is small, then opt for the over the stove model. They may require professional installation and are somewhat more expensive initially, they do free up counter space. Additionally, many models also offer a vent hood over the range to keep the kitchen free of cooking odors and smoke.

Some microwaves offer a convection oven combination feature that comes in handy when cooking a full meal. Hot air is circulated around food in order to speed up the cooking and give the food a crispy crust. Convection cooking is perfect for baked goods as well as roasting meats. Other models use a quartz or halogen heating light in the microwave that browns food when needed.

Sensor cooking is becoming popular in some microwaves. The feature shuts off the microwave when food is done. It works by sensing the infrared heat given off by food or by the amount of steam being given off.

If you think that microwaves are only for defrosting or reheating, you should take the time to walk down the microwave aisle. Look to see what is being offered in the newest of microwave ovens.

About the Author:

Reese Cook likes to write microwave oven review and articles about how to choose the best microwave oven. Her microwave website is very helpful.

Home Bistro - Is It Worth The Money?

By Phil McKnight

Do you love to eat delicious mouth watering foods? Do you have problems losing weight because of it? This is a universal problem for many people everywhere.

Gourmet food are perceived by many people as a major cause of gaining weight. Gourmet foods are concluded as with high price tags and rich with fats. Other school of thought attach rigorous 'monkish' diet with loosing weight and practices of eating less or consuming food hated by others will lead to weight loss. Such perceptions are wrong.

Look very closely at Bistro MD, and youll find foods that are designed with those same delicious ingredients that make gourmet food taste so good, while still allowing you to lose weight. Plus, food ordered from Bistro MD will be delivered to your door daily! Dont believe it? You should, because Bistro MD has an incredible selection of food for day to day living without ever needing to cook anything.

Dr. Cederquist is a weight loss specialist who has formulated a special diet that will fit with any diet plans and food preferences. Many people have tried it and watch the fat melt off.

The experience of her in the fat loss industry for 10 years is a known fact. Her knowledge towards the food which reduces weight and increase weight is excellent. She prescribes the exact food to reduce the weight of her patients.

Dr. Cederquist started Bistro MD to meet this need. Every one of the meals offered by Bistro MD is specifically formulated and balanced to help you lose weight, and they also taste great enough to keep you in the program. The price ranges offered by Bistro MD packages ensure maximum affordability.

The market is full of ways and means to take it to your advantage. The most required is the correct knowledge which will help you to utilize it fully with ease. Many people are skeptical in investing though the Bistro MD offers you the perfect diet plan. By nature, people are lazy to confront problems and come with a solution. People just have the habit of sitting ideal, carp with their family friends on their body weight and not putting their money in their correct diet tools to solve their obesity problems. It is vital to go in for the right tools instead of wasting your time further.

Bistro MD is balanced with nutrients and vitamins to help you exercise. Exercising is a must if you want to look and feel good.

About the Author:

If you want to find out more about this make sure to check out Bistro MD Review.

Nice Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Martin Soussa

The aroma and taste of a batch of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies is a source of deliciousness for most people. Scents of freshly made cookies are some of the fondest memories of childhood that we own. Placing the cookies on the counter top after they were removed from the oven was an act that demanded our full attention. One thing is that these cookies are great to eat at any time of the day.

More than many other foods, chocolate chip cookies are a source of warm and fuzzy comfort food. This type of cookie has evolved over the years into a mouth-watering variety of textures and flavors. If you're a fruit lover you'll enjoy banana chocolate chip or cherry chocolate chip cookie varieties. People addicted to chocolate will likewise enjoy the double chocolate chip cookies and white chocolate chip cookies.

Another popular variant is oatmeal, which tastes surprisingly great with chocolate. If you want to spice up your favorite chocolate chip cookies even more, you can add tasty morsels like mint chips, raisins, candy bars or espresso beans. If you crave more out of your cookies, try adding different chunks of dark or milk chocolate, walnuts, peanuts - or any type of nut - and candy canes.

Gourmet chocolate chip cookie bars and chocolate chip cookie pie are two alternatives that you might enjoy. Home baked varieties make these cookies easy to make for someone who has special dietary needs. By going online, you can easily find any recipe for chocolate chip cookies that you need, including low fat, vegan, wheat free, egg free, or whole wheat.

