Family Cooking Tips

Archive for March, 2008

Bacon Wave

Bacon, by its very nature, is one of the foods that people have loved for a very long time. Bacon is not only a great addition to a breakfast of eggs and toast, but it also happens to be the favorite topping of many in a number of different burgers and sandwiches. The one problem with bacon however is that it can sometimes be hard to prepare. Ultimately, the problem of preparation for bacon is one that a lot of people have felt bad about.

At least, it is a problem they have felt bad about until now.

The bacon wave has eliminated all of the problems that have ever been associated with the cooking and preparation of bacon by doing for bacon what other products have done for other popular foods. The bacon wave takes the preparation of bacon and makes it possible in the microwave. The microwave is the piece of technology in the kitchen synonymous with convenience because you can just set it and forget it. Well, with the bacon wave, you can microwave your bacon and therefore eliminate all of the problems of preparation that any other method of cooking bacon would present.

While convenience is certainly a big deal, at the same time it is not the only thing that is good about the bacon wave. At the same time as you can cook bacon in the microwave using the bacon wave, at the same time you can also cook bacon that is healthier and crispier than anything you would be able to get out of the frying pan. The unique construction of the bacon wave coupled with the properties of the microwave result in a strip of bacon that is extremely crispy and crunchy while at the same time containing less of the fat that frying pans seem to embed in the bacon. Tastier and healthier is an excellent combination.

Finally, the bacon wave also allows you the luxury of quantity; something that the frying pan or any other bacon cooking method can not do. Just using one bacon wave tray allows you to cook up to fourteen pieces of bacon at the exact same time. If that wasn’t enough, you can buy two trays and stack them in order to cook twenty-eight pieces of bacon at the same time! You could probably open a breakfast restaurant with the ability to cook that much bacon at once and easily be able to fill all of your customer’s orders.

Convenience, quantity, taste and texture are just four reasons why the bacon wave is worth the $14.95 you pay for it.

Save by getting if for less here:  

An Exploration of Lesser-Known Berries

While the strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry are rather popular berries, there are plenty of other species found all over the world and right in your own backyard that you are unaware of. When looking for new and exotic recipes for food and drink to explore, why not consider the fruits that possess varying health benefits, such as fighting infection or aiding the kidneys? Hidden fields and rocky mountain regions are just some of the places you will find the following berries:

Cloudberry

Sometimes referred to as the “bakeapple,” this berry is native to Newfoundland, Labrador, and Cape Breton Island, which grow 10 to 25 centimeters into the air. After the plant becomes pollinated, the white flowers produce fruit the size of raspberries. When ripe, the berries are golden yellow in color, soft, juicy, and bursting forth with vitamin C. When allowed to become overripe, they turn creamy and generate a flavor much like yogurt. Cloudberries are typically used to make juices, jams, tarts, and liqueurs. During ancient Scandinavian times, the leaves of the cloudberry plant were used to create a tea believed to cure urinary tract infections.

Huckleberry

In North America, you will find the huckleberry, which is actually the state fruit of Idaho. The berries of this plant are small and round ? measuring less than 5 millimeters in diameter. Depending on the species, huckleberries are dark purple, bright red, or various shades of blue. The taste of the berry also varies, including tart and sweet flavors. The bluish to purple shades of the fruit resemble the taste of the blueberry.

Thimbleberry

In the western and northern parts of North America (Alaska, Ontario, Minnesota, Mexico, etc.), you will find the thimbleberry, which was named after the Thimble Islands in Connecticut, even though the fruit is near extinct in the region. When compared to raspberries, the thimbleberry is larger and softer with a flatter appearance. Small seeds are found inside. Thimbleberries that grow in the wild have gained quite the reputation for making delicious jam.

Crowberry

Who would have thought that dwarf evergreen shrubs would produce an edible fruit found in the Andes of South America to temperate climates in the northern hemisphere? This berry is rather dry with a similar taste to blueberries. When eaten raw, the berries are considered mealy and without much taste. However, Native Americans mixed the crowberry with other berries (like the blueberry) in order to enhance their flavor when cooking. This particular species of fruit is known to make a decent pie and tasty jelly.

