Four Simple Steps to Prevent Food Poisoning

(StatePoint) Food poisoning, an illness caused by bacteria or other pathogens in food, causes an estimated 48 million illnesses (representing one out of six Americans), 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths annually in the U.S., according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics.

With proper food safety practices you can lower your risk substantially, say experts.

“Whether whipping up dinner from scratch or simply reheating leftovers, there are important food safety practices you must remember,” says registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson Joan Salge Blake.

September is National Honey Month!

 

September is National Honey Month, and what better time to celebrate one of nature’s simplest pleasures – honey! Here are some great recipes using honey and your favorite gadgets!

Slow Cooker Honey Sweet and Sour Chicken with Crushed Red Pepper and Caramelized Onions

Fruity Frozen Yogurt Pops

 

NATIONAL DOG DAY TREATS

Molly MacKinnon

Today is National Dog Day! Ruuff! Ruuff! We are featuring links to dog treats today!

It's National Waffle Day!

 

On August 24, 1869, Cornelius Swartwout, of Troy, N.Y., received the first U.S. patent for the waffle iron. We are forever grateful! Versatile and economical, the waffle iron can be used in so many creative ways. Today, to honor the humble waffle, here are a few shining recipes to celebrate:

Waffle Grilled Cheese

Mashed Potato, Cheddar and Chive Waffles

MINI ICE CREAM WAFFLE SANDWICHES 

Waffled cornbread

 Banana Bread Waffles

Jerky recipes

I found this great blog with lots of great jerky recipes! Jerky Recipes

Here are a few more great links:

Making Beef Jerky at Home

Jerky by SusieQ

More Jerky recipes

Corn on the cob in the rice cooker

Corn on the cob is a special treat around our house. We try to avoid genetically modified foods and finding non-GMO corn can be a challenge. Happily, it has been showing up at our local farmers market lately.

If we are barbecuing, we like to remove the silks, tuck in some butter and seasoned salt, close the husks, and wrap the ears in aluminum foil. Then we toss them on the grill.

Otherwise, we use our rice cooker. Shuck the corn, put about 1" of water in rice cooker pot, put in the steamer basket, and any other vegetables desired. Zucchini from our garden was perfect. Close the lid and steam for 10 minutes. Delicious!

Check this out!

Gail's Dehydrator Recipes http://flip.it/BRaJv

Breakfast in the Slow cooker

12 Breakfast Slow Cooker Recipes That Make Mornings Easier http://flip.it/SRGvC

Spicy Chicken Sliders

Slow Cookers are not just for winter soups and stews. They are great for easy summer meals and entertaining. This recipe would be great for an easy Sunday!


Spicy Chicken Sliders

3 lbs. frozen chicken breast
1 large diced onion
2 minced cloves garlic
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups barbecue sauce
Hot sauce, or chili flakes (optional)

Place all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-7 hours, then shred with two forks, serve on buns with Cole slaw. 

Printable Version

Idea alert! Waffle Iron

I just saw a post on Facebook where someone cooked cornbread batter on a waffle iron, then topped it with chili, cheese, onions and olives! Yum!

Home Dried Tomatoes

I decided to buy a Food dehydrator when I noticed this year's bumper crop of tomatoes. I usually can them, but this year I decided to take an easier route.

Drying some Apples - Part 2

The finished product

 As noted in Drying Some Apples, Part 1, I began experimenting with my new Presto Dehydro this morning.
I picked about 8 lemons from my backyard tree, strained the juice into a wide bowl, and added an equal amount good bottled water. Then I sliced my apples, briefly soaked them in my lemon water, then let them drain in a colander.
Following the instructions that came with the dehydrator, I quickly filled all 4 screens. The booklet suggested a drying time of 3-8 hours. I checked them after 3 hours, and about half were dry enough to remove. They are dry enough when all stickiness is gone, and the slices do not stick together when folded.
I returned the screens and let the remaining slices continue drying. Another hour, and they were all perfect!
To condition them, you leave them out to cool for another hour or so and then you can pack them into Mason Jars or Ziploc bags for storage.

They are great to nibble on. My husband will love them at his lunch break.

Here is a recipe for:

Dried Apple Pie

WIN A KEY WEST™ FROZEN CONCOCTION MAKER®

Enter at https://www.margaritaville.com/cargo-golf

Great Gadgets for the Camping Gourmand

Love the camp stove that can also charge your phone!

Drying some Apples

Having survived the annual zucchini onslaught, I know find myself fairly mired in tomatoes. My garden is good.
Adding to all of this, I have been given a lovely pile of apples. It's always feast or famine around here. So, I stopped by Amazon, and ordered my very first FOOD DEHYDRATOR! A PRESTO Dehydro electric.
Since my kitchen table is presently covered in apples, I have chosen dried apple slices as my first attempt. My husband Charles can also enjoy them as an energizing snack throughout his workday.
My Dehydro comes with a handy little instruction booklet with basic directions for most types of foods.
Apples must be pretreated to prevent browning. I have a lemon tree, so I will soak my apple slices in a lemon water solution prior to drying.
The drying process will take 3-8 hours, and I will update this blog as it progresses.