Tag: Thanksgiving;

Microwave Cooking is the Wave of the Future

When it comes to cooking there are few tools that are more versatile in the kitchen than the microwave. This device offers so many functions when it comes to cooking that most people never bother to utilize. It’s sad really. In most homes, the microwave has been relegated to doing duty as a meat defroster, popcorn popper, and coffee warmer rather than using is as the fabulous device for actual food preparation that it really is capable of being.

Before you set up to change your ways, you need to understand that when it comes to microwave cooking, not all microwaves were created equal. Wattage is vitally important as is the quality of your microwave. The average el cheapo microwave that you can find in discount stores will simply not stand up to the rigors of regular full meal preparation though they are perfectly acceptable for many wonderful dishes that can be prepared as side dishes. The correct microwave however, can actually brown and bake a full sized Thanksgiving turkey.

Microwave cooking is definitely not something that is meant for those who are afraid of trying something new or those that are afraid of making mistakes along the way. This is a process that is one part science and one part figuring it out. Research helps a great deal but even many of the recipes you will find for microwave cooking are written for microwaves of varying wattage so you will need to ferret out what times and temperatures would be appropriate for your microwave. This is to a large degree going to be a process of trial and error unless you are using the recipe book that came with your microwave.

Do not despair however, most that have tried microwave cooking find it to be a much better process for their meal preparation needs. While microwave cooking is great for big families it is an outstanding way to save money when cooking for and feeding one. It is also rather simple. In other words, even college students can benefit by learning microwave cooking for one or more as it will help them limit their expenses while still eating healthy fresh made meals.

Another great thing about microwave cooking that is often overlooked is that there are far less messes to be made than when cooking part of a meal stove top, part of a meal in the oven, and part of the meal elsewhere. By and large, microwave cooking keeps any spills and splatter isolated to your microwave. Most of these can be cleaned and controlled rather easily by using a removable plate in your microwave (that can be washed in the dishwasher) and covering your food whenever possible to avoid splatters.

Microwave cooking is gaining popularity despite the fact that is hasn’t caught on as well as the inventors would have liked. The proof of this is in the many products that have been created to make microwave cooking a little bit easier. From omelet makers to special trays for cooking bacon in the microwave industrious people are working to make the easy way of cooking that much easier.

If you have a microwave in your home that is used mostly for melting butter and warming pizza, then you have a microwave in your home that is being terribly under utilized. It is time you hit the search engines for recipes that will be appropriate for your microwave and get busy trying something new and different that will have your family awed and amazed. Imagine having them toss accolades for your tireless devotion and standing over a hot stove for hours when in actuality you only checked on the microwave when the proper time approached.

Microwave cooking very well may be the wave of the future. Get a head start and begin building your collection of wonderful microwave recipes right away for the best selection. The day will arrive when you can make microwave cooking the rule rather than the exception.

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Ways To Enjoy Grilling Outdoors

While most of us probably grew up with having outdoor grills every thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year and whatever occasion there is, we cannot deny that it brings us a lot of joy even if we would still do it up to now. However, there are many ways of which we could make grilling outdoors more enjoyable and the good thing about it is that you dont really need an occasion to do it, all you would need is a grill and the company of some people.

While the food produced by grilling is undeniably enjoyable, the memories we have with it are just as enjoyable as the food we get from the grill. Just think about the many memories most of us grew up with that we can associate easily to grilling outdoors. So to make your grilling experiences more memorable, here are some ways to enjoy grilling outdoors.

Enjoy Grilling With The Company Of People

Whether these are your friends, family or your special someone it is definitely more enjoyable to have outdoor grilling sessions with people whom you would like to spend quality time with just like how you used to do when celebrating occasions while growing up. Dont wait for an occasion, just give your folks a call and invite them over for a barbecue. This gives you a good opportunity to bond with them as well as enjoy each others presence.

The focus of grilling for recreation is not only for the quality of food you produce but from the laughter, the memories and every pleasure that you can derive from the presence of people you like. Grilling just becomes better if you are with people you love.

