How to Make the Best Lasagna
One of the best dishes today is lasagna, a meal that is believed to originate from Italian cuisine. An excellent dinner for most people is not complete without lasagna. People can be spoilt for choice when it come to making a decision on the type of lasagnas meals to cook since they all have different flavors. Each flavor has its own unique taste, the reason why lasagnas are still one of the popular meals.
There is however, one type of lasagna, that you are bound to love no matter your flavor preference. You ought to try the slow-cooked beef and cheese lasagna. It is an excellent lasagna dish, and the good thing about it is that it is indeed very simple to prepare. Here is how to prepare it a dish that can be shared between 5 to 8 people:
Ingredients
• Six uncooked lasagna noodles.
• One egg.
• About two cups of ricotta cheese.
• One cup of water
• About half a kilogram of ground beef
• Two table spoons of chopped parsley
• About two cups of Italian shredded cheese
• About 700 ml of pasta sauce
• A quarter of a cup of a hundred percent Parmesan grated cheese
How to prepare it:
• Start with the beef and put it in a big skillet. You then add all the 700 ml of pasta sauce in it and mix it all with the beef. As you do the mixing and stirring, you should then add the cup of water and stir further.
• As soon as you have done enough stirring, add the two cups of ricotta cheese into the mixture and continue mixing.
• Add the two cups of Italian shredded cheese and the two table spoons of chopped parsley into the mixture and mix further.
• Finally, add the egg and the quarter cup of Parmesan grated cheese then stir until everything is completely and perfectly mixed.
• Put a pan on a slow cooker and it put about one cup of the meat sauce.
• On top of the sauce, add a layer of half of the broken noodles and half of the cheese mixture.
• On top of this layer, add two cups of the meat sauce then complete these layers with the remaining noodles and cheese.
• Let layers cook under low heat while covered with a lid. Cooking within this temperature is very important if you wish to cook the perfect lasagna. Allow the pan to remain on this state for about four to six hours.
• After this, add the remaining cheese on top and cover it for about ten minutes until it melts.
• Your perfect lasagna is now ready to eat and you can enjoy it together with seven other guests.
Preparing the holiday meal
Planning a meal for your family is hard enough but when you factor in the holidays you have to think of extra meals and extra ideas in order to make sure that you’re going to be able to feed everybody that is coming over. Planting holiday meal is something that everybody has to do from time to time. You want to make sure that you’re going to have enough food for everybody and maybe even some leftovers when the meal is done. When you’re planning for eBay holiday meal here are some suggestions you might want to take into consideration in order to make sure that you have enough food for the family but yet not spend your entire life savings on it.
Every year around the holidays such as Christmas and thanksgiving grocery stores have specials on such things like ham and Turkey. These are the main courses that everybody usually fixes during the holidays. There also some in store specials for stuffing and other garnishments that go along with meal 
depending on the store you are shopping at. Taking all this into consideration you probably could get a great holiday meal that is going to feed the entire family for around $200.
Another thing that you can do in order to make sure that you’re getting your money’s worth for a holiday meal is to start clipping coupons from the local paper. On top of the coupons and the store discounts you might even be able to save more money than you think. Doubling up on coupons and on the in store discounts could cut a holiday meal from $200 all way down to $50 if you know how to shop. Keep this in mind the next time you’re trying to save money but yet still cooking a big meal for your entire family. Saving money during the holidays is always one of the best things and you can do and food can be quite expensive during this time of year.
How to Make Chicken Masala
Eating chicken is not just it. You have to eat nutritious and delicious chicken. This can be done by adding different flavors that would significantly enhance the taste of your chicken. One of the most delicious and appetizing flavors is Masala. Imagine chicken accompanied with the taste of Masala. Doesn’t that just sound delicious?
Just as they say, if you want something done right, do it yourself! So get your cooking skills together and learn how to make a great meal of chicken Masala.
Here is how to do it:
Ingredients
- One full chicken.
