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Crock Pot Cooking
Setting/Cleaning Up Your Kitchen
Having your kitchen organized can save you time and money when shopping, and at every meal as you prepare them for your family. Here are a few tips from the professionals to help you accomplish this task:
*Items should be stored near the place they will be used, for instance pots and pans should be stored near the stove.
*When storing foods in your cupboard, put like items next to each other.
*Spices are easier to find when you alphabetize them in your spice rack.
*The front and door of your refrigerator should be used for the items you use the most.
*Having several sets of measuring cups and spoons eliminates the need to stop and wash them while cooking.
*Organize your shopping list the same way the isles in the market are set up.
*Keep a list of shopping needs, as you use something up, put it on the list.
*Only shop once a week, rather than making several trips to the store throughout the week, it is actually less expensive, and a real time saver.
Re-organizing and cleaning up your kitchen after each meal is just as important as the initial set up was, a well organized, clean kitchen is one that is a pleasure to cook in.
For clean up after each meal her are a few tips to follow:
*Keep a sink of hot soapy water for soaking dishes as you use them, if you have a few minutes while cooking you can even wash a few items.
*Casseroles and roasts, that dont contain tomato products, can be baked in a disposable, foil pan.
*Line your broiler pan with foil to take away the need to wash it later.
*Cleaning a grater can be a real mess, coating it with non-stick cooking spray can make the chore a lot easier.
*Marinating foods in reseal able plastic bags creates less dirty dishes for you to do later. They also work great for coating foods in flour, not as much mess on the counter.
These are all simple tips that make your cooking time more enjoyable and gives you more time to spend with your family.
See Also:
Home Meals on eBay
Whats a Wok?
Woks are for stir-frying over a very hot fire for a very short period of time, stir-frys are usually made with fresh vegetables that remain crisp and some type of meat.
They were originally created with a very round bottom, and were balanced on the coals of a fire.
Thus leaving the both hands free to prepare the food, usually holding a spatula in one hand and chop sticks in the other.
Later, when stoves were made, there was a special place made to hold the wok. A concave metal disk placed on the hearth allowed the flames to reach up and around the sides.
The difficulties for Americans using a wok are that the wok was not created for the burners on American stoves.
Because the wok is round bottomed, it is very dangerous, and may slide off of the stove. You can purchase round bottom woks with two metal handles; this allows you to hold it in place with an oven mitt while cooking.
The disadvantage is that you must remove the wok before adding additional ingredients; this changes the heat which should remain constant.
A ring may be purchased to sit over the top of the burner; however this raises the wok up off of the flame, which reduces the intensity of the heat.
There are three styles available on the market today:
*Round-bottomed with two steel handles, (the handles get hot and you will need either an oven mitt or a dishtowel to hold it in place)
*Round-bottomed with one wood handle and one steel handle
*Flat-bottomed with one wooden and one steel handle (these work best for American stove tops.
Even though you can buy woks made with a wide variety of metals, the best woks are made of heavy-gauge steel. Properly maintained this wok will last for a lifetime. |
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Quick Healthy Snacks
Vegetables and fruits are some of the better know quick healthy snacks available today. Keep fresh vegetables, cut up and cleaned in the refrigerator with dip for the kids to snack on after school, they wont miss the candies and cookies if they never get used to them.
It doesnt hurt to have those once in a while as long as they do not constitute your main form of snacking.
Keeping fresh fruit in a bowl on the counter is another good way to provide healthy snacks for your family.
Whatever is in season at the time will work; fresh apples and peanut butter are a great snack with a lot of protein in them.
Fresh fruit and cottage cheese are also high in protein and allows family members to deal with their sweet tooth in a more healthy way. However there are other snacks available that are equally enjoyable.
Whole grain snack crackers (there are an unlimited variety of snack crackers) with an assortment of cheeses are one form or snacking.
There are many kinds of cheese out there for you to keep on hand; you can even buy them already cubed if you dont have time to cut them up yourself!
Celery and cheese spread are tasty and easy to put together after school, at during lunch at work or school or as an evening snack while watching your favorite movie.
Dehydrated fruits are available including raisins, dates or many other kinds of fruits, trail mixes are very popular.
Trail mix is another snack food that has a wide range of tastes, from tropical to nut blends, something for every finicky eater in your family.
They are also easy to customize for your particular tastes. Just buy your favorite fruits and nuts, cereals, and even candies and mix your own.
Be creative with snacks and you will notice a difference in what your family eats.
Related Topics: The Basics of Spices,
Refrigerator and Freezer-Approximate Storage Times, Say Hello to Jell-O
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