My Food and Drink Blog

Archive for March, 2010

When you want your family to eat healthier you can do so easily by using tools that help cook them. A rice cooker is a great thing to have on hand when you are striving for this goal. They are simple to use once you know the basic steps so do not be nervous about using one. Here are some simple tips and steps to get you started in using one.

Measure: You start off by looking inside your cooker to see the measuring lines for rice. The rice goes in first so you will want to measure how much is going in. You can also measure it outside of the pot and this is totally up to you. On the average a good rule of thumb is that one cup of rice makes about one and one half cups of cooked rice.

Rinse: Rinsing your rice is very important. This is so important because there are pesticides and dirt and other materials on the rice that needs to be removed before you eat it. Add rice to a bowl or pot that can be drained easily and add water. Mix up the rice and then drain. Continue to do this until you see the water is clear and then you know it is all clean and ready to cook.

Soak: When the water runs clear then you can soak your rice. This is an optional step for you so if you need to get started cooking and cannot wait skip it. Or soak in advance and cook the rice later and get it all ready in the pot. Or if you have a timer you can set the rice to cooker at a later time.

Measure Again: Now measure the water and add it to the cooker according to directions. In most cases the measurement is equal amount of uncooked rice and water. If you want to make the rice a bit stickier add a little extra water and if you want drier Indian style rice add a little less water.

Add Extras: Extra items can be added to the cooker before you start it such as butter and salt. You can add chicken flavoring or other types of flavor such as soy sauce or salsa for Spanish rice. It can be fun to discover what types of rice you can make.

Cook: Now place the lid on the rice and begin cooking. Or you can set the timer to cook later if you are preparing it in advance. Resist the temptation to check on the rice by opening the cover as this will conflict with the process. Trust your cooker and let it do its job.

Once the timer goes off your rice is done and ready to eat. Check out the many recipes online for your rice cooker that you can create. Involve the kids and have them help you along the way. Together you might even create your own recipes that are one of a kind that others want to get from you.

John McKain has many cooking blogs. He writes rice cooker reviews in one of his cooking blogs. You can find zojirushi rice cooker and many other rice cooker reviews in his blog.

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If you are looking for a small appliance that will get lots of use in your home you need to check out rice cookers and steamers. These little cookers will not just end up in the small appliance graveyard with all those other little tools that are handy but just too much trouble to get out and clean up. They are a handy tool that can cook rice perfectly every time, can steam vegetables, and can be used for cooking soups and stews.

Rice cookers were designed to cook rice. Most do that task very well making perfect rice in about twenty to thirty minutes. The thermostat located in the bottom of the pot senses when all the water has been absorbed by the rice and it switches from the high heat setting to a keep warm setting. With a good rice cooker you are able to have real rice that has been cooked to perfection in about fifteen minutes longer than it would take for instant rice to cook if you include the time for boiling the water and allowing it to sit for five minutes.

Rice is a food that is considered a staple in much of the world. It does not require washing, pealing or dicing like potatoes. In fact, you will find it much easier to prepare rice than potatoes, especially with a rice cooker. You just need to add the rice to the pot, add water to the correct mark and press the start button. In a few minutes you will have perfect rice.

This little appliance can do much more than just cook rice, however. It is also a great steamer. In fact, you may choose to steam your vegetables at the same time your rice is cooking using the steamer insert or if you are not cooking rice for the meal, you can simply steam the veggies. You can also steam hot dogs for the same tasty dogs you get at the ballpark or you can steam fish to perfection.

If your husband insists that he must have potatoes at every meal, dice a couple of red potatoes and put in the steamer while you cook rice for the rest of the family. For mashed potato nights, the cooker will boil the potatoes and free the other heating elements on the stove.

The rice cooker is described as a perfect tool for cooking any food that needs to boil like crazy. It will not work well for creamy soups that need to simmer, but it is excellent for broth based soups. This makes it great for many Asian soups including egg drop soup or sweet and sour soup. It even works to cook inexpensive packages of Ramon Noodles as well as other pasta.