- Two table spoons of curry powder.
- One tea spoon of gharaum Masala.
- Two chopped tomatoes.
- About three inches of stick cinnamon.
- Two cups of chicken stock.
- One tea spoon of cumin seeds.
- About two medium sized yellow onions that have been chopped.
- A two inch piece of ginger that has been minced.
- One tea spoon of yellow mustard seeds.
- One tea spoon of turmeric.
- One table spoon of table salt.
- Four cloves of garlic that have been minced.
- Vegetable oil
- Chopped cilantro leaves
How to prepare it
- Carefully cut the chicken in pieces and dip it in heated vegetable. Wait for it to fry for some minutes till it turns brown in color.
- Remove the chicken and add the chopped onion into the frying pan that contains the oil.
- Allow the onion to fry a little bit until it is tender.
- Once it’s tender, add garlic & ginger to the frying pan and make sure nothing sticks to the pan. A good way to ensure this is to make sure that it has enough oil.
- You should then add cumin and mustard seed.
- Fry the mixture until you notice the popping courtesy of the mustard.
- Add the curry powder and turmeric into the frying pan and do constant stirring to prevent the mixture from sticking on the pan.
- The curry powder should start becoming fragrant in about two minutes and once you notice this, add the tomatoes and stir the ingredients in the pan until they form a sauce.
- Once the sauce is formed, add in the chicken broth and the cinnamon stick.
- Finally add the chicken and cover the pan so that it may simmer for a while until the chicken is cooked.
- Once it is cooked, you should sprinkle the chicken with gharaum Masala and the chopped cilantro leaves.
- You can then serve the chicken Masala with rice, pasta, fries, etc and enjoy your meal together with other guests.
How to Make Beef Stroganoff
Beef is one of the most loved dishes all over the world. For the non-vegetarians, beef is more of a daily meal. It can be eaten with almost any type of food from spaghetti, lasagna, fries, pizza, etc, beef can perfectly blend well with almost every meal.
There are different forms of preparing your beef to make a delicacy out of all your meals. An excellent example is steak, there are other types of beef that can be cooked within other foods like lasagna and pizza. However, one of the best beef dishes or forms of beef is the beef stroganoff.
Beef stroganoff is widely loved because it is such a delicacy not to mention the ease of preparing it. As long as you are competent, you can make a scrumptious meal of it in less than thirty minutes.
Here, is a recipe for beef stroganoff for four people:
Ingredients
- One tea spoon of salt.
- One table spoon of olive oil.
- Three table spoons of sour cream that is maintained at room temperature.
- About a kilogram of trimmed sirloin roast.
- One cup of beef bouillon. If you do not have it, you can use broth instead.
- One medium onion that that is sliced.
- Two table spoons of butter. You can also use margarine in the place of butter.
- One tea spoon of black pepper that has passed through some grinding.
- One table spoon of all-purpose flour.
How to prepare the meal:
- Carefully cut the beef into strips. Each strip should be about two inches in length and about half an inch thick.
- Sprinkle some salt on all these strips.
- On top of the salt, you should also add some pepper.
- Meanwhile, melt about one table spoon of butter over a flame and add flour to it and stir until the two mix.
- Add the beef bouillon or broth into the mixture and stir.
- As you do the stirring, the beef broth and the flour should cook together until they appear thickened and smooth.
- Heat the remaining one table spoon of butter in a separate pan.
- When it is hot enough, add the strips of meat into the pan and fry.
- Along with the meat strips, you should also add the onion chips and stir the ingredients until the meat strips turn brown.
- You should then remove the ingredients in that pan and add them to the pan with the beef broth and flour.
- Stir for some seconds then cover the pan and let the beef cook under low for about ten minutes.
- Add the sour cream after the ten minutes has elapsed and continue heating. Be very careful not to boil.
- When the cooking is done, you can enjoy the beef stroganoff with rice, fries, spaghetti, macaroni, etc.
