Posts Tagged ‘Kitchen Tools’
Looking For the Perfect Wedding Gift
Do you have a friend or relative who is planning to get married? If you are already married or recently got married, you are well aware of all the different things that are needed in the home. Especially nowadays with the economy, it is very hard for a newlywed couple to get started on their own. This is where we, friends and relatives, come into play and help to provide with the necessities in the home.
Besides have a place to live whether it’s an apartment or a home, the newlyweds need furniture, bedding, bath essentials and last not least all the different kinds of kitchen tools. Your main kitchen tools would consist of stainless steel cookware, mixers, kitchen knives, cook books, and a variety of kitchen gadgets including measuring cups, measuring spoons, dishes and flatware.
How Good Are Ceramic Knives
I have the problem that within a short period of time after cutting/slicing apples, they start discoloring and turning brown. I’m sure that I’m not the only one who has experience this problem. After doing some research, I have found that the kind of material the knife’s blade is made of will make a huge affect on the type of food you cut or slice.
Most kitchen knife blades are made of steel. As with ceramic knives, the blades are made of zirconium oxide which makes it extremely hard. Since diamonds are the hardest substance on earth, the ceramic material is rated right behind diamonds. The ceramic material itself is zirconium oxide that’s been heated in a process called sintering, which bonds the ceramic powder particles together by closing its pores.
Since the ceramic blades are “chemically inert”, they will have no effect on flavor or appearance of the foods they come in contact with. Since the pores are so tightly closed, you will not transfer the taste or smell of between foods, such as garlic and apples. Compared to your steel blades, ceramic blades will not react to food acids which causes the food to have a metallic taste or smell. By handwashing and drying your ceramic knife, you will have maximum results and extend the life of the knife.
Ceramic knives are very lightweight and keep their like-new appearance a whole lot longer than steel knives because they will not rust or corrode. If you want a good quality ceramic knife that will last you years and year to come may require spending a little extra.
Electric Knife Does The Job
Now that the holidays are behind us, did you find yourself struggling when carving the ham or turkey with a knife? The slices were not clean, all shredded or had the looks of someone had butchered the ham or turkey. I had fixed a roasted turkey for our Christmas Eve gathering and my husband remembered that we had an electric knife to do all the work.
The electric knife definitely made the carving job a whole lot easier compared to a carving knife plus it made the slices neater. The electric knife has 2 serrated blades that clip together. Once turned on, the blades slide back and forth to provide the sawing action. We do not have to limit ourselves to just a turkey or ham when using an electric knife. You can use it for slicing other meats as well.
Honey Squares
These Honey Squares are excellent! I made these a lot & often took them to various functions.
Ingredients:
3/4 C. Crisco Oil
1/4 C. Honey
1 C. Sugar
1 Egg (Beaten)
2 C. Flour
1 t. Soda
1 1/2 t. Cinnamon
1/2 t. Salt
1 C. Chopped Pecans
Combine oil, honey and sugar; mix very well. Add beaten egg. Sift together dry ingredients & add to mixture. Batter will be stiff. Grease a stainless steel cookware jelly roll pan and press dough in pan. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. After removing from oven and while hot, spread on icing.
Icing:
1 C. Powdered Sugar
1 T. Water
2 T. Mayonnaise
1 t. Vanilla
Mix together & spread immediately on top while still hot. Let cool but cut into small squares while still warm.
Blenders Make a Kitchen Complete
Blenders are one appliance that every kitchen should have to be complete. Deciding what kind of a blender to have can be a real task. Before you decide what type of blender to purchase, check out the features and the reviews of what others have to say about the blender. Before purchasing, take into consideration your preferences, needs and lifestyles as well as your budget.
Since there are so many different types & models of blenders to choose from, one of the things to consider is how often do you plan to use the blender. This will determine how dependable the blender needs to be. What will you be using the blender for – crushing ice, making drinks, shakes or purifying vegetables.
Another thing to consider is the durability of the jar. A jar that is large enough based on your needs, one that will not leak & can be handled easily. Does the jar have a pour spout to empty the contents? One last thing, how much storage space you have in your kitchen will also determine the size of blender to purchase.
Carving the Roasted Turkey
First of all, I would like to wish everyone a safe & blessed Happy New Year. Hope your holidays were exciting & able to spend them with your family & friends. We had hosted our Christmas Eve gathering with all of my side of the family gathering our our home. Our tradition is that everyone brings a dish whether it’s meat, vegetable, snacks or dessert.
This year I fixed a roasted turkey. I had injected a butter flavor marinade in the turkey prior to cooking it. Since I had purchased a Nuwave Infared Oven, I wanted to try it out. It worked great. It took about 3 hrs to cook a 13 pound turkey. My husband used an electric knife to carve it especially the breast meat. Using the electric knife made the carving job go a lot quicker than if he had used a sharp knife & everyone enjoyed eating the turkey.
Sweet German Chocolate Cake
1 package (4 oz.) Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate
2 1/3 c. sifted Cake Flour
1 1/2 c. Sugar
1 t. Baking Soda
1/2 t. Baking Powder
1/2 t. Salt
2/3 c. Butter or Margarine
1 c. Buttermilk
1 t. Vanilla
2 Eggs
Melt chocolate over very low heat; cool. Sift flour with sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir butter in mixer bowl to soften. Add flour mixture, 3/4 c. of buttermilk and the vanilla. Mix to dampen flour; beat 2 minutes at medium speed using one of your electric handheld mixers, scraping bowl occasionally. Add melted chocolate, eggs and remaining buttermilk. Beat 1 minute longer. Pour batter into 3 8-inch layer pans, lined on bottoms with paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, or until cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 15 minutes; remove from pans and cool on racks. Spread filling on layers and stack.
Coconut Pecan Filling and Frosting:
Combine 1 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar, 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten, 1/2 cup butter or margarine and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a saucepan. Cook & stir over medium heat until mixture thickens, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add 1 1/3 cups shredded coconut ad 1 cup chopped pecans. Cool until spreading consistency; beating occasionally.
“A traditional favorite for special occasions and special company“