For easy clean up, choose a cooker that has a nonstick pan. This pan allows you to dump the rice out of the cooker with virtually no grains sticking to the pot. Any of the starch that may have cooked out of the rice can be removed by wiping with a paper towel. Rinse the pot and it is ready to cook your next batch of rice.

Japan makes the best rice cookers and steamers. These cookers have the longest life and often do the best job at cooking rice and other foods. Cookers from other countries just cannot meet the exacting standards required by the manufacturers from Japan.

Searching for the best rice cookers and steamers for your needs can seem like a real chore, but it does not have to be that way. If you’re having a hard time deciding what to get, you really can’t do better than a Zojirushi rice cooker.

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One main staple in Greek cuisine is lamb. Any Greek cookbook will be filled with lamb recipes that can be used for many different occasions. Lamb recipes can be found for main courses and holiday dinners as well as lunches and appetizers. A recipe generally will call for various cuts of lamb including the loin, leg, rib and shank. Ground lamb is also commonly used.

One of the more well-liked Greek dishes is stuffed grape leaves (dolmades in Greek.) It can be served as an appetizer, or, if desired, as an entree. Cooks can use fresh or jarred grape leaves and fill them with a combination of ground lamb, rice, garlic, scallions, and other spices. After sauteing the rolled up leaves, a lemon sauce is usually poured over them before serving.

Those looking for a break from traditional lunch fare might be well served by trying souvlaki. It is a “Greek sandwich, ” with pita bread that is stuffed with lamb cubes that have been marinated in red wine, mint, and spices and cooked on the grill. Red onion, cucumber, sliced tomato and a yogurt sauce provide the finishing touches for the souvlaki.

A great casserole dish that serves many is Greek lasagna, or pastichio. It is a two layered dish that has as its base a mixture of pasta (usually elbows, ziti, or penne), and a meat sauce. The meat sauce consists of a mixture of ground lamb, tomato sauce, garlic, onion and a pinch of cinnamon. The topping is a bechamel sauce that is made from eggs, milk, flour and butter. When baked, the sauce takes on a custard-like texture and complements the flavor in the meat and pasta base.

For special occasions such as a holiday, a roast leg of lamb is popular Greek fare. To prepare leg of lamb in Greek fashion, create a mixture of olive oil, melted butter, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Wash the lamb well and make incisions into it. Put the olive oil mixture into each incision. Before roasting, the lamb should be rubbed in additional olive oil and covered with a layer of lemon juice. A five pound leg will generally cook in 3 hours in a 325 degree oven.

A simple Greek dinner is lemon chicken. Usually chicken thighs are used and are marinated overnight. The marinade is simple: olive oil with oregano and lemon. Place the thighs in a pan and pour the rest of the marinade over them before baking. New potatoes can be peeled and placed in the pan before putting it in the oven.

Lamb is very versatile and has a unique flavor. For this reason it has become a common centerpiece for cuisines all over the world. Many different foods, not just Greek, use lamb regularly in their dishes.

Do you like lamb and need the finest lamb recipes? There are many different types of recipes that’s being shared today on the net. A Prime rib recipe can be found on the Net as well.

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When you think of macaroni and cheese you might feel all warm and fuzzy inside. This is a recipe that your grandma probably made from scratch. Today we just pull out a box and make what they call mac and cheese with processed cheese product and pasta by adding just a little bit of butter and milk. This is totally different from the macaroni and cheese recipe your grandma made because it is far from luscious creamy casserole you loved as a kid.

Sharp cheddar is the cheese of choice when making mac and cheese but other cheeses can be used. Use mild cheddar for a milder taste or use Swiss or Provolone cheeses. Other things can be added to the dish to make it a whole meal. Cube some cooked ham and combine it in the recipe and some shredded chicken will really make a meal. Use some frozen broccoli or cauliflower that has been thawed and drained in the mix. Other things you can do to make an interesting combination is to add some drained diced tomatoes or try some frozen chopped spinach that has been drained well. You may get your kids to eat vegetables easier this way.