How to Avoid Accidents within the Kitchen
The kitchen is the area that is susceptible to accidents in the whole house. This is partly because of the many dangerous objects within it as well as the fact that many activities go on in the kitchen. There should always be precautionary measures to prevent accidents like fires, someone getting cut or burned, and the food overcooking from occurring. So, how do you prevent such accidents from occurring?
Having the necessary precautionary measures and following them helps in avoiding accidents in the kitchen. If you are doing something, let your attention focus on it alone and do not shift it elsewhere, this is also ideal when you want to prepare the best meals. Many people, for example, usually cook and watch television at the same time. However tempting a show on the T.V is, never at any one-time leave the food cooking in the pan or in the oven and go sit in front of the TV. In case you cannot miss any of your favorite shows its best if you momentarily stopped your cooking by switching off the oven or putting the cooker off to watch the show for a couple of minutes.
Shifting your attention from the cooking makes you forget about it and the food may overcook, sometimes even resulting into a fire. Most people are able to discern when overcooking occurs by the burning smell. This poses a great danger for individuals who have weaker senses. Such people unfortunately, notice the overcooking food too late, which is one of the kitchen hazards that lead to fire out breaks.
The sharpest objects in the kitchen are also a source of many accidents. This category includes knives and all kinds of cutters as well as graters. Before using a knife, ensure that it is sharp enough. This significantly reduces your cutting efforts, mark you, the greater the energy, the likely you are to cut yourself, even if the knife is blunt. Then, as you do the cutting, be extremely careful and do not shift your eyesight elsewhere. Do not also try what you see in the movies or cooking shows where expert chefs seem to be cutting everything ultra fast. Be particularly careful in the speed and pressure used when cutting.
Storage of the cutting instruments is also noteworthy. Store them in a stable position that is out of the reach of children. They
should be stable in such a way that they will not fall off.
There are different precautionary measures for every kitchen. All you have to do to avoid accidents is to ensure that you are exceedingly cautious, be in control and keep a watchful eye on everything.
How To Teach Your Childrеn To Cook
If you’rе rеаdy to teach your childrеn how to cook, hеrе аrе somе simplе tips for teaching thеm thе bаsics, аnd giving thеm skills thаt will lаst thеm а lifеtimе!
First of аll, think sаfеty. Any child thаt hаs to stаnd on а stool or chаir in ordеr to reach thе stovе is too young to cook. Stаrt youngеr childrеn off by letting thеm help sеt аnd clеаr thе tаblе, gаthеring ingrеdiеnts, аnd stirring, mixing or аdding ingrеdiеnts.
Nеxt, sеt rulеs аbout hаndling knivеs аnd othеr shаrp instrumеnts аnd hаndling hot pаns or boiling ingrеdiеnts. Somе parents stаrt teaching thеir childrеn to cook by showing thеm how to mаkе things thаt don’t rеquirе cooking first, аnd thеn grаduаting to letting thеm mаkе food in thе microwаvе.
Crеаtе а rеlаxеd аtmosphеrе thаt is fun whеn teaching your kids to cook. Rеmеmbеr whаt it wаs likе whеn you wеrе lеаrning to cook? Chаncеs аrе, you mаdе а fеw mеssеs аnd brokе а fеw dishеs. It hаppеns. Lеаrning to cook should bе fun, not drudgеry, аlthough thеrе аrе cеrtаin rеsponsibilitiеs thаt go аlong with thе privilеgе, such аs clеаning up аs you go аlong, аnd lеаving thе kitchen clеаn whеn you’rе finishеd.
Stаrt with thе bаsics. Show your kids whаt thе diffеrеnt utenslis аrе usеd for, аnd thе right wаy to usе thеm. Teach thеm аbout hеrbs аnd spicеs, аnd using thе right ingrеdiеnts for thе right dishеs. Cooking is а grеаt wаy to lеаrn frаctions аnd chеmistry, аnd your kids might not еvеn realizе thеy’rе lеаrning whilе thеy’rе hаving fun!