Now that you know about the many ways you can enjoy the world's most famous cookie, I hope you will try many of the delicious recipes so you too can enjoy the ultimate chocolate chip cookie experience.

About the Author:

You welcome to visit: Easy To Prepare Recipes plus The Best Recipes In The World for more reviewed information.

Tips for a Simple Pumpkin Soup Recipe

By Kc Kudra

Do you always have leftover pumpkin after Halloween or Thanksgiving, and want to know how to cook it? Do you love pumpkin soup and want to make sure that you do not make any mistakes? Whatever your reason, there are lots of important tips for cooking with this versatile squash relative.

While most people stick to plain old pumpkin desserts, there are lots more options out there. Let us take a look at some of the things you should know about the pumpkin before you get started cooking. You will have a lot more luck!

The first thing to remember is that not every pumpkin will make great soup or pie. The kind of pumpkin you carve at Halloween has been bred to grow big and fast, to stand up to a lot of abuse, and to look pretty on your doorstep. Unfortunately, that means that it is not the best choice for food.

While jack-o-lantern pumpkins are cheap and readily available at supermarkets and roadside stands (especially right after Halloween), they are not always the best pick for eating. They can be fun to feed to local animals and they compost well, but their flesh is not most people's top choice when they want to eat pumpkin.

That does not mean you cannot eat them at all, but it is a good idea to "hide" this type of pumpkin in other foods. Cook your surplus pumpkin down by baking or boiling it, scrape the pulp out of the shell, and blitz it in a food processor once or twice. Then put it in pumpkin bread, cookies, or even chili.

For foods where you want that pumpkin taste to shine through, like pumpkin pie or an easy pumpkin soup recipe, look for smaller sugar pumpkins. Chock full of potassium, vitamin A and fiber, these pumpkins have a lot more flavor, are much sweeter, and have smoother, more pleasant flesh. They are often used for desserts, but work for any meal where you want the flavor of pumpkin to be a major player.

Pumpkins can be used in pumpkin soup in chunks, or pureed for a smooth, silky texture. Some recipes even cook the soup right in the pumpkin, and stir the flesh off the walls to make a creamy, interesting texture. It all depends on your preferences. Just make sure you process the pumpkin carefully, according to the recipe directions, to prevent problems with water content or incompletely cooked pumpkins.

Pumpkin is a great choice for making soup, and a whole lot more. By paying attention to the type of pumpkin, you have and making sure that you cook it correctly, you will have a much better chance of getting a great fall meal. Try all the great options for making pumpkin soup, and do not forget to buy the right kind of pumpkin.

About the Author:

Canning pumpkin soup is a great way to prepare soup for later. Don't puree your soup until you open the jar and reheat it. Pureeing before you process your soup makes it too thick to process safely. When you open your jar to eat later, heat it up and then puree as normal.

Do You Really Need Bread Machine Mixes?

By Marion Jones

Do you make use of bread machine mixes when you want to make yeast bread in your automatic bread-making machine? If so, why? Is it because you think it's easier? It is so simple to make gourmet bread quickly from simple bread recipes and so much more variable too. If you use bread machine mixes you are limited to the bread machine mixes you can find in the stores " no matter how many of them there are.

On the other hand, a good bread machine recipe book is infinitely more flexible than bread machine mixes. A good bread machine cookbook might give you 150 or so recipes originating from several countries, but it will also inspire you to adapt those recipes, encouraging you to be creative and invent your own style of bread.

Bread machine mixes are really quite limiting and you have no say about what the bread machine mix contains either: preservatives, colouring, MSG, salt or Heaven knows what. OK, it tells you on the label, but you cant remove them, if you only use bread machine mixes.

Making bread is really quite easy. Or to put it correctly, the ingredients to making bread are really quite simple. To bake a very basic loaf of bread, you only need: flour, water, yeast, sugar, salt and fat or oil. The hard part about making bread is the mixing. It can take five hours to mix the bread making ingredients together; to wait for it to rise; to knead it; wait for it to prove; knead it again and bake it.

But, if you have a bread making machine you can put the hard bread mixing, proving, kneading cycle on automatic and if you have a bread-making recipe book you will be funished with numerous recipes to guide and encourage you.

What could be easier? You look in the bread-making machine cookbook for an appetizing recipe; you put the everyday ingredients into the bread mixing bowl of the bread machine and you put the yeast into a time-release box on top of the bread machine; set the timer and go about your daily life or go to sleep!