If you want to make something everyone in the family will love just stick to the basic recipe. The basic ingredients include elbow macaroni, cheese and milk. Some recipes make it so dense and thick you can cut it with a knife while in others it is somewhat loose and the macaroni floats about in the sauce. Some leave the dish plain while others put crunchy toppings on top. It is just a matter of taste and what you and your family likes the best.

To make a good plain recipe bring water to boil and add one half pound of elbow macaroni and boil it until it reaches an al dente stage then drain. Take three tablespoons of butter in a sauce pan and melt it while the macaroni is being boiled. After the butter melts add three tablespoons of flour and one teaspoon of dry mustard. Start whisking this all together to make a smooth paste and keep going for about three to four minutes. You have just made a rue and that is what will thicken the sauce. Make sure there are no lumps.

The next step is to whisk in 3 cups of milk until completely incorporated with no lumps. If you desire a real creamy dish use evaporated milk or a mixture of evaporated and regular milk. You need a 12 ounce package of sharp cheddar cheese and reserve about one half cup of it and pour the rest in the pan and whisk until it melts. Take one egg and break it into a bowl. Whisk it well and add a little bit of the cheese mixture to the egg and whisk well. Add a little more and whisk well again. You can then pour the whole egg mixture into your cheese mixture. If you do not do this the egg will scramble and get chunky.

Add one teaspoon of a good quality paprika if you want a little spice. Taste it and add salt and pepper if you desire. Cheese is usually pretty salty so you may not need to add any salt. Add the drained macaroni and fold it into the sauce. Pour the whole thing into a greased two quart casserole dish.

In a small saucepan melt three tablespoons of butter for the topping. Measure out one cup of fine bread crumbs and add it to the saucepan. Regular bread crumbs are fine but if you want a real crunch use Panko crumbs. Spread this mixture over the casserole and bake in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for thirty minutes making sure the top gets brown and sides are bubbling. Take the casserole out of the oven and wait five minutes until you serve. This will allow the sauce to thicken. The family will go crazy over this old fashion dish and if you take it to a church dinner you will have nothing to bring back home with you.

If you are searching for a hurry for a fast meal, you can find the greatest macaroni and cheese recipe or chicken salad recipe easy! Getting healthy and nutritious five minute meals is a snap when you visit today!

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Hunting for bargains and discounts and cheap groceries can be time consuming and tough if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Quite frankly, you shouldn’t expect to just stroll in to the first market you come across and depart and save tons of money if you haven’t done some serious research prior to your visit. You can find cheap groceries in many different ways, however if you learn the smart way of going about it ultimately you can be rewarded very well for your efforts. Some people can literally cut their weekly grocery bill in half, making their dollar go a lot further.

The first thing that you want to do is use your coupons, while you may not be thinking of this as getting cheap groceries in a way that’s exactly what you are doing. Lets say a jug of milk costs $3.00 if you have a coupon for the milk that takes off fifty cents, a coupon that save you fifty cents for your bread a coupon that save you a dollar for toilet tissue and that coupon is doubled then you have saved a total of three dollars. This means that for all effects and purposes your jug of milk is cheap. This is three dollars that your family can use for something else and you still have your jug of milk.

That’s right, you’ll find that there is great value even in the coupons you don’t want or believe you have no need for. Believe it or not, an effective way of getting value out of these coupons is to create coupon groups within your neighborhood. You can get a number of participants in the group and begin to exchange coupons with each other, not letting those coupons go to waste, all the while picking up coupons you really want. Once put together correctly, the members of the group can really benefit from each other by saving each other a lot of money.

Another great way to get some cheap groceries is to use comment lines and product websites. You can dial the comment line printed on the back of the products that you use the most and take the survey that they usually offer. Most of the foremost brands offer some form of reward for taking the survey, usually in the form of cheap product coupons or vouchers that can be used at your local retailer.

