Excalibur 5 - Tray Dehydrator

Excalibur 5-Tray Dehydrator for great tasting and long lasting fruits, veggies and jerky! Save the flavor, save the nutrition, SAVE BIG BUCKS! Eating healthy can get expensive... especially fresh produce that seems to go bad the moment you get it home. The Excalibur is a compact Food Dehydrator with plenty of room to make jerky or dry your favorite fruits and vegetables so you can keep them edible longer while still maintaining almost all the taste and nutritional value! Excalibur! Holds 5 to 6 lbs. of meat; 5 trays with 8 square feet of drying area... means BIG CAPACITY; Easy to clean with removable doors and trays; Trays roll out easy so you can check on drying process; 8 1/2"h. x 17"w. x 19"d. with 5" fan. Order Now! Excalibur 5-Tray Dehydrator

Essential oils are highly concentrated aromatic oils derived from plants, widely used in aromatherapy for their medicinal and mood-enhancing effects. Some essential oils also have culinary uses, however, and these powerful plant essences can be used to rejuvenate, or in place of, dried herbs and spices, which can lose aroma and flavor over time.

A number of essential oils have been designated as Generally Regarded As Safe [GRAS] to use as food additives by the US Food and Drug Administration. These include those listed below.

• Basil ......Ocimum basilicum L.
• Bergamot (bergamot orange) .......... Citrus aurantium L. subsp. Bergamia Wright et Arn.
• Bitter almond (free from prussic acid) .........Prunus amygdalus Batsch, Prunus armeniaca L. or Prunus persica (L.)
• Cinnamon bark, ............Ceylon Cinnamomum zeylanicum Nees.
• Coriander ...........Coriandrum sativum L.
• Cumin .............Cuminum cyminum L.
• Ginger ............Zingiber officinale Rosc.
• Grapefruit ..........Citrus paradisi Macf.
• Laurel leaves (Bay) ..........Laurus spp.
• Lavender ...........Lavandula officinalis Chaix.
• Lemon Citrus ..........limon (L.) Burm. f.
• Lime Citrus ...............aurantifolia Swingle.
• Mandarin Citrus ...........reticulata Blanco.
• Marjoram, sweet.............. Majorana hortensis Moench.
• Nutmeg ...........Myristica fragrans Houtt. Origanum Origanum spp.
• Parsley ............Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Mansf.
• Pepper, ...........black Piper nigrum L.
• Sage ............Salvia officinalis L.
• Rosemary .............Rosmarinus officinalis L.
• Thyme ................Thymus vulgaris L. and Thymus zygis var. gracilis

Boiss.

When using essential oils in your cooking, it is important that they are 100% pure and of therapeutic grade. Essential oils are highly concentrated and, consequently, very potent, and so should also be used sparingly. The recipes below give suggested amounts, but probably the best way to establish what suits your taste is through trial and error.

Here are just a few simple ideas that you could try. Like herbs and spices, different essential oils provide good accompaniments to different ingredients. Generally, essential oils that go well with poultry include basil, dill, fennel, lemon, marjoram, mellisa, orange, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon and thyme. For red meat, try basil, clove, dill, fennel, marjoram, mellisa, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon and/or thyme. Essential oils that go well with fish or seafood include black pepper, fennel, lavender, lemon, lime, orange, parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme.

Meat

When cooking joints of red meat, simply add 1 drop of essential oil to a vegetable oil and brush over the meat before cooking. Essential oils can also be added to the cooking oil when browning mince meat (lamb or beef) - use 1 drop per half-kilo of meat.

For chicken, add 2 drops each of lemon and orange essential oils to 4 tablespoons of honey and 1 dessert spoon of mustard. Make a paste and brush over the chicken before grilling or baking.

Fish

Add 1 drop of essential oil to 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Brush over white fish steaks and grill.

Vegetables

Try stir-frying your vegetables in an essential oil (diluted 1 drop to 1 tablespoon of olive oil). Cardamon, cumin, nutmeg and ginger are good choices.

Steaming your vegetables over water containing an essential oil can also be interesting - try nutmeg and lemon for greens.

Dishes that don't require cooking

Of course, some recipes don't need 'cooking', and essential oils are ideal for this kind of thing.

Marinades

Essential oils are ideal for making marinades - simply add a few drops of your selected essential oil(s) to honey or olive oil and brush on the meat. Place oiled red meat in a bowl containing red wine, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 chopped onion and 1 drop of orange essential oil. Season and leave for up to 8 hours.