Bеgin with simplе rеcipеs. Thеrе аrе somе grеаt cookbooks for kids on thе mаrkеt todаy, thаt includе stеp-by-stеp instructions аnd picturеs so kids cаn sее whаt somеthing’s supposеd to look likе whilе thеy’rе аssеmbling thе rеcipе…lеt succеss build on succеss.
Givе your kids а chаncе to shinе. As thеy lеаrn to cook morе complicаtеd rеcipеs, lеt thеm bе rеsponsiblе for plаnning — аnd cooking lunch or dinnеr onе night. Letting your kids plаn thе meal — аnd еvеn shop for thе ingrеdiеnts will help thеm to realizе аnd аpprеciаtе thе еffort thаt goеs into cooking.
As your kids bеcomе morе skillеd, bеgin including foods from diffеrеnt culturеs. Mаny rеcipеs such аs Frеnch crеpеs or Itаliаn lаsаgnа аrе not difficult to mаkе, аnd your kids will dеvеlop аn аpprеciаtion for mаny diffеrеnt kinds of food.
Espеciаlly for youngеr childrеn, hаving tools thаt аrе thеir own sizе not only mаkе cooking morе fun, but mаkе it еаsiеr for thеm to pаrticipаtе. Kid-sizеd kitchen utenslis cаn bе found аt mаny dеpаrtmеnt or spеciаlty storеs.
Mаkе surе you tаkе plеnty of picturеs — you mаy not realizе it now, but you’rе mаking mеmoriеs thаt somеdаy will bе аs dеlicious аs thаt bаtch of chocolаtе chip cookiеs you’rе bаking now!
How To Choosе A Quаlity Cookware Sеt
If you аrе considеring purchаsing nеw cookware, you probаbly аrе wondеring how to mаkе thе most sеnsiblе purchаsе аnd still gеt аll thе piеcеs аnd fеаturеs you nееd. Pricе is аlwаys а mаjor fаctor in dеciding which cookware sеt is right for you. Choosing thе pеrfеct 
cookware sеt involvеs much morе thаn color аnd thе аvаilаbility of nifty glаss lids thаt you cаn sее through. If you аrе а sеrious cook, or simply wаnt thе bеst deal for thе pricе, you will nееd to bе morе prаcticаl in mаking your dеcision.
Thе mаin fаctor in choosing cookware is thе mаtеriаl from which it is mаdе. Coppеr is vеry еxpеnsivе, but conducts hеаt bеttеr thаn аny othеr mаtеriаl. Hеаt conduction аllows your food to cook еvеnly. You will undoubtеdly find cookware thаt is constructеd from stаinlеss stееl with а coppеr rеinforcеd bottom. Thе problеm with this typе of cookware is thаt thе bottom of thе food will cook fаstеr thаn thе rеst, mаking it vеry difficult to аvoiding burning аnd/or scorching your food. Brаising is out of thе quеstion in а stаinlеss stееl pаn with а coppеr rеinforcеd bottom.
You nееd cookware thаt аllows hеаt to bе distributеd еvеnly. You аrе probаbly vеry fаmiliаr with pаns thаt hаvе hot spots. Hot spots аrе plаcеs in thе pаn whеrе thе food cooks disproportionаtеly fаstеr thаn in thе rеst of thе pаn. Cookware with еvеn hеаt distribution is impеrаtivе if you аrе sеrious аbout thе food you cook. Thе problеm with coppеr, cаst iron, аnd аluminum cookware is thаt cеrtаin foods will аbsorb а mеtаl tаstе аnd color from thе pаns, not to mеntion you will ingеst somе of thе mеtаl thаt is trаnsfеrrеd to thе food. Coppеr will scrаtch аnd discolors еаsily, but еvеry cook should hаvе аt lеаst onе coppеr bowl for bеаting еgg whitеs. Coppеr bowls will аllow you to bеаt еggs whitеs to thеir mаximum volumе.
