My Food and Drink Blog

Archive for September, 2009

I wanted to put it off, but I knew it imminent. I needed a chicken coop. The little chicks weren’t so little anymore and they were able to get out of their small container which was make the garage awfully dirty. After seeing the prices of the pre-fabricated chicken coops I decided to construct my own chicken coop to save a several hundred bucks.

I’ve put together a list of the supplies and tools that you are going to need as well as what they’re going to be required for.

Of course every single building project wouldn’t be complete without a hammer and nails. This staple of the backyard builder will be what you use to put the coop together.

You’re also going to need a measuring tape, level, and a framing square. The measuring tape is pretty obvious, but the level and square are important as well. The level is to ensure that your chicken coop doesn’t have a slant and to make be sure everything lines up just right. The square is used when cutting lumber to make sure that you have a perfect 90 degree angle.

You’re also going to need an screw driver and screws. You could use a hand screwdriver, but I wouldn’t suggest it… your arm will become extremely fatigued. You see, when building anything screws are very much stronger than nails because they ‘grip’ the wood more than nails do. Nails have their place as well, but usually to hold together non-structural pieces of whatever you’re constructing.

I also highly recommend having a table saw or a circular saw. You could use a handsaw, but the number of cuts you need to make would take quite a long time if you used a hand saw.

One of the most considerable things you just have to do to your chicken coop is seal it up extremely good . A drafty chicken coop can cause dangerous health problems for your chickens in the winter season. In order to seal up your chicken coop you’re going to need a caulking gun and some exterior silicone. I should mention that you need let the silicone dry for at least 72 hours before you place your chickens in the coop because the silicone releases some health affecting fumes.

Of course, it’s always a good thing if your coop looks nice as well. For this we’ll use paint. You should paint it whatever colors you that tickle your fancy. Since I really didn’t want to annoy my neighbors I decided not to paint the coop pink, but rather I painted it a pretty brown color. It blends in with the backyard perfectly.

There aren’t very many supplies you have to have to erect a coop. The most important are: lumber, cinder blocks, shingles and a little chicken wire. You should be able to get all of the materials for your chicken coop for around $100.

Now that you understand what you need to buy to build your coop, get some plans and start building! The quicker you build it the faster you’ll be able to enjoy fresh eggs every day.

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The dining industry is still booming, even during the time of recession, as it seems as though many people still enjoy dining out frequently. The restaurant design is one of the most important items for a restaurant owner to address before it opens.

Many people who are looking to start a restaurant business will employ the services of an interior designer to assist them with their restaurant design and help promote success. Interior design is the most important thing to be considered when marketing a restaurant.

This is the way to set your restaurant apart from the others. Do you know that the design elements can go hand in hand with the type of targeted audience you have, therefore the importance of it must not be compromised.

For the baby boomer crowd, nostalgic restaurant design will do for the restaurant and for the teenage crowd, modern design for the restaurant will be better.

Another consideration, which needs to be made before opening a new restaurant, is how it will be laid out/organized. A great choice for maintaining your living space in a clean and neat way is to have a large restroom and kitchen.

One of the biggest concerns is the extra space in these areas are also necessary for safety concerns.

Soft lighting gives off a relaxing feeling, which allows people to enjoy more while dining out. A feeling of being in home must be present, with providing comfortable chairs and tables.

The elements used should correspond to the type of food that is being served as well as what the target market will enjoy, whether a contemporary, modern, natural, or rustic interior design is chosen for the restaurant design.

In order to be successful, allow for plenty of open space and make the space relaxing

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Butchers block is a popular building material that consists of multiple layers of board that have been glued together. This makes for a very strong and dependable surface for kitchen counters and boards.

Butchers block is commonly used in professional kitchens particularly by butchers, since it makes a great cutting surface. It holds up well to constant cutting and does not wear out they way concrete products such as granite do.

Granite and other stone-like products have become a popular building material in kitchen and while stone counters are attractive, you certainly do not want to cut on them directly. With butcher block you do not have these concerns.

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 two styles of butcher block: end grain and edge grain.

There are two main types of butchers block, end grain and edge grain.

A popular present at Christmas end grain butchers block is a neat wood working project and is not only easy but is also useful and attractive. You will see these gifts being sold at craft festivals and also they are common projects in high school wood working classes.

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 is the popular choice in boards and has been preferred by professionals for years. This method of laying the boards allows the knife to cut into the grain rather than against it and allows the knife to last longer.

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 craft show 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 work surfaces 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.

A new look in your kitchen deserves to have a smart look. After all chances are your kitchen is used on a regular basis. Why not use smart building materials when renovating. Not only will butchers block countertops save you money they will also hold up to your daily activity.

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When you work in Essex you need to look for caterers in Essex. It is always useful to have a list of the good companies on hand, because you never know when something may crop up and you need to use them. Managing an even, no matter how big or small is a breeze when you know that you have reliable caterers who will take care of all your guests needs and ensure you of fine dining, service and care. Events come in many forms and caterers are trained to handle every possibility.