By just exerting a little caution, you can drastically reduce the risk that you face when eating beef. With the recent concern in the last few years about the safety of our beef and the consequences of carelessness, it can be a little difficult to indulge in same dishes that you have always loved.  However, you’ll find that simply by keeping a few important pointers in mind, you can enjoy your hamburgers and other ground meat products with confidence.

1.Before leaving the grocery
Before you even toss the meat into your grocery cart, take a good look at it.  Is the color red and vibrant?  Does it feel firm under the packaging when you press it with the tip of your finger, or does it give way too easily?  Make meat the very last thing that you put into your cart before heading for the checkout line, and ask the cashier to double-bag it separately, to prevent the juices from contaminating other foods.

2.Basic cleanliness
Wash your hands before and after handling the meat in question, and make sure that you always use clean knives and cutting boards.  It is especially important to thoroughly rinse your cutting board, especially if you plan to use it to prepare vegetables afterwards.    Some people even recommend using separate cutting boards for meat over vegetables.

3.Thawing the meat
When you go to thaw your beef, remember that you should thaw it in the refrigerator.  This lets it defrost at a slow controlled rate, rather than letting it sit exposed on the kitchen table or counter. If you are in a greater hurry than that, throw it into the microwave to defrost.  A gentle rinse with warm water can also help things along, but remember to prepare the meat immediately after this.

4.General cooking
If you are making ground beef, the internal temperature needs to get up to 160 degrees Fahrenheit or 70 degrees Celsius.  Don’t just use the color of the beef alone to make your decision on whether it is done; some studies have shown that meat will brown long before this temperature, so use an instant-read meat thermometer to be sure.

5.Marinading
A marinade, when you soak the meat in a prepared sauce to enhance the natural flavor can be a somewhat risky activity if not done with care.  When you soak your meat, do so in the refrigerator, rather than on the counter or table.  This will not affect the way that the meat tastes and it provides a cool, safe environment for the beef.  Similarly, do not use the marinade after it has been used on the meat; you can make up a fresh batch or you can soak your vegetables prior to marinading the meat.

These are simple steps to perform to keep your ground meat cooking healthy.

Cooking for your family

Cooking for a family can take time. When you work long hours, the last thing that you want to do is to go home and work even longer. You want to prepare good wholesome and nutritious foods that your family will enjoy, but the thought of an extended day can be draining. Cooking dinner can be a long process, however there are many ways that you can do this even if you are a klutz in the kitchen.

• Prepare menus – create menus that your entire family will enjoy. Sit with your family and ask them what their favorite foods are. Plan your menus around what you know they will like.
• Add an option – add a few different options to the menu so that there is something that everyone likes. This also makes each member of the family feel special.
• Plan a family night – when you pick a night to spend just with your family, you are creating quality time together. You can make it a pizza night or some other kind of take out food night so you can spend time together and share your daily happenings.
• Easy menus – preparing a menu that is elaborate after a long day can cause you to become tired and very cranky. Plan easy menus that are simple to prepare and easy to clean up after.
• Simple ingredients – using simple ingredients will cut the cooking time drastically and you will still get the nutritional value.
• Eating nutritional foods reduces the risk of becoming overweight or obese.

There will always be times when you are too tired to do anything. When you have a family with children, it can be overwhelming. Even though you work long hours, your family demands your attention when you get home, it can be very overwhelming at times.

Planning easy menu options will not only give you more time for family, it will also give you a little more time to relax and unwind after a long day.

Planning simple meals does not mean that you have to sacrifice nutrition. You can make simple healthy meals using healthy ingredients that are both tasty and nutritious.

Preparing ingredients always takes longer then the actual cooking time, therefore, using ingredients that are already prepared will cut meal preparation time in half. Frozen vegetables are an excellent example because they are already peeled and chopped and ready to cook. There is a nutritional benefit to using frozen vegetable and there are no preservatives added.

Family time is very important especially when there are children in the home. They do not recognize how tired you may be and often demand your attention. Quality time is very important, especially if both parents work outside the home.