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Slow Cooker Tips

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The wind is blowing here, the temperature is dropping and we’re expecting rain.  On days like this we look forward to hot, comforting dinners.  A slow cooker (Crock-pot is one brand) is a convenient way to have that satisfying dinner ready when you come home at night.

Here are some helpful tips for making your slow ccoker dinner simple and tasty.

  • Less tender cuts of meat such shoulder, chuck roast, brisket and poultry legs work best for slow cooking.
  • Fish and seafood are not well suited unless they are added during the last hour or so of cooking.
  • Ground meat is also not recommended as the texture changes during long cooking and becomes mealy.
  • Slow cooking tends to intensify flavors, especially black pepper, chili pepper and garlic.  Dried herbs may loose some flavor with long cooking times and fresh herns are best if added right near the end of the cooking.
  • It’s not necessary, but flouring and browning meat for stews will add a richer flavor and color and will help to thicken the sauce.  Be sure to scrape the browned bit from the bottom of the pan to add to the pot.
  • Plastic liners are available in the foil aisle of most major grocery stores.  They make clean-up almost nonexistent.
  • To ensure even cooking, be sure to fill the cooker at least halfway, but not to the brim.  also, try not to stir as it will break up the vegetables.
  • It generally works best to place the vegetables (chunks of carrot potato and onion, for example) on the bottom of the pot followed by a layer of meat.
  • Meals can be made even easier by prepping many of the ingredients the night before and then just adding them to the pot straight from the fridge the next morning.

One of my family’s favorite slow cooker meals is exceptionally easy.

Bar-B Que Beef

Place chunks of carrot, potato, and onion on the bottom of the slow cooker,
cover with a layer of beef short ribs or stew meat. Cover with one bottle of your favorite bar-BQue sauce and an equal amount of your favorite beer. Cook 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. Vary the amounts to suit your personal needs and tastes.

HEPA Filters – What You Need to Know

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Do you need a HEPA filter on your new vacuum?  First, it helps to know what a HEPA filter is.  HEPA is an acronym for “High Efficiency Particulate Air”, which means that it traps smaller dust particles than an ordinary filter.  A vacuum with a HEPA filter should not blow as many dirt particles back into the air as one with a standard filter.  The catch is that not all HEPA filters are alike.

The first is a True or Absolute HEPA filter which must pass tests to be certified as True.  A True or Absolute filter will have a serial number attesting to its status.  It must be able to trap at least 99.97 percent of particles of .3 microns. These test results will be printed on the filter. True or absolute HEPA filters may be more expensive than other HEPA filters, but they must perform at a certain standard to receive the distinction of True or Absolute HEPA.

The second is a HEPA type filter which look like HEPA filters and may be made similarly, but often capture only 85 to 90 percent of particles and that percent can fall even lower for particles of 1 micron and below. HEPA type filters are less expensive than true or absolute HEPA filters.

In order to know what you are buying, look for serial numbers and test results if you want to purchase a True or Absolute HEPA filter.  Check the test results at .3 microns to make sure your filter is a True or Absolute HEPA.

Allergy sufferers might find some relief with HEPA filtration, especially in home with pets.  Before you spend the extra money on a HEPA filter, make sure your family needs one, then just just the packaging to make sure you are getting what you pay for.

Make a Solar Oven- Have Fun with a Different Take on Boxing Day

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Tis the season for too many empty boxes around the house.  Tis also the season for trying to figure out what to do with the kids home from school.  If you are feeling adventurous, here are the step-by-step instructions for using some of those boxes to create your own solar oven. 

Things You’ll Need

  • Aluminum Foil
  • Cardboard
  • Large And Small Cardboard Boxes
  • Non-toxic Glues
  • Non-toxic Invisible Tape
  • Plastic Wrap
  • Scissors
  • Newspaper
  • Pencils
  • Black Construction Paper
  • Staplers

Steps

Step One

Find two boxes. One should fit inside the other with a 2- to 3-inch space on each side. (This can vary slightly – the space will be filled with newspaper.)

Step Two

Line the bottom of the large box with crumpled newspaper.

Step Three

Place the smaller box inside the large box.

Step Four

Fill the space between the sides of the two boxes with crumpled newspaper.

Step Five

Line the sides of the inside of the smaller box with aluminum foil. You can use a non-toxic tape or fold the edges of foil over the top of the box to hold it in place.