Some product manufacturers will go as far as to offer cash cards to customers willing to fill out surveys. The cash cards are, of course, valid for many different stores and are valid for any products the customer wishes to acquire. Often times the cash cards are for smaller amounts between three and five dollars, and can be used toward a larger purchase of a larger item, such as a twenty five pound bag of cat litter. That said, it’s even a good idea to participate in surveys for products that don’t even appeal to you. Ultimately, after you do this you can either utilize the cash card wherever you like, or if the offer turns out to be a coupon you can pool it with your coupon circle to gain a coupon that you you’d actually like to use.

Visiting the websites of products is a way you can get cheap samples of new products or try out things that are going to be unveiled soon but are not yet in stores. These are usually offered in exchange of your agreeing to take a survey about the item.

Nobody should have to worry about putting food on the table. Come look at our site to find cheap groceries and free groceries to help you save today.

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Coffee drinks are favored by most of the people in the continents. A single serving is able to keep your mind and body energized for daily activities. It is a pleasure to be enjoyed around any occasions, from work oriented to home oriented.

Made in high quality stainless steel material signifies one’s living quality in the current standard of living. With people grew more interests in appreciation towards their lifestyle, a good coffee brewed stands its personality as well. The coffee drip is such anticipated to that it slowly fills up the cast while you can be away from focus. But Such ignorance would not be neglected as the the coffee aroma slowly fills up the odorless air.

This culinary utensil can be catered as a diving culinary pleasure. Unlike television programs that gives you sight pleasures, the coffee maker explore your senses. It is the sense capture as once the brewed coffee release the deep fragrance of the natural bean. The smell is so lasting that people hardly resist drinking a cup.

Besides that, a good coffee maker can also come in with a feature for light drinker or heavy drinker. Coffee lovers can now adjusts the amount of coffee brewed according to ones preferences no matter for single serving or up to four servings.

From work to home, a coffee maker is also a good investment for ones’ desirable living lifestyle. It is suited for personal indulgence or a social activity. The coffee maker is one of the best helper which serves as a perfect presentation for guests and themed occasions as well, such as coffee book club, coffee and cakes, etc.

As simple as it works, a good coffee maker with a programmable brew strength functions to keep the water heat in between water temperature between 195 – 205 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal extraction. Coffee maker equipped with these key factors hence is convenient and timely.

If you really need to get a coffee maker, don’t let your bad eye put you off guard in making coffee. The bold shades of cup lines are clear to be seen and not easily washed off, so that you can measure the ideal ratio of 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every six ounces of water.

Getting a coffee maker also gets you venture into various flavors of coffee from all over the world. The warmth and aroma produced, gives an immediate effect to a brighter day. Don’t let the work rule you, get a coffee maker, drink a cup, it will let you rule over work throughout the day.

John McKain knows what type of coffee maker is the best. His coffee maker reviews website is a great source of information for those who wants to read single serve coffee maker reviews and articles on how to choose the best coffee maker.

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Beef stew is a staple recipe of almost any household. It just takes some beef, vegetables, water or broth to put one together. All you need are the ingredients and a little bit of time to make a stew that tastes great and nourishes the body. The best thing is that you have the whole dinner in one pot. The only thing you need is some bread, or if you make dumplings to go with your beef stew recipe you do not even need that.

Once man learned how to make fire he quickly learned how to cook. Stew was a great meal even back in Biblical time when a bowl of it was traded for a dowry in the book of Genesis. Lamb and fish were the ingredients used by Romans to make stew. The first recipe to every be recorded was during the fourteenth century. Stews are all different depending on the area and what is grown in the region.

When the weather becomes cold outside a steaming bowl of stew with a nice piece of bread is grand. It does not cost a fortune because inexpensive beef can be used because it boils such a long time any cut would be tender. If there is not enough money for a great deal of meat you can substitute more vegetables and stretch that meal dollar even further.