The bread making machine will stir the ingredients and consult the timer. Our bread-making machine has a timer that can be set for sixteen-hours in advance. That means that, if you want your gourmet, yeast bread ready for, say, 7:30 AM, the bread-making machine will mix the flour, water, salt oil and sugar at once, then add the yeast at say, 5 AM, knead, prove and bake the bread and ring the alarm at 7:30 to let you know that your gourmet food is waiting for you.

Except that you won't need the bell to tell you that. The smell of freshly baked bread will [permeate|fill your house and you will be very much cognizant of the fact that your bread making machine is almost ready to deliver one of the best loaves of bread you've ever had in your life. And you will never look for bread machine mixes again. You'll be overflowing with your own bread machine mixes in no time at all and you'll be giving bread away as gifts so that you can try out your very own latest bread machine mix idea.

Bread machine mixes: why bother with them?

About the Author:

Do you use bread machine mixes or do you want bread machine recipes? If you want recipes, just pop along to: http://bread-machine-mixes.the-real-way.com You are welcome to reprint this article - but get your own unique content version here.

Want to Know How to Cook Gourmet Foods? Learn The Basics First

By Brent Schumacher

Gourmet foods are done with sophistication, especially by Iron Chefs. You may think that a simple looking food is made by a snap of your fingers. This is not entirely true. You need not be an expert for you to make a remarkable dish, but knowing the basic of cooking will surely come in handy. Just remember that everything starts from scratch.

There are different methods involved in gourmet food cooking. Cutting is very important. Another method, chopping, is used to have small-sized food items like onions and tomatoes. Dicing is another. This results to smaller pieces. Whatever method you prefer, you need to remember one thing: be careful with the knives you use.

Sauteing is the process that would require you to toss spices and the main food item into a heated pan with a small amount of oil for a few moments. This is done to ensure that the flavors seep in. This helps make gourmet foods taste a lot better.

Another technique in doing a crispy dish is breading. You may take it for granted as you may just put crumbs on your meat but you have to remember these important steps. Your one hand should soak the meat into the liquid while the other hand dips the meat into the crumbs. This way, you save yourself from getting sticky and messy fingers.

Grilling makes for a healthy gourmet cooking. Since you won't be needing to fry food using cooking oil, you avoid taking in fat.

Marinating your food before grilling is essential in gourmet food cooking. This is the process where you infuse different flavors to the food by soaking them in a marinade solution over a period of time.

For gourmet pastas, it is always best to check if your pasta is al dente. This has been the standard for most pasta cooking. You need to take care not to let your pastas sag from over cooking.

If you want to know how to cook gourmet foods, it's a must that you first learn the basics of cooking. When you master them, that's the time you can start experimenting with different gourmet dishes. Just remember to put passion in your cooking to ensure that you end up with a good-tasting dish.

About the Author:

Homemade goodness is only one item that Country Mercantile specializes in. Try their coveted pickled vegetables. Come by or go online at http://www.countrymercantile.com

Camping Trips: A Fantastic Way To Connect With Nature

By Wendy Racklave

Who doesn't love enjoying nature, taking the long hikes enjoying the stunning scenery, admiring the sky at night? Outdoor camping provides you all of that. Camping is a way that the entire family can get together and enjoy time spent with each other.

The greatest part of outdoor camping is lying under the bright moon starring up at all the stars making animals out of them or shapes, even trying to connect them all together. Camping certainly makes you love the great outdoors and all that nature has to present.

All campgrounds have limitless activities for the whole family for example playgrounds, ball courts, volleyball courts, bingo, horse riding trails, hiking trails and swimming pools so there is never a dreary moment. There is so much to do that depending on the length of time that you are staying you may not have time to do it all.

What man doesn't like to go out into the outdoors and fish? Just about every campground has somewhere that you can wet a hook and attempt to catch some fish. You don't need to go to a state campground as there are many places to go camping.

There are a number of necessity things that you require when planning a camping trip such as a tent, sleeping bags, bug spray, bath items, propane cylinders if you plan on grilling with a gas grill, pillows and snack foods are just some. In the event that you plan on cooking hot meals then you will also need pots and pans and dish rags with soap so you can clean them afterward.