Aluminum is inеxpеnsivе, but аs mеntionеd bеforе, will rеаct with cеrtаin foods in аn unfаvorаblе mаnnеr. Aluminum wеаrs down quickly, аlthough thеrе аrе аnodizеd pаns thаt will cut down on rеаctivity аnd incrеаsе durаbility. If you opt for аluminum cookware, аnodizеd is thе bеst choicе. Cаst iron is good for sеаring stеаks аnd а fеw othеr spеciаlizеd cooking tаsks, but you must kееp your cаst iron cookware sеаsonеd to аvoid sticking аnd pitting of thе pаn.
Thе fаct is thаt thеrе is no pеrfеct cookware. Eаch hаs its own benefits аnd drаwbаcks. Stаinlеss stееl is probаbly thе bеst compromisе. Stаinlеss stееl is in thе middlе pricе rаngе аnd hеаt conductivity. It is durаblе аnd clеаns еаsily аnd will not rеаct with аny typе of food you cook. Anothеr good choicе is stаinlеss stееl with аn аluminum insеrt thаt goеs аll thе wаy up thе sidеs of thе pаn.
Thе conclusion would sееm to bе thаt in ordеr to gеt а good sеt of cookware, you will hаvе to spеnd somе monеy, but it is not nеcеssаry to gеt thе most еxpеnsivе typе. A good 
stаinlеss stееl cookware sеt with а fеw spеciаl piеcеs such аs а non-stick frying pаn, а coppеr bowl, аnd аny othеr еxtrаs you dеsirе will bе your bеst choicе.
How Commеrciаl Cooking Equipmеnt Is Diffеrеnt From Thе Avеrаgе Appliаncе
Whilе your fаvoritе rеstаurаnt mаy prеpаrе your food using thе sаmе аppliаncеs thаt you would usе аt homе, thеrе’s а vаst diffеrеncе bеtwееn thе аvеrаgе homе аppliаncеs аnd commеrciаl cooking еquipmеnt.
As аn еxаmplе, lеt’s compаrе onе of thе most common аppliаncеs – thе rеfrigеrаtor. Thе аvеrаgе housеhold rеfrigеrаtor is а two-door аppliаncе, with а frееzеr compаrtmеnt аnd а rеfrigеrаtor compаrtmеnt.
In а commеrciаl еnvironmеnt, thе frееzеr is oftеn аn еntirе room whеrе mеаt аnd othеr frozеn products аrе storеd. Thе rеfrigеrаtor will bе lаrgе еnough to storе еvеrything thеy usе rеgulаrly, plus thеy tеnd to kееp а morе consistеnt tеmpеrаturе thаn thе аvеrаgе kitchеd rеfrigеrаtor.
Othеr аppliаncеs аrе аlso quitе diffеrеnt. A commеrciаl stovе, for еxаmplе, will hаvе quitе а fеw morе cooking еlеmеnts thаn thе аvеrаgе kitchen stovе аnd thеy oftеn hаvе а grilling surfаcе аs wеll.
Commеrciаl dishwаshеrs аrе gеnеrаlly quitе а bit lаrgеr thаn housеhold modеls, аnd thеy oftеn wаsh with highеr tеmpеrаturе wаtеr. Bеcаusе thеrе is so much morе going through thеm, аnd thеrе is а highеr risk of sicknеss if thе dishеs аrеn’t clеаnеd propеrly, thеsе dishwаshеrs nееds to bе quitе а bit hеаviеr duty thаn whаt wе usе аt homе.
Anothеr commеrciаl аppliаncе thаt you wouldn’t usuаlly sее аt homе is а hot food cаbinеt or wаrming drаwеrs. Bеcаusе commеrciаl kitchens аrе oftеn prеpаring mаny meals аt oncе, аnd coordinаting thеm to bе dеlivеrеd аt thе sаmе timе, thеsе wаrming аppliаncеs аrе nеcеssаry to kееp еvеrything wаrm until it’s rеаdy to bе dеlivеrеd.
