People assume that crab legs are difficult to prepare, but surprisingly crag legs are not difficult to prepare at all and can be prepared within minutes. But most likely, the frozen crab legs you have purchased at the local supermarket has already been cooked and all you need to do next is heat them up and it’ll be ready to eat. If you do plan on buying crab legs, try not to buy the ones that have been thawed. Why? Because they will lose their freshness so try to buy the frozen crab legs or pre-cooked ones. But no worries, they usually come pre-cooked anyways.
Boiling
Fill a large saucepan with water and add a tablespoon of salt, boil the water and drop the crab legs in. let it heat up for around 10 minutes and remove the water and rinse the crab legs.
Baking
Preheat your oven to 375°F and place the crab legs onto the baking tray. Brush the crab legs with butter, lemon juice and seasoning and leave in oven for 15 minutes. This is my favorite way to heat up crab legs.
Microwave
Place the crab legs in the microwave with a microwave-safe dish and cover the crab legs with paper towels and heat high for 3 minutes.
Steaming
Pour 3 cups of water in the steamer and add 1 tablespoon of salt and wait till it boils. After that, add the crab legs and let the crab steam for 10 minutes. You can serve them with lemon or seasoning for a better taste.
The shells of the crab legs are hard and cannot be broken using your teeth or hands. You must purchase pliers in order to crack the hard shells of the crab legs.
There you have it, four great ways to cook crab legs. My suggestion is try ever single way to cook crab legs so you can find your favorite way of cooking. My favorite is baking because I love seeing the legs brown and cooked. The taste is also great and refreshing. No matter which way you pick, remember to brush the crab legs with lemon, butter or any type of seasoning to make it taste great.
среда, 2 мая 2007 г.
Can Soda be Healthy?
Over the last several years, the soda industry has taken a large hit. Studies have shown sodas to be a black hole of nutrition, and the cause of many health woes. Parents have begun to force public schools to do away with soda machines. Fast food chains have been forced to provide healthier alternatives the sugary sin drink. So what are soda companies to do in the face of mounted opposition? Get healthy.
Many of the major soda producers have begun to implement vitamins and minerals into their carbonated drink, turning peoples guilty pleasure, into a healthy way of life. According to an report by HealthDay News, “This month, Coke is set to launch Diet Coke Plus, a zero-calorie cola with a sprinkling of nutrients mixed in. According to the company, one 8-ounce serving of the soda will provide 15 percent of the daily value (DV) of niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, and 10 percent of the DV for zinc and magnesium. And in the fall, Pepsi will roll out Tava, a line of zero-calorie sparkling beverages in flavors like Tropical Berry Blend and Passion Fruit Lime. Each 8-ounce serving of Tava will deliver 10 percent of the DV of vitamins B3, B6 and E.
Lynn Dornblaser, director of Mintel Custom Solutions, a market research firm said, “The biggest thing in every industry right now is health and wellness. Even companies that never had that as a primary focus are now trying to adapt their product lines to fit what’s important today.”
So will soda be able to make the leap from liquid candy to a healthy beverage? Experts believe its all in the marketing. While a soda is still not a viable source for nutritional value, Kristine Clark, director of sports nutrition at Penn State University says, “If you’re drinking these because of their nutrients, that’s not a valid reason, but if you’re going to be drinking soda anyway, you’re at least getting something extra. Just don’t kid yourself that soda is a health drink.”
Many of the major soda producers have begun to implement vitamins and minerals into their carbonated drink, turning peoples guilty pleasure, into a healthy way of life. According to an report by HealthDay News, “This month, Coke is set to launch Diet Coke Plus, a zero-calorie cola with a sprinkling of nutrients mixed in. According to the company, one 8-ounce serving of the soda will provide 15 percent of the daily value (DV) of niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, and 10 percent of the DV for zinc and magnesium. And in the fall, Pepsi will roll out Tava, a line of zero-calorie sparkling beverages in flavors like Tropical Berry Blend and Passion Fruit Lime. Each 8-ounce serving of Tava will deliver 10 percent of the DV of vitamins B3, B6 and E.