Step Six

Line the bottom of the inside of the smaller box with black construction paper to absorb heat.

Step Seven

Lay a piece of cardboard on top of the large box and trace the shape of the box onto the cardboard.

Step Eight

Add 2 inches around the trace line and cut out to make a reflector.

Step Nine

Cover the cardboard piece with aluminum foil. Smooth out any wrinkles and secure the aluminum foil to the cardboard with non-toxic glue or tape.

Step Ten

Staple the reflector to the outside back of the large box.

Step Eleven

Situate the oven with the box opening up and the reflector facing the sun for maximum heat.

Step Twelve

Place food to be cooked in the solar oven.

Step Thirteen

Stretch clear plastic wrap across the top of the large box. Secure the plastic with tape around the entire box.

Tips & Warnings

  • Cooking time is about twice as long as in a conventional oven.
  • Preheating takes about 30 minutes.
  • Use bigger boxes for a larger oven.
  • A small pizza box oven is good for kids to make s’mores or mini-pizzas.
  • Do not use any materials that could give off toxic fumes when heated, such as duct tape or Styrofoam.
  • Do not use a solar oven for foods that must reach a high temperature or cook rapidly.

 Ehow.com has step-by-step instructions on how to use your solar oven, including recipes for s’mores and chocolate cake.

How a TV Works

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If you have ever wondered how your television works, HowStuffWorks has just what you are looking for. They cover the basic technology in the back of your TV: the four parts, electron gun, steering coils, phosphorus screen, and steering coil. It’s so much easier to understand if you watch the video.


In Kitchen Design, Appliances Come First

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We spend so much time in the kitchen during the holiday season. Families gather for dinner and inevitably a large group gathers in the kitchen. This gets us to thinking that we need a larger, prettier, or more usable space. That’s likely why so many kitchen remodels take place after the holidays. If you are planning a kitchen remodel, take your time making design decisions, the kitchen is a complex room with many different elements to consider.

Here are a few things to consider in your planning:

•Pick your appliances first — everything gets built around them.

• Pick your countertop before you select your cabinets. The cabinet company won’t know what height to build the lower cabinets without knowing the thickness of the countertop — they’re all different.

• Pick your backsplash before you hire the electrician. The placement of the electrical boxes will depend on the thickness of the counter’s backsplash. Will it be tile or a solid material? What thickness will the material be and will it be affixed directly to the wall or will mortar be placed between the wall and the splash? There is nothing worse than paying the electrician extra to go back and add spacers to the electric boxes because they aren’t flush with the finished surface — fire hazard!

• With certain sink/disposal combinations you may have to adjust the height of your existing drain outlet. Kohler currently offers a stainless kitchen sink 28 centimetres (11 inches) deep and ISE has a gigantic new one HP disposer. Together they fit a bit lower into the under-cabinet area than other models.

• Selecting appliances in advance will also be important to the plumber and the electrician. The plumber may need to run an icemaker line if the refrigerator has one and the electrician will have to know what size circuits will have to be run for the range, oven, exhaust fan and other appliances.

• Some sales people will offer you the least efficient alternative just to keep the price in your budget. For example: It is less expensive to use doors rather than drawers when designing a set of kitchen cabinets. However, for many users drawers provide far more efficient storage space. Also, the rails that drawers glide on vary greatly in cost and strength. There are some drawer glides that bend when the drawer is full. Better types can hold an adult doing push-ups.

You can read more here.

Retro Fridge- Modern Price

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If your kitchen needs that special 50’s retro refrigerator, SMEG, an Italian manufacturer, has just what you need.

50’S Style Refrigerator with ice compartment,
Pastel Green, Right hand hinge
Capacity 9.22 Cu. Ft.

REFRIGERATOR:
Antibacterial interior
Interior light
3 adjustable glass shelves
1 bottle storage shelf
1 fixed glass shelf
1 fruit and vegetable container
1 dairy box
SMEG Retro Fridge and Freezer
DOOR:
2 adjustable covered bins
2 bottle storage bins
4 adjustable bins
2 egg bins

FREEZER COMPARTMENT:
1 Ice cube tray

Energy consumption: 305 kWh/ year

Dimensions (h x w x d ) 57½ x 23⅝ x 27½ inches

This little beauty (9.22 cubic feet) costs about $2000 and comes in a variety of colors.