Not To Forget The Food

When it comes to outdoor grilling, what we would usually think of could be the nice barbecue our parents cook for us during special occasions along with veggies and fish. However, since you are in control now you can do much more than that. Try to experiment with other items on the grill, bring out your inner chef and make every barbecue worth the time and effort youve spent. After all, you will also be enjoying this.

While typical sauces used for grills were mostly tomato based sauces, nowadays people use all sorts of pleasant bases for sauces such as yogurt, strawberries, oranges, apples, honey and even mustard. These might seem quite odd at first but these are sure to make very pleasant tastes in the grill. So the next time you have an outdoor grill, try to make some yourself.

Other Ways To Enjoy

Grilling outdoors becomes more enjoyable with the help of drinks. Try to mix up nice drinks, punches or juices for the kids the next time you grill outdoors. Also when grilling, try to give it a good variety which means not only grilled food but nice salads, sandwiches and fruits to perfectly compliment the gustatory pleasures offered by the grill. Just try not to put in too much, try to make sure that items on the grill are still the main attraction there.

It is also very important when grilling outdoors to have a good weather. A nice warm and sunny weather is perfect for having grills. This sets a nice ambiance and a good mood to everyone thus making the occasion more enjoyable.

Safety Tips When Grilling Outdoors

The Many Wonders Of Grilling

Whether it is Thanksgiving, New Year, Christmas, someones birthday bash or just a family gathering, nothing beats having a backyard outdoors. Just think about having the best meats, fishes and vegetables sizzling on the grill while you and whoever you are with would later enjoy the wonderful flavors produced by it. While that is true, people who are into grilling should also be careful, that is safety should also be an issue since there are risks involved in grilling.

Risks Of Danger

People, especially those who are quite new to the grill may not be aware of the dangers that they are exposed to when grilling. While the most common would be having your finger burned, if neglect other factors too much it can cause more serious cases. In fact, some cases have involved structure fires and outdoor fires. So to help you avoid those cases, here are some outdoor grilling tips that would help you not only be safer when grilling but some of these could even make food taste better.

Keep The Kids Out

If you often grill with your family and have kids, make sure to keep the kids out of the grilling area especially when already grilling. Making the grilling area a no play zone will keep the kids and the one who is grilling out of danger or of accidents that could happen. It is also very important to make sure the kids are away until the grill is cool. Along with that, pets should also be kept away since they could also bring up the same accidents that kids can do.

Even when setting the grill, make sure that you are at least 10 feet away from objects that could easily catch fire such as the house, bushes, trees and shrubs. Also make sure that you are standing by the grill at all times when grilling, you need to be aware of what is going on and what could happen and doing this could also make you watch the food and avoid having it getting overcooked or burnt. Since grilling involves fire, you have to be aware of what it could do.

More Safety Tips

When grilling, you also have to take into heavy consideration the starter fluid, where to use it and the proper way of using it. Be aware that you should only use this on charcoal grills and never on a stove-type grill. Before you start using a gas grill, make sure that you are able to check the connection between the stove top and the gas tank to make sure that it is not leaking and make sure not to do this by the use of a lighter as this could also impose danger.

Also be aware that a barbecue is to be used outdoors, that means that it should never be brought inside the house for it to be used in. Not only would this impose danger to your house but even if done safely, the smoke caused by grilling can make your house smell for days even after grilling.

Now that you already know some helpful outdoor grilling tips for safety, what you need next are mad skills to be the next god of the grill. With that, you can grill like a master and be completely safe while doing it.

Create A Stir: Unique And Personalized Party Favors

Youre a host and in the midst of all the chaos and good times, you tend to forget to say thank-you to all of those who celebrated with you on your important day. It could be a wedding, a baby shower, a birthday or just a thanksgiving party. A great way of showing your acknowledgement to each guest would be giving out personal party favors.