If you want a cocktail like function with only canap?s, a banquet, buffet, BBQ or A la Caret menu’s you will find every possible need is catered for. It is also not to early to be thinking about Christmas, those Christmas functions can sneak up on you so unexpectedly and it is not fun trying to find a venue and a caterer at short notice, particularly at Christmas time.

You will find these services are able to extend to any budget, and they are even able to full chef and waitress services at sensible prices. A catering service needs to be able to offer you good food at short notice that will look great and taste even better, no matter how many people they are catering for. Even if it is a fish and chip supper at a whodunit evening, it needs to look and taste authentic, no matter what.

Themed events are great fun and have become extremely popular. With summer almost upon us, you are even able to plan an outdoor event, as long as you have a plan “B” in case of rain. Your caterer will work with your theme and make sure that they make the magic come alive for you and your guests. Whether you have 1000 or 10 guests, you caterer will take care of all your wining and dining needs.

Attention to detail is what caterers in Essex do best, levels of service are very important to people these days, so you won’t regret you decision to use a catering service. You want your event to be memorable.

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Sweet Success in caterers Colchester is a small family company that serves the Colchester area around it’s location. They cater funerals, business lunches, weddings and parties. They bring a sense of quality and dedication to excellence that attracts many customers each and every year.

This Colchester based small family business caters to various events across the town. It sets up buffets and will deliver them to your home. Or they can put on an important business dinner, and set the mood just the way you want it to be. If a wedding is your event, you can count on them to deliver just the memorable look you desire.

There are also many self-catering cottages to be found in Colchester. It exists as one of England’s oldest Roman towns ever recorded, and much of the old artifacts are still intact. Young tourists will find displays that are interactive where they can try on helmets, check out costumes for participating in the themes of different sections.

While caterers Colchester has a cuisine that’s delectable in all areas of foods, one of the most popular catered affairs in Colchester are their pig roasts. They say, You provide the pig, we’ll provide the rest. They’ll come to the location of your pig roast and cook the pig and cater the rest of your event or special occasion.

From the flower arrangements to the table settings, they know their business. Memories are made of these beautifully catered events. They can provide you with whatever is necessary for your affair to be a success, right down to bringing tents and lights.

Sweet Success is only one of the caterers Colchester amidst thousands. But they stand out in their ability to bring the best to their customers. Their reputation has grown with each passing year as the word gets out about the top professional job they do. If you need catering, and you’re in Colchester, then it would pay you to have a look at Sweet Success.

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One of the most important factors that come into planning a party is the food that your guest will consume, for this ailment you need to consider getting in contact with party caterers in Essex. No party is complete without having an adequate amount of food for the people that will be attending your gathering.

Upon coming to the conclusion that you will need a caterer for the event, it is imperative to book the caterer that you want way ahead of the scheduled party date. There are a wide array of party caterers in Essex, so you may find that picking a specific one is a task within itself.

It is always best to ensure that all of your guests that will be coming to your party let you know of their intentions ahead of time so you can assure that there will be enough food at the party to accommodate everyone.

The particular type of food that you want to have at your party is going to be the determining factors of the underlying coasts of the caterer. You have the choice to pick any kind of food that you believe that your guest and you will enjoy. There is food from all over the world that can be picked, so once again the choices are endless in this category as well.

A lot of the party caterers hire on only the best chefs in the field. Therefore you can rest easy that the food that you choose to have at your party will be absolutely delightful. You have the final decision on if you want appetizers before your full course or other things of that nature.

After making a final decision on the food that you want as well as needing a caterer to be able to provide the food for you, it would behoove you to check out the different caterers in Essex to assure that they fit the needs of the party that you will be hosting.

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If you are looking for an exquisite setting to be married from in the UK, look no further than wedding venues Essex. This county is famous for its beauty, culture and tradition, and there are no fewer than 100 approved marriage venues, 8 register office and a multitude of cathedrals, chapels and churches.

You are even able to take a virtual tour of the available Register Offices and many of the church or wedding venues. You don’t have to live in Essex to be married there, as it is a great place for both the bridal couple and their guests to get away to for the weekend, and is one of the most beautiful counties in which to start a honeymoon.

Essex County is fun, vibrant and romantic. A wedding steeped in culture and history is one of the favorite ways to get married to, so the combination of all these factors makes for a winning combination. This county has been around since time immemorial and is recorded during Saxon times. It is close to London, and England being what it is, a small island, Essex can be easily reached from anywhere.

Essex is the home to historic woodlands, poppy-dotted wheat fields, estuaries, windmills, maritime tradition, coastal villages and the great towns of the North Sea. It is the county with the oldest recorded town, 350 miles of coastline the tallest Tudor gatehouse and the longest pleasure pier in the word. So no matter what the theme of your wedding celebrations, there will be a venue to accommodate and more than meet your needs.

It is becoming more and more popular for couple to choose Essex to get married, and it is the most popular county in England for civil ceremonies. This is due to a change in marriage laws in the 1990′s, when approved premises became legally endorsed to perform the marriage ceremony. This means that now there are some fantastic locations to get married from you are able to hold the ceremony and reception in the same venue.