Stew was definitely a peasant dish because it could be made from anything growing at the time. However, some cultures made it into something special when they made Boeuf Bourguingnonne and Beef Burgundy. Various cuts of beef can be used like eye of round and sirloin. It can also be made with cheaper top or bottom round steak as well. This beef is cut into strips or cubed then browned and then a liquid is added to the pot and the whole thing simmers for a while. The difference between soup and stew is that soup is thinner and stew is normally thickened in order to make a gravy.

Start to make a basic beef stew by cutting about 2 to 3 pounds of beef into cubes or strips and set aside. In a large Dutch oven pour in a little oil. Add 2 cloves of garlic that has been crushed and saute. Add 2 or 3 onions that have been peeled and chopped and saute until they become translucent. Add the cut beef and brown on all sides. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside. Add four cups of beef broth and bring to a boil. Add one cup of carrots that have been peeled and chopped. Add three fourths of a cup of celery that has been chopped. Place the beef back in the pot and add a bay leaf.

Once the stew starts to boil again turn down the heat so it simmers. Put a lid on it and let it go for 20 minutes. While it is boiling take 4 potatoes and peel them then cut them into bite size chunks. Once the 20 minutes is up add them to the stew with one half teaspoon of dried rosemary and one half teaspoon of dried thyme.

Let the pot simmer for thirty more minutes but keep an eye out to make sure the liquid does not get low. If it does add water or more broth and get it up to a simmer again. When there is only about ten minutes left on the timer taste the stew and see if it needs salt or pepper. Also remove the bay leaf. To make the stew thicker combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch with water to make a thick paste that will still pour. Put this in and stir the stew. It should start to thicken in about 3 minutes and if it does not in 5 minutes add a little more cornstarch and water. Stir constantly or the cornstarch can clump up and make lumps. Serve your stew to your family and friends with some bread to make a great dinner on a cold or not so cold night.

We do not know about you, but personally we cannot turn down a good beef stew recipe. For those chilly, sick feeling days, the chicken soup recipe will hit the right place.

categories: beef stew recipe,chicken soup recipe

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Zojirushi Coffee Makers are a relatively small company by today’s standards. They are a company known for quality kitchen appliances such as rice cookers, bread makers and vacuum pots. A company originally formed in Osaka, Japan way back in 1918 – they have gone on to become a multinational manufacturer owning subsidiary companies in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and America.

So why choose a Zojirushi coffee maker? A coffee brewer made by a Japanese owned company known for making rice cookers? Well… For one thing, Zojirushi have over the years become known for their functional designs and simplistic, almost ‘minimalist’ styling. They didn’t jump on the band wagon and bring out 20 different models in a rainbow of colors… They bought out only what they felt was needed.

The Zojirushi coffee maker range has just two models. The first is a stainless steel coffee maker with thermal carafe, and a 10-cup capacity. The second is a very compact 5-cup coffee brewer that looks so classy. Both of these two models have very quickly formed a very loyal fan base, and have been rated very highly in many coffee maker reviews.

The 10-cup thermal coffee maker model is a very classy looking coffee brewer. Both the thermal carafe and the brewing basket are covered in a brushed stainless steel that just look fantastic. This covering around the brewing basket also acts as insulation, so when you are brewing fresh hot coffee into your thermal carafe, it doesn’t go cold during the brewing process. Despite not having a warming element, this coffee maker with thermal carafe is able to keep your coffee hot for several hours. A tip is to add warm water to the water reservoir, not ice cold water. This will keep the temperature up a touch.

The Zojirushi 5-cup coffee brewer is a neat little machine. It measures just 6 x 8 7/8 x 10 5/8 inches which is a tiny footprint. And weighs only 3 1/2 lb. This is the perfect coffee maker for the home office, dorm room, or if you don’t have the need for one of those huge capacity machines. The classy silvery gray color looks great too!

If the coffee maker reviews are anything to go by, the Zojirushi coffee makers are fantastic machines. When you cross Japanese precision with a simple timeless design, you are bound to have a winner!