This is just a few tips and items that you will need when planning a camping trip rather with your family or alone. The more times you go camping the more things that you will begin to understand that you can live without. You will begin seeing what you can do without at home too. It makes you think.

Camping makes anyone get in touch with nature and it is a very affordable vacation. No hassles, no reserving anything you drive in pick your spot and pitch your tent. If life is getting tough and you need a vacation go camping! Camping is a way that the entire family can get away and enjoy each other; get back to the basics of what each other is doing in their busy lives. Camping does not have an age limit. If you are old or young then you can go camping.

About the Author:

Wendy Racklave writes for blog Outdoor Supreme which has info on all sorts of outdoor subjects like rock climbing and camping tents.

The Importance Of Eating Vegetables

By Holly Hanson

The new trend lately is getting healthy and feeling good about yourself. When it comes right down to it the best way to do that is going to be through exercise and healthy eating. It is not a healthy idea to think that diet pills and supplements will solve all over your problems. These pills hold no magic at all and will only take up your hard earned money. Eating vegetables and living a healthy life is what will actually make a difference in your life.

The internet and the world are full of ways to get healthy and stay in shape by eating right. The truth is most of us would rather grab a bag of salty chips than a bag of fresh vegetables. The food pyramid tells you that you must eat a certain amount of veggies, fruits, grains, etc. At the very top of the pyramid you will see that a minimal amount of sugar should be eaten.

Natural sweeteners are flowing throughout all kinds of fruits and vegetables. The sweet taste that you find when you bit into an apple is a taste that is very healthy for us to enjoy. Why not put down the fatty bag of chips and choose a light salad before dinner or lunch? Making choices like these will help you get in shape and stay that way.

A great benefit to eating vegetables is the fact that you can grab them and go. People love to be able to get their food on the run. You can grab a bag of chips or a fast food meal in less than 10 minutes. Grocery stores are now providing pre-cut fruits and vegetables. You can grab these for a snack or even lunch. This just goes to show you that choosing healthy choices can be quick and easy as well.

You need to make sure that you keep a very regular regimen. People who eat a poor diet are more likely to have colon cancer in their later years. These greasy foods are only going to block you up and add no fiber. When you start eating vegetables you will be giving your body the fiber that it needs to stay healthy. Have your regular dose of vegetables in order to keep yourself regular.

People spend hundreds of dollars on foods that make them look incredibly unhealthy. The fact is you can save a lot more money in the long run by purchasing fresh food. Frozen and processed food may last longer but it may not be worth the price that you have to pay.

For the most part you can look at vegetables as a natural way to detoxify your body. There are various antioxidants that have been proven to keep your body up and running. Your immune system will be incredibly strong and you will wake up every morning feel refreshed and ready for the day!

About the Author:

Holly Hanson writes articles about diet and health, including eating a gluten free diet. For more of her writing, check out this gluten free flour recipe.

Ready-To-Make Boxed Meals Created At Home Inexpensively And Easily

By Susanne Myers

Having convenience foods, like those meal-in-a-box dishes, in your pantry is a definite plus when you've got a busy family. Sure, it's convenient to grab a box, mix up the stuff, and have a meal ready, but the expense is really taking a bite out of the family budget.

How can you afford to have your meals conveniently prepared on a tight budget? By creating an inexpensive alternative to those store-bought pre-packaged foods. Stocking your pantry with your own homemade variety of these foods will save you an enormous amount of money and give you the opportunity to choose healthier ingredients to serve your family.

When you walk through your grocery store aisles, you'll be amazed at just how many of those pre-packaged meals can actually be duplicated at home. You can quickly and easily create "easy meal" counterparts in your own kitchen, using a few basic ingredients.

There are several classic dishes that are easily recognizable by most people, and just as easily duplicated. Let's just take a look at a few of these dishes for which you can create a ready-to-go mix that's easy and delicious.

Red Beans and Rice Mix: A traditional Southern dish, you can just add the beans to the cooked mix, or you can add other ingredients to create a real Cajun meal. Consider adding sausage, seafood, ham, chicken, vegetables, and the like to make jambalaya. Anything goes with this mix!

Suggested mix ingredients: 1 cup long grain brown rice, 1 tablespoon dry onion flakes, 1 tablespoon dry celery or celery seed, 1 tablespoon dry green pepper, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 vegetable or chicken flavored bouillon cubes, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, 1/4 cup bacon bits. Of course, this is a suggested dry mix recipe. You'll want to experiment with your own ideas. Cook according to the rice instructions, then add your beans, sauteed vegetables, or whatever other ingredients you choose.