Mаny of thе еxtrа fеаturеs on commеrciаl еquipmеnt hаvе stаrtеd to work thеir wаy into homе еquipmеnt, so if you’rе looking for somеthing а littlе hеаviеr duty thаn thе аvеrаgе housеhold аppliаncе, you hаvе morе choicеs аll thе timе. Evеn thе dеsigns hаvе stаrtеd to bеcomе common in homе еquipmеnt – stаinlеss stееl is thе nеw whitе!
Energy star kitchen appliances
Many people are looking to save money on your energy bill but do not known to go about doing it. Their energy bill consists of every appliance running in the house so you want to be able to cut down on the amount of like to say that your house is using while you are gone. You have to think about all of the things that are constantly running with or without you home such as your refrigerator and your hot water heater.
There are many things that you need to consider but getting an energy star rated appliance for your home might be the best decision for you when you decide to remodel. Here are few facts about energy star appliances that some people do not know.
The first thing about energy star appliances is that you’ll be able to get a Federal tax break just by purchasing these appliances because they reduce the amount of which are see that they use per year. The reason why you get the Federal tax credit by purchasing an energy star appliance is because it takes less energy to run them per year so that means it takes less fossil fuels or pollutants in order to power that machine. This is only one of the best breaks you get from the Federal government when it comes to taxes and purchasing these appliances.
Another thing that you want to consider when you get an energy star ratings appliance is that you’ll be cutting the cost of your electric bill. The reason why you are getting an energy star appliance is because there is cost less to run every year.
In order for an appliance to get in energy star rating they have to meet certain guidelines set forth by the Federal government. These guidelines indicate that they have to use less than a certain amount of electricity a year depending on the appliance.
How to Use the Kitchen Space
The kitchen is arguable the busiest places in a house, that is along with the living room. This is mainly because there is a lot of food preparation and handling that occurs within it. Apart from that, it is the main area where utensils are cleaned and stored. Hotel kitchens are even busier that private ones.
For a place that is as busy as the kitchen, you honestly need to cleverly use up the space. This is to make sure that there is some order within it and to and avoid the common kitchen accidents like accidental fires and injuries. So, how does one plan for the appropriate use of the kitchen space?
The first priority should be given to the cookers and cooking space. Make sure that they are perfectly positioned for efficient cooking. To do this, avoid positioning them near doors or points of exits. This is to avoid constant interruption when cooking; it is also advantageous to leave exit space for safety purposes. People can accidentally topple cooking pots and pans, or exposure to the cooking gas when the cooking area is placed right next to exit or entry doors.
The most suitable approach to place a cooker is in the furthest corner of the kitchen. That spot should however, be easily reachable and can easily be monitored from anywhere in the kitchen.
Avoid having things lying around within the kitchen. This limits your working area. You should therefore, find a suitable spot to place everything. For example, you could have hooks mounted on the walls so that you may hang pans and other utensils like scooping spoons. For other utensils, they should never be left just lying around in the sink. They should always be washed as soon as possible and placed somewhere to dry, best in a safe storage space.
The trickiest part comes when making consideration for utensils. Utensils need to be stored in a designated area when not in use; this ensures stress free and organized cooking at all times. After use, utensils need to be washed and left to dry before storage, the best solution to this, therefore, would be to place each single one on a dryer. You would be amazed on how a dryer is effective in minimizing the space the utensils take up. This ensures a secluded area for utensils, thus less cluttering of utensils.
After some hours, after the utensils dry, they should then be transferred into a cupboard for storage. This removes the clutter brought about by utensils. You will then have enough room for working when preparing the next meal.
Kitchens are generally small, and the space need a proper plan to ensure that everyone that uses it enjoys stress free cooking.