Salad dressings

Essential oils also make great salad dressings. Add 1 drop of your chosen essential oil to 10 ml of vegetable oil and/or vinegar. Basil, clove, lavender, lemon, lime, rosemary, sage and thyme are good choices for salad dressings.

Herb butter

Add 1 drop of the essential oil of your choice to 1 cube of softened butter. Mix gently and add to potatoes, other vegetables, toast...

Drinks

Citrussy oils (e.g. grapefruit, lime, lemon, mandarin, orange and tangerine) and minty oils (e.g. peppermint, spearmint and mint) can add zest to drinks of all kinds. Try adding one or two drops of a selection of essential oils to water for a simple thirst quencher.

Herbal teas: add a few drops of essential oils to boiling water: some to try are lavender, roman chamomile, peppermint, orange, tangerine and lemon.

Mulled wine: add 2 drops each of mandarin and orange essential oils and 1 drop each of clove and cinnamon to 2 tablespoons of honey. Heat 1 litre of red wine slowly, add the flavoured honey and stir. Take off the heat just before the wine starts to bubble. Serve with slices of orange and lemon.

This short article gives just a flavour (sorry!) of the uses that essential oils can be put to in the kitchen. Many more recipes are available in books and on the internet, so why not start searching now and explore the taste explosion that essential oils can provide.

Sources:

electricscotland.com/food/donna/recipe12.html

aroma-essence.com/cooking.html

zhealthinfo.com/recipes1.htm http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fcf182.html

Worwood VA. The Fragrant Pharmacy. A complete guide to aromatherapy & essential oils. Bantam Books, 1996

Alix Williams is a regular contributor to the holistic website Aroma4u.co.uk a home based UK business providing Eco-friendly hand made Aromatherapy Stress Relieving Gifts.

Alix Williams also writes about using unique Essential Oil Gift Ideas for Stress Relief.

For more information regarding Stress related matters (stress in the Workplace), Stress Busting Gift ideas with pure Essential oils, please visit: http://www.aroma4u.co.uk

copyright 2008 Alix Williams (CUS Busting Ltd)

dehydrator

Nesco American Harvest 5-Tray FD-35 425-Watt Snackmaster Dehydrator

This unit features Nesco/American Harvest's innovative Top Mounted Powerhead that dries food quickly and evenly with superior results. Detaches to make dehydrator dishwasher safe for easy clean up. Fan-Flow Technology means faster, more even drying with no tray rotation necessary. Perfect for the beginner.

Most people have a preference of whether or not they like their steaks rare, medium, well done, or anywhere in between. Yet, somehow, it seems that cooking a steak to fit these preferences is oftentimes difficult. But with some simple training and a bit of skill, it most certainly can be done. Cooking a steak does not have to be difficult, especially if you follow these few rules:

Take into consideration the thickness of a steak. You must realize that cooking a steak is not an issue of just time. Whereas cooking one steak for 4 minutes might make it medium, cooking a steak that is slightly thicker may turn out rare or medium rare when cooked for the same amount of time.

Also consider the pan temperature.

The cook time is also very important.

You must find a good balance between the three abovementioned things to get the results you desire.

Other things to consider when cooking a steak is the tenderness and size of the cut. The presence of a bone can also change the cooking time as can the method of cooking (barbecuing, sauting, etc.).

If you have a sirloin or rump steak of 1.5 cm thick, then here are a few guidelines to follow when cooking it:

1. Well done, cook it for up to 6 minutes

2. Medium, cook it for about 4 minutes

3. Rare, cook it for just a couple of minutes.

Hold up for a minute are you still confused as to what exactly rare is versus well done? Here is a guide on cooking a steak based off of what the steak should look like (of course, never cut open a steak to see if it is done! It looks tacky, and it causes the steak to dry out).

Well done the steak will be hot, and it will have very little moisture. The color will be a dark grayish. The steak will be firm when touched. There will be no hint of pink left.

Medium well the steak will also be hot, gray, and it will have a juicy center.

Medium a medium steak is light gray, warm, and it will have a juicy center. When touched the steak will offer some resistance. Pink juices will bead up on the surface of the seared side when the steak is turned.

Medium rare the steak will be light pink in color, warm, with a juicy center.

Rare the color will be pink, the temperature will be warm, and the center will be bloody and red! The steak will still feel soft when touched.