Rice & Roni Mix: This is another classic take on a favorite boxed meal. You can, of course, make this as it is, but adding diced chicken, meat, and vegetables is an option. Use this mix as the jumping-off-point for lots of good one-dish skillet meals.

Suggested mix ingredients: 3/4 cup long grain brown or white rice, 1/4 cup broken spaghetti or vermicelli, 1 tablespoon dry onion, 1/4 teaspoon garlic, 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning or a combination of dry thyme and dry sage, 1 tablespoon dry parsley, 3 chicken flavored bouillon cubes or 1 tablespoon powdered bouillon. Again, this is a basic suggestion for a dry mix recipe for a classic dish. Experiment with the flavors and the addition of meats and vegetables to create your own specialty.

Creamy Parmesan Rice Mix: Families need kid-friendly dishes that are quick and easy, as well as delicious and nutritious. This creamy and cheesy mix is possible because you are using powdered milk as opposed to fresh milk. That way, the milk is in the mix, ready to go when you are. Isn't it great to have a ready-to-use mix in the cupboard when your hungry family is relying on you for a quick and hearty dinner?

Suggested mix ingredients: 1 cup long grain brown rice or long grain white rice, 2 teaspoons chicken or vegetable bouillon, 2 tablespoons dry milk powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, dried (in canister) not freshly grated. When you prepare a dish using this mix, you may want to add some diced cooked chicken, and perhaps stir in some frozen sweet green peas just before serving.

The ingredients in the mixes and the cooking instructions for any of these mixes will vary depending on your tastes, availability of ingredients, and the amount of rice in each mix. Taste test your dry mix ingredients as you go. For preparing the meal, just follow your basic method for cooking the amount of rice used, then adding fresh ingredients as you desire.

Once you discover how easy it is to create some of your own boxed dinners at home, you'll want to start experimenting with some of your own ideas, creating your family's favorite dishes. These homemade convenience foods are perfect for expanding by adding meat, chicken, seafood, vegetables, or anything that makes your dish uniquely yours.

Pre-packaged meals are a big help on those busy nights when everyone is coming home after work, school, and all those other activities. Just a couple ready-to-use mixes in your cupboard is all you need to quickly mix up a hot, nutritious meal for your hungry family. Now you don't need to stock up at the grocery store on those expensive boxed dinners. Making your own homemade versions of your family's favorite meals is a shortcut that you can appreciate on a hectic night, not only because it's fast and easy, but because you made it with love... at a fraction of the cost!

About the Author:

Ready-to-mix dishes don't have to be expensive. You can make your own varieties of those "boxed" dishes using our Easy Garlic & Butter Rice Mix or our classic verion of Beef-a-Roni using a mix you make yourself. Use your own imagination, add any other ingredients you want, and create a real filling, and inexpensive, meal for your family tonight.

Pumpkin Soup - A Great Autumn Choice

By Kc Kudra

Autumn is a great time to try out new seasonal recipes, and pumpkin soup is a wonderful choice. After all, there is more to these big orange squash than just pie! There are so many options available - from velvety pumpkin bisque with sweet spices to rich, garlicky soup with strong Swiss style cheeses, to stew with potatoes, tomatoes and chunks of pumpkin. You will love all of them.

You can try fusion cuisine, adding Thai or Indian spices to your soup to create a great curry flavor, or stick with hearty, familiar tastes that will make you think of home. There are lots of options available, and pumpkin soup is one of the least noticed fall recipes. For a lot of people, the idea of making a savory recipe with pumpkin is strange and unusual.

There is just one problem that most of us run into - finding a decent recipe. Not too many people are even aware that you can make soup from a pumpkin, making it difficult to find a quality recipe. The majority of cookbooks do not even include much information about how to cook pumpkin if it is not in a pie or other dessert. Fortunately, the Internet can help.

The Internet has lots of great options for making soup out of pumpkins, from cooking blogs to major recipe hubs with all kinds of choices. Do a quick search in your favorite search engine or check out your favorite cooking site and you will find a lot of options.

Of course, not all pumpkin soup recipes are going to be alike. You could run into some that are poorly written, or which assume that you understand what to do. They could leave some steps out, resulting in a recipe that does not come out like you planned. Take the time to examine any recipe you decide to use.