Historic homes, castles, hotels, garden venues, register offices, churches, all of these different venues can be used. Audley end is wonderful, a fine old historic home, and the tallest Tudor gatehouse – Layer Marney Tower makes the most divinely different wedding venue.

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There are several things you can do to make an immediate impact on the look of your kitchen. Painting the walls a different color is right at the top but it is something you should consider carefully before you jump in. The kitchen is usually one of the most used rooms in a house so you must make sure you make the correct color choice.

Before you jump in and paint your kitchen a new color, make sure you make the right choice, as some colors will not work too well. The color(s) you choose should blend well with the surrounding rooms and probably not be too bright and flashy. The kitchen is a room that is commonly used as a gathering place so the color must be cheery but not too overbearing.

Another thing that will make a big difference in any kitchen is a change in the flooring. Many older kitchens have some type of linoleum and that can be a pleasure to replace with something more modern. Houses now days have kitchen floors made out of wood and tile with wood being the most popular. Make sure you choose the type of floor that will look appropriate with your style of kitchen and have a color that looks right too.

You can also use stone, granite, and laminate as materials from which to make your new kitchen floor if you dont want wood or tile. You will find some homes with laminate floors but not as many with granite. Granite has become the most popular material for kitchen counters and all high-end homes use it for the counter tops but not so much for the floors. Installing a new kitchen floor can be a big project so much planning should be done to make sure you put in a floor that looks good with its surroundings.

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.

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For a great wedding venue, check out Essex, located in the East side of the United Kingdom. It’s a beautiful location that is very popular, and offers some fabulous wedding venues for you to choose from. Truly making your wedding a once in a lifetime event that will always be remembered.

All of this can come true all you need to do is plan a wedding venue in Essex. There are other venues you can choose from besides the examples above. But those are two fabulous ways in which you can start a life with your new spouse.

Since Essex is such a fabulous location, many people will try and reserve a wedding venue. That’s why you need to call as early as possible. Though you do have several choices in venues, you can still run into problems with other weddings that have already been planned.

Hiring a person to help you plan, such as a wedding consultant is a great choice. Most of the pressure will be placed on that persons shoulder’s instead of yours. But in the long run you will still need to have an open mind at some points when it comes to the day you want your wedding.

If you don’t mind the winter time, think of a wedding in Essex at that time. Venues will normally run special prices during this time of year. It’s a great way to have your wedding where you want it, and save a bit of money. That money you can use on your honeymoon!

Planning a wedding venue in Essex is extremely exciting. Make sure that you have several dates picked for those wedding dates. You may need to be very flexible on that, but once the day gets there and you’re in the middle of your wedding, you will be so happy. The thrill of having such a fabulous setting for a wedding is great.

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Skyline Chili! The Official chili of The Cincinnati Reds, The Columbus Blue Jackets and King’s Island Amusement Park. Sometimes referred to as Cincinnati Style Chili, this world famous, award winning chili is in a class all it’s own. This unique chili is not chili con carne, a hot and spicey, meat based recipe, associated with the great state of Texas. Nor is it a stew type chili, with beans and tomatoes, like California chili. Instead, Skyline Chili, or Cincinnati style chili, is a sauce, usually served over spaghetti or hot dogs, containing a unique blend of spices that gives it a very distinctive taste. If you’ve ever had Skyline Chili, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

The Skyline Chili restaurant chain, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, was originally founded in 1949 by Greek immigrant, Nicholas Lambrinides. The first restaurant was named for it’s panoramic view of the beautiful Cincinnati skyline and by 1953, Lambrinides was ready to open his second restaurant. The business quickly expanded in the 1960′s and by the end of the century there were well over 100 Skyline restaurants, most located in Ohio, but also in Kentucky, Indiana and Florida.

Officially, the recipe for Skyline Chili is a well kept family secret. However, many Skyline patrons and Cincinnatians believe that the unique taste of Skyline Chili comes from chocolate and cinnamon, 2 key ingredients in Greek style cooking.

A first time visitor to a Skyline Chili restaurant may be a little surprised when they overhear the regulars ordering Three Ways and Four Ways, and wonder just what they’ve gotten themselves into. Not to worry, though, these are just the traditional names of Skyline’s signature dishes. Here’s a brief rundown that you should carry in your pocket – just in case! Skyline Chili – Menu Translation * Two Way – spaghetti topped with Skyline Chili. * Three Way – spaghetti topped with Skyline Chili and cheese. * Four Way – spaghetti topped with Skyline Chili and cheese and your choice of beans or onions. * Five Way – spaghetti topped with Skyline Chili AND cheese AND beans AND Onions!

Mr. Lambrinides died in 1962 at the age of 82, but his sons continued to operate and expand the company. They retained the original recipe unchanged, though. According to William Lambrinides, “Dad always said, ‘Don’t change a thing with the recipe ” don’t add anything, don’t take out anything, it’s perfect the way it is’.

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