Air Cleaners – What You Need to Know

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Many people believe that an air cleaner will help their family be healthier.  Using an air cleaner or air purifier in your home supposedly helps reduce dust, pollen and other respiratory irritants.  There are three types of air cleaners,  High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, electrostatic precipitators, and ozone generators.

From the Arizona Daily Star:

1. High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters: Consumer Reports says air cleaners with these filters are among the best performers. But homeowners can more easily improve their indoor air with other methods, such as banning indoor smoking, keeping pets out of bedrooms, removing carpeting and other dust-mite havens and opening windows, the magazine says.
2. Electrostatic precipitators: They apply an electrical charge to particles and deposit them onto filters. They commonly emit small amounts of ozone as a byproduct. This month, Consumer Reports withdrew its endorsement of them after 15 years of recommending some models, saying, “We now believe that air purifiers that emit even small amounts of ozone are not your best choice.”
Ozone is a common air pollutant, an indicator of smog’s presence. The Environmental Protection Agency says that relatively low ozone levels can cause respiratory problems.
3. Ozone generators: Manufacturers say that ozone will purify the air, but Consumer Reports recommends against such machines, saying its tests have found that their ozone production generally exceeded federal Food and Drug Administration limits of 50 parts per billion set for medical devices. The California Air Resources Board just approved new rules, requiring such generators to limit ozone to 50 ppb by Dec. 31, 2008.

Newer houses with better insulation, double-paned windows and weatherstripped doors save energy, but they also seal pollutants into our homes. I try to limit my impact on the environment. Air cleaners are just another electronic device to run, with uncertain results. My choice is to vacuum and wash floors and bedding regularly and to open windows daily. Those are results you can see.

Fire Safety – Prevent Kitchen Fires

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The San Mateo County Fire Department has some important safety tips for cooking during this busy holiday season.

How often has the doorbell rung or a child interrupted you while you were cooking, causing you to forget about the chicken you left sizzling on the stove – until smoke filled the house?  If this scenario or a similar one doesn’t sound familiar to you, you may want to think about it a little more because it’s likely that you, a friend, or family member has run the risk of having a dangerous fire.

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The latest statistics from NFPA say that one out of every three home fires started in the kitchen and more than 100,000 fires a year were related to cooking.

Here are a few safety tips to remember:

  • Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, broiling, or boiling food. If you must leave the the room even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.
  • Keep cooking areas clean and clear of combustibles (e.g. potholders, towels, rags, drapes and food packaging).
  • Keep children away from cooking areas by enforcing a “kid-free zone” of three feet around the stove.
  • If you have a fire in your microwave, turn it off immediately and keep the door closed. Never open the door until the fire is completely out. If in doubt, get out of the home and call 911.
  • Always keep an oven mitt and a lid nearby. If a small grease fire starts in a pan, smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan (make sure you are wearing the oven mitt). Turn off the burner and slide the pan off the burner.
  • Never pour water on a grease fire. If the fire does not go out, get out of the home and call 911.
  • If an oven fire starts, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from burning you or your clothing. If the fire does not go out, get out of the home and call the fire department.
  • To avoid the accumulation of grease, always clean the vent screen above your stove. You can put these in the dishwasher! If you cook frequently with oils, butter, and grease, make sure to clean it at least once a month.
  • Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and learn how to use it.

Recall: Pressure Cookers By Manttra Inc. Due to Burn Hazard

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Name of Product: Pressure Cookers

Units: About 38,250

Importer: Manttra Inc., of Virginia Beach, Va.

Manufacturer: TTK Presitge Ltd., of India

Hazard: If the pressure cookers are not closed properly, the lid can separate and allow hot contents to spill out. This poses a risk of burns to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Manttra has received two reports of hot contents spilling out of the pressure cookers, resulting in minor burn injuries.

Description: This recall involves Manttra Smart Series five-piece stainless steel multi cooker sets. The set includes a pressure lid, glass lid, steamer basket, wire trivet, and stock/pressure pot. Model/code number 38270 is stamped on the base of the 8-quart stainless steel cooker.

Sold at: Kohl’s, Robinson’s, Sears and Carson Pirie Scott stores nationwide from June 2003 through April 2007 for between $70 and $100.

Manufactured in: India

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the pressure cookers and contact Manttra Inc. to receive a new replacement pressure valve (ZPD valve).

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Manttra Inc. toll-free at (877) 962-6887 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.manttra.com

Picture of Recalled Pressure Cookers