You can also take a trip to a site that you know will be trustworthy. There are several specialty sites out there covering fall recipes and how to cook a pumpkin. They will have information that has already been checked out in advance. It is no guarantee that you will love the recipe when it has finished, but it can help you make sure the recipes are put together properly.

Make sure you check out any recipe to ensure that the ingredients are ones you like and have on hand, and that you understand the instructions you are given. There are plenty of excellent ways to cook soups with pumpkin in them, from making them a crock-pot to cooking inside a pumpkin. Add in all the excellent options for presentation, and you will have a wonderful seasonal dish.

If you have been looking for something new for dinner this fall, it might be time to think outside the box. Pumpkin is not just for pie, after all. There are lots of other great things you do with it, and soup is becoming a more popular option. Do not stick with the same old thing - try a pumpkin soup recipe and see how great it can be.

About the Author:

Use a canned pumpkin soup recipe to make this easy dish any time of year. While fresh pumpkin is very delicious, it is a very seasonal item. If you want to make pumpkin soup later in the winter or any other time of year, you need to use canned pumpkin.

Quick Kitchen Upgrades That Make An Impact

By Larry Terson

If you are trying to do a quick update or overhaul of your kitchen, there are several areas where you can get the most bang for your dollar. The kitchen is usually a central room in the house and visible from several different rooms. The color you paint your kitchen is, therefore, something that can make a big impact right away.

Kitchen colors might be different from what you might choose for the den, basement, or other rooms in the house. Since the kitchen is often visible from other rooms such as the dining and living room, the color you choose should flow with the colors for those rooms. Consider the color carefully because you dont want to have to repaint a second time because the color wasnt right.

Besides changing the paint color in your kitchen, the second thing that will bring the most impact is the flooring. When considering kitchen floor ideas, you need to choose the right surface that will be best for your needs. Not all kitchens will look right with a wood floor or a tile floor so you need to choose something that will be the right color and surface texture. Bigger kitchens might have a floor made out of wood that looks great when that same floor might look awful in a different kitchen.

Other than wood and tile, you can choose floor materials like stone, laminate, and granite. Laminate floors are common in older houses while wood and granite floors are quite rare but very nice when done in the right kitchen environment. Putting in a new kitchen floor is usually a big job but it is something that will make a big impact on the look of your kitchen and help greatly to modernize it.

Another way to make a kitchen stand out and be different is to change the lighting. Most new kitchens have an island and over them hang down a wide array of fancy lights. Many of these lights look like something you would find in a trendy bar or nightclub. Some kitchens are also using track lighting to highlight different aspects of the kitchen. The lighting you choose for your kitchen can make as much of an impact as the color of paint that you use. In fact, the lighting should be chosen with your kitchen colors in mind so that the two compliment each other.

About the Author:

Are you trying to find some good kitchen cabinet refacing ideas? If you are, please visit my site Kitchen Renovation Ideas.

Reducing Calories Does Not Promote Weight Loss

By Carrie Spry

Calories are not the enemy. Most people believe that eating fewer calories will result in weight loss. This is not exactly true. If you are eating 2500 calories per day and drop down to 1500 calories per, you won't necessarily lose weight. If you cut your calories by too much, then you will reach a dieting plateau; a point where you will no longer loose weight.

Let's begin with, how a person typically goes on a diet. One day you look into the mirror and see tight fitting close and you just don't look right. Your neck, arms, legs, and waist are larger than you remember. You put on a pair of jeans and they just don't pull on the way the use to, easily. They fit tight and are uncomfortable sitting down. Sound familiar? Anyways, on this day, you get angry and frustrated enough to finally put your self on a diet and decide to lose weight. And this time, you are going to stick to it.

Today you are filled with enough motivation, anger, and frustration that you are determined to do whatever it is going to take to lose that unsightly weight. You begin depriving yourself of all those goodies you love. You try and skip breakfast in order to "cut back" on calories. Unfortunately, this motivation doesn't last long because after a few hours you're hungrier than you've ever been before and you're feeling week and possibly have a headache. Your body is not accustomed to skipping meals like this and not used to being without calories for so long.

You feel miserable, but you bravely tell yourself that you can do this. You don't want to quit, and you want to actually lose weight this time. You still have enough motivation that at lunch you decide to have something small as you are still convinced that eating less is the key to losing weight.