Imagine how great it is that you will be making your party unforgettable. Party favors are not just stuff you give-away in your party, it is way of saying thank you. At the same time, it is as if guests would be able to take a part of your party at home. Considering this, you could personalize your party gifts to make guests feel appreciated.

A simple way of personalizing each party gift is by writing their names on it so that the guests will feel special. Candles or glassware can have the names of the guests engraved on them. You will also get to interact with those who attended the celebration by handing the favor personally. You get to thank them for their attendance and any contribution that they gave. This is why you would need to include an RSVP in the invitation. You would like to make sure that you will not get shorthanded on the party.

Unique and personalized party favors could be expensive. Imagine giving out party favors in a wedding, some of the items could actually be simple household or kitchen items. But when purchased as party favor, it could really cost more than its kitchen price. What you could do is have some homemade party favors. Even if they are handmade, it does not mean you would have to slave yourself for a month just to finish the party favors. You could buy some items in wholesale store that will best represent you. You can just redecorate these items to make them personalized and unique.

Another unique idea will be using personalized glasses or even musical instruments like tambourines. Of course this would depend on the theme of your party, if there is, and also your budget. You do not want to spend too much of your budget on favors, neglecting other aspects of the party like the food and drinks.

There are do-it-yourself party favors that are great for both children and adult parties. You could make your own stationary and cards on your own computer and just have them printed from any local printer.

Whenever you are making or personalizing thank-you gifts, it pays to be creative. Not only do you get creative with your gift, you can also spruce up the wrapping of the gift with simple ribbons and designs. You could use bags or boxes. When giving away food, you could include recipes with them. Another idea would be using items that are actually used in the event, it could the place name holders or anything that makes the even stand-out with other celebrations that the guests attendance.

There are some celebrants who would prefer to spend their important day sharing with other people. On behalf of guests, some would make contributions to organizations and charity. Party favors are not just simple items, they are given to guests as a symbol of thanks and at the same time making guests special for being there to celebrate the moment with you.

Plan your party, food and favors with the least possible

Plan your party, food and favors with the least possible cost

With the economy down, most people are foregoing with organizing parties and just celebrate by treating their guests out for dinner or lunch. But some people are still dreaming of having their own party despite the rising costs of organizing one. You can actually organize one, complete with the drinks and the party favors at minimal costs just as long as you know how to budget.

Here are some tips that can help you.

1. Plan early

If you really want to save up for your party then better plan ahead and take advantage of upcoming sales and promos. Sale seasons to watch out for are the Thanksgiving Sale and the Fourth of July Sale which are great ways to buy materials for your party. Of course, you cannot buy the food in advance but all others can be bought early like the decoration, the party favors and even the drinks and some hors d oeuvres. If it is a childrens party that you are planning, try to take advantage of the after Halloween sale where they will be selling candies and chocolates as well as costumes and decors at half the price or sometimes even a quarter of the price.

2. Recycle and Reuse

When planning your party make sure that you know the things that you need to buy and the things that you can get from your home. As much as you can, try to make use of plates and glasses that you already have in your home. The plates and cups dont have to match. They just need to be clean. You can put the designs of the pieces one after the other. With a pattern, it will not be as evident that they are not matching china.

When planning for party favors for childrens parties, you can recycle plastic cups, paper plates and other items that you can transform into masks, telescopes and other great fun toys that children during the party can play with. There are many things that you can reuse and recycle. You just need to make an effort to look. Besides by doing this you will not only be saving money, you will also be saving the environment.

3. Call in invites and RSVP

Another great way to cut costs is to forego with the invitations and just call them in to inform them about the event. Make sure also that you emphasize the need for an RSVP so that you can have a final head count days before the event. This will help you a lot in planning and in deciding on the food and the drinks.

If you just want an intimate dinner and do not have the budget for people that you dont really know, tell your guests from the onset that they are the only ones invited and that they cannot bring anybody with them. By telling them about it when you invite them, you will minimize confusion and problems of excess people on the day of your party.