If you are after more information about a Zojirushi coffee maker, then visit Billy Taylor’s site CoffeeMakers411.com on how to choose the best coffee makers for your needs.

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Foods that cause angina is something that everyone who is experiencing this painful condition wants to find out about. You have to be conscious of what you eat and which things give you this burning feeling. Remember, that everyone is different, and so the stuff we eat may react in a different way to someone else. In this post I will be giving you a list of a number of these foods that will give you pain.

Foods that cause heartburn :

1) Tomatoes and citrus fruits. You need to know that these fruit and vegetables are extremely high in acidity content. These will also increase the amount of acid you create inside your stomach. In the process, these will increase the chance of you getting a burning discomfort in your chest and throat.

2) You also have to be wary of eating any fried or spicy and hot foods. Again these foods have acidity levels and will give you acid reflux. As an example, if you enjoy eating Italian, Mexican or Indian meals, you are in danger to getting burning chest and esophagus discomfort.

3) Don’t drink alcohol, sodas or drinks with caffeine. Carbonated pop drinks are not an excellent choice to drink. Too drinks with caffeine,eg tea or coffee are similarly as bad.

4) Steer clear of foods like eggs, legumes, some nuts, animal fats, vegetable oils, pasta, meat, pork, bleached flour, starches, sugars and chocolate. Eating any of these have ended in many individuals to experience burning agony and discomfort.

The main thing you need to remember is to be certain you keep a book of everything you eat during the day. Keep track of what you eat and also if any of these are causing you pain.

You also should control your food portions and how much you eat. Overeating causes your stomach to be increased and could cause some stomach acid to backup into your esophagus. A similar thing with being overweight, it causes pressure in your belly and can backup stomach acid also.

In this article, I shared with you some foods that cause heartburn. If you really serious about curing this distressing condition, try eliminating or controlling these food choices!

For answers to other questions about Food That Cause Heartburn, go here Diet for Acid Reflux Disease

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Using the internet to find toasters on sale is my advice as a method to get the greatest value. After all, spending the least amount of money is of importance to you, correct?

Local department stores and appliance shops are an excellent way to view toasters, however the web provides a greater selection at prices that are much cheaper than you will locate locally.

You can’t go wrong by first searching the internet before you purchase to check out what type of offers are available to online shoppers.

Compare Prices

When you want to view many different stores fast & easy, surfing the web is the best possible system for finding prices.

Think of the internet as your best friend that provides you the chance to comparison shop, so you can be sure of securing the best possible bargain.

After all, real fun from shopping happens when we are able to locate the exact goods we are looking for at the best possible discount.

Discovering Facts

Customer feedback and up to date product reviews are valuable tools you can use when deciding on what toasters, such as the Back To Basics Toaster, to buy. Top tier net shops are known for providing these services available to their customers.

Due to these features, you can obtain more detailed info about the item than you would be able to get by chatting with a sales clerk at a regular retail outlet.

Shop The Easy Way

Unlike normal retail shops that have fixed operating hours, you can shop whenever you please on the internet because it never closes.

As a result, you can research & discover items at a time that is best for you, making shopping simple. No more having to think about the time or about your schedule.

Discovering Bargains

I have found that net shopping is a very helpful tool when it comes to finding rare or hard to find toasters that are either out of stock or simply not available in my area.

If you browse through the listings closely, there are deals available that offer free shipping and handling for several goods.

Secure Transactions

Your credit card information will be safe when you use their website for your purchases. Because they only deal with web transactions, you don’t have to worry as they are dedicated to making your shopping experience satisfying.

Overall Savings

Department stores & specialty shop prices for toasters usually fall between $55 & $125, depending upon the item & model.

You can expect to save around 35% off of the regular retail price when shopping for bargains on the internet.

Looking to find the best deal on a Back To Basics Toaster, then visit our site. For more interesting tips, visit Smile Peach

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