Lynn Dornblaser, director of Mintel Custom Solutions, a market research firm said, “The biggest thing in every industry right now is health and wellness. Even companies that never had that as a primary focus are now trying to adapt their product lines to fit what’s important today.”
So will soda be able to make the leap from liquid candy to a healthy beverage? Experts believe its all in the marketing. While a soda is still not a viable source for nutritional value, Kristine Clark, director of sports nutrition at Penn State University says, “If you’re drinking these because of their nutrients, that’s not a valid reason, but if you’re going to be drinking soda anyway, you’re at least getting something extra. Just don’t kid yourself that soda is a health drink.”
The Easy Way To A Perfect Picnic
The perfect picnic always puts everyone in a great mood. To make picnics are delightful they need to be well managed. The idea behind picnics is that much of the food is prepared at home, then transported to an outdoor setting. The choices here include a grassy knoll overlooking a trickling brook, or a designated picnic area. Keep in mind your goal is to be certain your feast has a smooth transition.
A walk through your garden will provide plenty of ideas what to put in your cooler. There are a number of things growing there that will make your picnic a huge success. One of the first things you should pack is a few sprigs of mint. One way to keep the bees away is to put them in the center of your blanket. Take a few extra sprigs to enhance the flavor of the lemonade. A tray of oregano, basil and chives allows guests to take a piece of whatever they choose to add to other greens.
For a beautiful centerpiece, scoop the center out of a head of cabbage to make a bowl. Set it in the center of a colorful tray and place carrot sticks, celery, green peppers, broccoli and cauliflower around it. Use the cabbage as a "bowl" for your spinach dip"cabbage bowl" with spinach dip. This adds color and a touch of class to your picnic.
Plant pansies or petunias in mugs for each of your guests. These can be set beside each plate. When your guests leave, they can take them home, transplant the flowers and keep the mug as a memento of the great day you spent together.
If your picnic is going to take place in the evening, add a citronella candle to your box of supplies. This adds a nostalgic atmosphere and keeps pesky bugs away.
You can choose between preparing all your food beforehand or put the barbecue or grill to action once you arrive at your destination.
Be sure to add cups, plates, serving utensils, a serrated knife, cutting board, napkins, flatware, salt and pepper and trash bags to you picnic basket. You will also need a cotton tablecloth, quilt, blanket or large beach towels.
Add items to your basket for special picnics. For example, a romantic picnic is more of a hit with crystal wine glasses and fine china. On the other hand, a family picnic will be more successful if you add a pair of binoculars, a kite and a Frisbee to your basket. Suncreen and insect repellent are one of your more important items here.
Ants clouds and bees are not the only threat to an enjoyable day. Always keep foods in the refrigerator until you are ready to pack your basket. Add a bag of ice or ice packs to
keep food cool. Cold foods should be kept at a cool 40 degrees. Never pack your cooler too full. Be sure there is room for air circulation. Hot foods should be kept at 140 degrees or above. This avoids turning your picnic into a salmonella delight.
To avoid food contamination make sure the juices are kept in an airtight container. Wash hands, surfaces and utensils before and after handling uncooked meats.
Raw and perishable foods contain bacteria or parasites. When these foods are served undercooked or are prepared, handled or refrigerated improperly, dangerous toxins develop. The result can be food poisoning which has flu like symptoms.
If salads cannot be kept cold, use vinegar-based salad dressing, not mayonnaise based. Remember Mayonnaise needs to be kept at least at 40 degress or cooler to be safe.
Wash all produce with cold water before cooking and eating. Cold water kills bacteria and removes toxins such as pesticide sprays.
Always marinate meats in the refrigerator. Boil marinade for a full ten minutes before pouring over cooked foods.
If you follow the tips in this article, you will have an enjoyable day in the great outdoors. Your food will be fresh and you will keep microscopic guests away.
Just prepare simple foods - there is no need for elaborate cooking. The simplest recipes are mouth watering good when eaten under nature's canopy. Enjoy!