Know about the two different types of heat used when cooking a steak:

Dry heat this type of heat does not use liquid and it is used to cook some of the most tender cuts. Examples of cooking with dry heat are broiling, roasting, sauting, pan-broiling, and rotisserie cooking.

Moist heat moist heat, on the other hand, uses steam or liquid. Moist heat cooking methods are soup-making, stewing, braising, and pressure cooking.

You must determine whether or not your steak is cooked based on touch, sight, and the clock. The firmer the meat, the more cooked it is. The lighter the color (from dark purple-red to pink), the more cooked the steak is.

Cooking a steak does not have to be hard, but it can take practice. If you do not get it right the first time, try it again! Be sure to have fun when cooking a steak!

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on steaks and cooking, please visit Filet Mignon.

dehydrator

Nesco American Harvest FD-61 Snackmaster Encore Dehydrator and Jerky Maker

This convenient dehydrator makes great tasting, healthy snacks & jerky! Introducing the Snackmaster?? Encore???. It's Grey top and marbled design features 500 watts of drying power, and generates maximum speed and quality for dehydrating fruits, vegetables, beef jerky, and venison jerky. Helps dry food in hours, not days like ordinary food dehydrators. The top mounted fan eliminates the worry of liquids dripping into the the heating chamber!You can make delicious beef jerky, turkey jerky, fish jerky, trail mix, homemade yogurt, apple snacks, banana chips, dried soup mixes, dried tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, mangoes, papaya and other dried fruits at a fraction of the cost. Make dried herbs and spices; also make potpourri and dried flowers for any occasion.

-Spinach will be even more tastier when we soak it in a mild sugar water and then cook it.

-Green Peas when cooked with a pinch of sugar, smells good.

-Amla Powder with honey or ghee taken daily after the supper keeps your eye sight brighter even after your 50's.

-Mix about 1 table spoon of milk with the poori dough, will make the poori's fluffy.

-If you mix 1/4 table spoon of sooji and 1/4 table spoon of sugar, it will resist the fluffiness of the poori for hours.

-Boil the tulsi leaves with pepper and sugar in water and drink it 3 times a day to control your Blood Pressure.

-Boil tulsi leaves and camphor leaves in water and drink it 2 times a day to get rid of cold and cough.

-Garlic is an antioxidant which when taken daily will prevent us from Cancer.

-Instead of putting coconut or til inside Modhakam you can also keep dry grapes, cashew nuts, dates, coloured and crushed dry coconut, tutty fruties. It will attract small children and will be an all time favourite snack/tiffin for them.

-Add salt to Morkuzhambu after removing it from the flame(gas stove).It will be thicker as a paste.

-Add fried rice powder to coconut mixed poriyals(vegetables) to make it crispier and even more tastier.

-Add salt to the vegetables after it becomes half cooked.

-Fry a tomato, onion, green chilly, carrot in oil and then grind the obtained paste along with coriander leaves and required salt to get the vegetable chutney.this chutney can be used as a side-dish for doas, idly and chappati, etc. It is a healthier dish suitable for all ages.

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dehydrator

You probably don't think about all the planning that goes into the displays you pass by in the grocery store. There is definitely a science to being a grocery store manager. I'm going to let you in on a few secrets and tell you how you can avoid spending more money than you want.

1. Displays - They catch your attention, but also encourage impulse buying. There is a reason they put those displays in the aisles so you have to look at them when you wheel your cart around them. The items on that display are not necessarily on sale. We assume the items are on sale when we look at the display, but most of the time that is not the case. Don't be lured into buying something on display unless it was on your list and you were planning on buying it anyways.

2. Watch the scanner - I'm not saying that grocery stores deliberately put incorrect prices in their scanners, but I am saying that mistakes do happen. You usually know about how much something costs when you put it in your cart. Make sure you watch the scanner when you check out. They say that consumers lose many millions of dollars each year to improper scanning.

3. Eye level is most expensive - Distributors pay premium price to get their products displayed at eye level. Those items tend to be the most expensive or at least have the best mark up. Look above and below eye level to purchase the products you need. They are probably what you would use to make healthier and more homemade meals that will save money in the long run.

If you stick to your list and stay aware of lures that are waiting to trap you into spending more money and time you will be able to get in and out of the store quickly and with the most amount of money still in your pocket.