By dinner, your hungry, tired and chances are you have a headache. You begin thinking, "Do you really want to do this everyday? Do you want to fight against yourself?" You are still so determined that you decide to stick with it for the rest of the day.

After a few days, you've likely gone back to your previous ways. Or, perhaps, if you are really brave you may have held off for a week or too. But now you feel terrible. Even if you've stuck with it for a few weeks, you won't have achieved any serious weight loss, and in fact, your body will still look the same when you look in the mirror. You may have made even worse by starving your body and now it absorbs every single calorie that enters your body. This is bad news, especially when you go back to your normal habits.

You may have lost a pound or two, but this weight that was lost was only water weight and will be gained back as soon as you begin to eat normally again.

This is why if you keep trying to starve yourself, you will never lose weight. Starving yourself is not the answer. If you are serious about weight loss, you need to start giving your body the right types of calories in the right doses on the right days.

About the Author:

Learn how to lose weight the right way visit http://www.carriespry.com Don't reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.

Getting the Right Anolon Knife Set

By Moses Harun

Anolon, a company recognized because of its successful cookware line, has diversified into knife manufacturing. According to the company's website, all of their cookware items are manufactured to perform effectively for a lifetime and be attractive as well, two characteristics that we might assume are present in any set, such as the Anolon Advanced 15 Piece Knife Block Set.

Product Range

Anolon produces three categories within its knife section - Advanced Cutlery, Advanced Bronze Cutlery and Advanced Stainless Steel Cutlery. It appears as if this manufacturer hopes that the word, "advanced" will help the knives to enjoy an implied advantage over the knives made by their competition in advance of their customers getting their hands on the knives. Regardless of the strategy behind the name, you'll find 19 knife sets for you to buy, varying from the 15-piece sets to the single knives, and with a universal sharpener added for good measure.

Seeing as a knife is only as effective as its blade, Anolon knives are formed out of choice German steel. The Advanced Collection is made from carbon steel, the Bronze Collection features high-carbon stainless steel and the Stainless Steel Collection is made of stainless steel, and this can be bewildering to a consumer who merely wants to buy knives without being concerned about the tensile strength of the blades. For those of you who care, you could distinguish the collections by the knife handles - black for Advanced, brown for Bronze and silver for Stainless Steel.

Advantages

The Anolon knives are forged, not cold rolled, and that form of production enhances the density, flexibility and hardness of the metal. Obviously, a denser and more flexible cutting blade will be easier and safer to chop with, and the metal will also sustain its sharpness longer.

It needs to be said, Anolon knives are manufactured in China. But their workmanship looks as though it is excellent, in particular relating to the condition of the blades when pulled from the package. The price of Anolon knives cannot be beat either, seeing as you recieve high-quality knives that don't have high prices.

Other useful advantages of owning the 15-piece sets include the resilient bamboo knife block which comes with slot labels and one more slot for an old favorite knife in addition to Anolon's handy knife sharpener. For single knives, you could benefit from the protective sheath that accompanies every purchase.

On balance, an Anolon knife purchase is a good use for your money, seeing as not much of it will be required.

Disadvantages

There are very few things to take issue with with regard to Anolon knives. Yet, those things are worth bringing up because you should be able to understand all the facts before putting down your family's money on less-than-perfect cookware.

To start with, the bamboo blocks can arrive in not-quite-sterling form. There are complaints of the metal labels being corroded and the wood itself being black rather than the beautiful brown you'll see on the website. On top of that, the rubber handles seem to flake off in places, mainly when you wipe them. It might be due to daily wear and tear, but it is usually a reason for annoyance when it happens.

Additionally, you need to sharpen your Anolon knives at the end of every use to keep them in ideal form, and the knives are less than dishwasher friendly. For the use-toss-replace type of cook, these Anolon knives could present a challenge. A great set to consider is the Anolon Advanced 15 Piece Knife Block Set.

Still, given all the information, an Anolon knife set could be a handy addition to your countertop. It blends easily with your other kitchen surfaces, it offers knives which maintain their edge for many years, and could be stored safely.

About the Author:

Moses Harun is involved with a project that helps visitors make smart decision when shopping for knives. One of the highest rated knives reviewed on his site is the Anolon Advanced 15 Piece Knife Block Set.