A walk through your garden will provide plenty of ideas what to put in your cooler. There are a number of things growing there that will make your picnic a huge success. One of the first things you should pack is a few sprigs of mint. One way to keep the bees away is to put them in the center of your blanket. Take a few extra sprigs to enhance the flavor of the lemonade. A tray of oregano, basil and chives allows guests to take a piece of whatever they choose to add to other greens.
For a beautiful centerpiece, scoop the center out of a head of cabbage to make a bowl. Set it in the center of a colorful tray and place carrot sticks, celery, green peppers, broccoli and cauliflower around it. Use the cabbage as a "bowl" for your spinach dip"cabbage bowl" with spinach dip. This adds color and a touch of class to your picnic.
Plant pansies or petunias in mugs for each of your guests. These can be set beside each plate. When your guests leave, they can take them home, transplant the flowers and keep the mug as a memento of the great day you spent together.
If your picnic is going to take place in the evening, add a citronella candle to your box of supplies. This adds a nostalgic atmosphere and keeps pesky bugs away.
You can choose between preparing all your food beforehand or put the barbecue or grill to action once you arrive at your destination.
Be sure to add cups, plates, serving utensils, a serrated knife, cutting board, napkins, flatware, salt and pepper and trash bags to you picnic basket. You will also need a cotton tablecloth, quilt, blanket or large beach towels.
Add items to your basket for special picnics. For example, a romantic picnic is more of a hit with crystal wine glasses and fine china. On the other hand, a family picnic will be more successful if you add a pair of binoculars, a kite and a Frisbee to your basket. Suncreen and insect repellent are one of your more important items here.
Ants clouds and bees are not the only threat to an enjoyable day. Always keep foods in the refrigerator until you are ready to pack your basket. Add a bag of ice or ice packs to
keep food cool. Cold foods should be kept at a cool 40 degrees. Never pack your cooler too full. Be sure there is room for air circulation. Hot foods should be kept at 140 degrees or above. This avoids turning your picnic into a salmonella delight.
To avoid food contamination make sure the juices are kept in an airtight container. Wash hands, surfaces and utensils before and after handling uncooked meats.
Raw and perishable foods contain bacteria or parasites. When these foods are served undercooked or are prepared, handled or refrigerated improperly, dangerous toxins develop. The result can be food poisoning which has flu like symptoms.
If salads cannot be kept cold, use vinegar-based salad dressing, not mayonnaise based. Remember Mayonnaise needs to be kept at least at 40 degress or cooler to be safe.
Wash all produce with cold water before cooking and eating. Cold water kills bacteria and removes toxins such as pesticide sprays.
Always marinate meats in the refrigerator. Boil marinade for a full ten minutes before pouring over cooked foods.
If you follow the tips in this article, you will have an enjoyable day in the great outdoors. Your food will be fresh and you will keep microscopic guests away.
Just prepare simple foods - there is no need for elaborate cooking. The simplest recipes are mouth watering good when eaten under nature's canopy. Enjoy!
Grow coffee at your home
To grow a coffee plant at home is a wonderful experience that would assist you in learning and appreciating the job involved in producing a good cup of coffee. Growing coffee at home is very easy. You need to take care of the plant especially during flowering or cherry development. Ideally you need to start with a freshly picked coffee cherry.
Harvesting Coffee Seeds
Based on the county where your coffee is being grown, the coffee beans can be further harvested as little or much in year depends on the county’s plant and accessible climate. Coffee plant flowers and fruit are purely dependent on the cycle of wet seasons. Growing coffee beans nearer to equator gives you more and more chance to harvest. The cherry is normally pulped by hand, washed with clean water, and fermented in a small container. The fermentation stage is now complete when the mucilage no longer clings to the coffee. Wash away the fermented mucilage with clean water.
Each year coffee is generally harvested during the dry season only, when the coffee cherries are extremely bright red, glossy and firm adequate to be harvested. These processes are called as careful picking, stripping and mechanical harvesting, respectively.