Do you want to know more about saving time in the kitchen? Grab your free report "Time Saving Kitchen Tips" at http://www.hjresources.com/freeck Heidi Johnson specializes in helping families find resources to simplify and improve their lives.

dehydrator

Nesco American Harvest FD-61 Snackmaster Encore Dehydrator and Jerky Maker

This convenient dehydrator makes great tasting, healthy snacks & jerky! Introducing the Snackmaster?? Encore???. It's Grey top and marbled design features 500 watts of drying power, and generates maximum speed and quality for dehydrating fruits, vegetables, beef jerky, and venison jerky. Helps dry food in hours, not days like ordinary food dehydrators. The top mounted fan eliminates the worry of liquids dripping into the the heating chamber!You can make delicious beef jerky, turkey jerky, fish jerky, trail mix, homemade yogurt, apple snacks, banana chips, dried soup mixes, dried tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, mangoes, papaya and other dried fruits at a fraction of the cost. Make dried herbs and spices; also make potpourri and dried flowers for any occasion.

I don't know about you, but after I finish my workout routine of jogging or lifting weights, I always enjoy a refreshing pick-me-up and a bit of a snack.

And of course having a nutrient-rich drink and a non-junk food munchie is a smart thing to do since you've just stressed your body during your workout routine and broken down millions of cells.

At this point, you need something nutritious to help your ole bod create healthy, new cells.

My favorite post workout cell replacer is an 8-ounce glass of freshly extracted vegetable juice composed of about two ounces of carrot juice mixed with six ounces of a combination of celery, kale, Romaine lettuce, tomato, apple, and anything else that looks good in the veggie bin.

Swirling the first mouthful of this concoction through the choppers and up and over the tongue is a taste treat that can't be beat.

Adding a little dab of hot sauce or juicing a tiny jalapeo without the other veggies (juice it first so the next user of the juice machine isn't in for a hot surprise) makes a memorable drink that will leave you smacking your lips in happiness.

And here's a fabulous recipe for an energy-boosting cookie that'll help you build health:

Raw Apple Raisin Cookies

2 cups sunflower seeds, soaked 4 hours and rinsed

2 Fuji apples, grated 2 large bananas

1/2 cup dates

1 cup raisins

1 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbs flax oil

1 cup walnuts, soaked 2 hours, chopped

Process sunflower seeds and bananas through a Champion juicer with no plate (grate) or use a food processor. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Spoon dough on a dehydrator tray with a teflex sheet and form into small round cookie. Place cookies close together on the sheets. Dehydrate at 105F degrees for 4 hours, turn cookies over and remove teflex sheet. Continue dehydrating until desired moisture is obtained, approximately 3-5 hours.

So sweat up a storm with your daily exercise and then award your cells with a fresh glass of veggie juice and a healthy energy cookie.

What a great way to end a workout routine, eh?

Chet Day keeps a close eye on the wild and wacky world of the natural health circus. If you're tired of the same old health news and boring baloney, you'll enjoy Chet's informative and entertaining writing style at http://chetday.com and in his many free newsletters at http://dayzines.com

dehydrator

Brie Cheese - The Process For Making Brie Cheese

Brie Cheese is quite unusual and it comes from France where it got its namesake. The French still make Brie Cheese the same way today as they did in the 18th century. Both the commoners and the royalty of that era enjoyed the taste of Brie Cheese. It was always in demand for the ceremonies to offer tribute to the Royals of France.

Outside of France Brie Cheese is make in larger factories where the process is significantly industrialized and sped up. While the try hard to get the very same taste many cheese coniseurs claim you can definitely tell the difference in Brie Cheese that is made in France and that which is made in other places.

To make Brie Cheese, the curds are processed after they are firm. They are injected with a vaccination called a mold infusion. This mold will grow over a couple of weeks and this is where the taste of the Brie Cheese starts to change. The mold grows on the outside of the cheese and preserves the delicious taste inside of it. The white exterior of Brie Cheese has made it quite famous in many parts of the world.

Brie Cheese is commonly sold in one or two kilogram wheels. Some retailers will sell it in smaller wedges as a courteously to customers. There are several varieties of Brie Cheese including plain, herb, and others with combinations of milk products.

It is made from cow's milk but many people are hesitant to try it because of the grayish color it has. Brie Cheese has a very soft and smooth texture to it. It has a rind on it that doesn't taste like anything. It is actually a white mold that you can eat without getting sick but since it has no flavor many people pass it up.

Many people say Brie Cheese tastes very similar to wild mushrooms. For the best taste Brie Cheese should be allowed to sit at room temperature for an hour before serving. It is often served with berries, nuts, salads, and on hamburgers.

If you found this information on Brie Cheese useful, you'll also want to read about Goat Cheese

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