Germination
If coffee cherries are not readily accessible green coffee could also be bought from a home supplier, but it is vital that the bean is of a current crop and current shipment. The probable for germination would then go on for almost four months, but after this time the germination rate is numerous fold less and germination time is drastically longer. Fresh seeds need to be germinated in 2.5 months, but old seeds could as well take as long as 6 months.
Proper Care
The temperature in countries outside the Tropic belt is too unstable and too cold to permit the tree to grow. It is suggested watering the tree twice per week as full watering and a half watering. In a half watering, we can simply add some water to the soil and let it to drain. In a full watering add water with fertilizer and let it to drain. The key is to maintain the soil most, but well drained.
After two or three years flowering and probably cherries could be expected, but do not hope for high-quality coffee unless you are at a high altitude and are watching the conditions of the artificial microclimate carefully. Once the cherries are grown you could harvest, pulp, ferment, dry, roast, and have a drink of your own coffee production.
Harvesting Coffee Seeds
Based on the county where your coffee is being grown, the coffee beans can be further harvested as little or much in year depends on the county’s plant and accessible climate. Coffee plant flowers and fruit are purely dependent on the cycle of wet seasons. Growing coffee beans nearer to equator gives you more and more chance to harvest. The cherry is normally pulped by hand, washed with clean water, and fermented in a small container. The fermentation stage is now complete when the mucilage no longer clings to the coffee. Wash away the fermented mucilage with clean water.
Each year coffee is generally harvested during the dry season only, when the coffee cherries are extremely bright red, glossy and firm adequate to be harvested. These processes are called as careful picking, stripping and mechanical harvesting, respectively.
Germination
If coffee cherries are not readily accessible green coffee could also be bought from a home supplier, but it is vital that the bean is of a current crop and current shipment. The probable for germination would then go on for almost four months, but after this time the germination rate is numerous fold less and germination time is drastically longer. Fresh seeds need to be germinated in 2.5 months, but old seeds could as well take as long as 6 months.
Proper Care
The temperature in countries outside the Tropic belt is too unstable and too cold to permit the tree to grow. It is suggested watering the tree twice per week as full watering and a half watering. In a half watering, we can simply add some water to the soil and let it to drain. In a full watering add water with fertilizer and let it to drain. The key is to maintain the soil most, but well drained.
After two or three years flowering and probably cherries could be expected, but do not hope for high-quality coffee unless you are at a high altitude and are watching the conditions of the artificial microclimate carefully. Once the cherries are grown you could harvest, pulp, ferment, dry, roast, and have a drink of your own coffee production.
Bar Recipes and Stories
These two bar recipes are two of my favorites. They are both fairly easy to make. If your kids like peanut butter, the Peanut Butter Bars recipe is almost sure to be a hit with them.
Peanut Butter Bars
A favorite from when I was a kid. The promise of these for dessert always helped persuade me to eat more of my dinner! Might work with your kids too!
Peanut Butter Bars
A favorite from when I was a kid. The promise of these for dessert always helped persuade me to eat more of my dinner! Might work with your kids too!
Mix together all of the above ingredients except the chocolate chips. Press the mixture into a 9 x 13 inch greased pan. Let it set in the refrigerator to cool. Melt the chocolate chips and spread over the top for frosting. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator to help them keep longer. Carmel Bars This was always a favorite around our house. Gooey caramel with chocolate and the crunch of nuts on top. And justified as somewhat healthy, after all, there is oatmeal in it. Something with oatmeal can’t be all bad for you. It was always a hit at bake sales, potlucks, and picnics. Of course, that was provided it made it out of the house. With five kids in the house, one of us usually managed to at least pick at it before it ever got to it’s destination. Combine caramels, cream, and butter over very low heat. You can also melt them in the microwave. Heat just until melted. (This is important because it tends to burn otherwise.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the 1/2 cup butter in the microwave. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. Put 3/4 of the mixture into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Pat down until it makes a firm crust. Bake crust for 10 minutes in the oven. Take out of the oven and pour the caramel sauce over the crust. Sprinkle the chocolate chips, pecans, and the remaining crumbs over the top. Bake for 15 minutes longer. Let it cool and cut into bars. |
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