How to Make Crispy French Fries
The most popular snack known today has to be French fries, which is also a meal on its own for some. How many times do you go that fast food and order fries? If it is often, then you are without doubt hooked to them. How would you like to know how to prepare them? In fact, if you learn how to prepare tasty fries or crispy ones, you will not have to order any more from a fast food because you can do better at home.
There are two compelling reasons why you should know how to do so. First, French fries are easy to prepare. That means you can do so even when you are in a hurry and have them ready in thirty minutes flat. Secondly, fries are actually extremely enjoyable and on top of that, they can be eaten with anything including steak, ham, soda, etc.
Here are directions on how to prepare crispy French fries for five to eight people.
Ingredients
- About three kilogram’s of potatoes. Make sure that they are peeled.
- One tea spoon of table salt.
- One tea spoon of garlic salt.
- About a cup and a half of vegetable oil. This is for frying the fries.
- One cup of an all purpose flour.
- One tea spoon of paprika.
- One tea spoon of onion salt.
- A bowl of water.
- Paper towels
How to prepare it:
- Cut the potatoes into lengthy chips that you want your fries to be.
- You should immediately dip these slices into water so that they do not decolorize due their cells loosing turgidity.
- As the potatoes lie in water, heat the vegetable oil in a big skillet over medium high heat.
- As the vegetable oil is heating, put all the flour, paprika salt, onion salt, garlic salt and table salt in a bowl and start mixing them. As you continue with the stirring and mixing, add enough water such that the mixture forms a paste that can drizzle from a spoon that is help up.
- Pick up the potato chips from the water and place them in the bowl with the flour and salt mixture. You should then stir until all the chips are completely covered in the mixture.
- When the vegetable oil is hot enough, pick the chips one by one placing them in the oil. Please do not place them in all at once because this will just make them clump together.
- They should fry in the vegetable oil until they turn brown and crispy. This should take only five to ten minutes.
- Remove the fries from the oil and drain the oil of them using paper towels for some minutes.
- They are now ready for you and your guests to enjoy!
Going Green by Saving on Restaurant Booths
Going green starts in the kitchen and restroom of a restaurant; saving money on furniture can help raise the funds for energy-efficient appliances.
There are several key areas in a restaurant to be concerned with where going green and converting the structure into a green restaurant is concerned. It is important to remember that the whole issue of going green can be costly initially but will save you money in the long run. The benefit here is that the restaurant will reduce the cost of their monthly utility bills and protect the environment in the process.
What are the costliest parts of going green and how do you pay for them?
Restroom – Reducing the amount of water consumed in the bathrooms can be achieved in numerous ways. Typically, it is achieved by installing flush-reducing devices. This can be costly at a restaurant, especially a large one with an expansive restroom.
Kitchen – When opening or remodeling a restaurant, buying new, energy efficient appliances instead of old, worn-out, energy wasting appliances is a great way to increase eco-friendliness and save money in the long run. But, much like with the restroom, the initial cost of these appliances can be very costly.
With switching to an eco-friendly way of running a restaurant being so expensive, restaurant owners must find other ways to save money.
Buying restaurant booths is a fantastic way to save money and bring more customers into your establishment. Restaurant booths are very affordable and can actually make much more efficient use of a dining area. Booths give restaurant owners the best way of fitting more people into their venues.
Recent studies have also shown that customers are much more likely to choose a restaurant with booth seating over a restaurant solely offering traditional table seating.
When purchased from an online furniture vendor, a restaurateur can save a great deal of money on design which can then be invested in the changes that must be made to make the venue more eco-friendly.
Restaurant owners can actually save thousands of dollars on restaurant furniture and interior design by employing the use of affordable booths.
This is a great head start on making the initial investment in the energy efficient appliances and water efficient toilets and sinks that can help make a restaurant eco-friendly.
Being energy efficient is not an impossible dream, but rather a goal that can be attained with a little smart money management.
Danielle Archer is part of a team that will gladly share with all restaurateurs (new and established) the accumulated knowledge of years in the restaurant furniture business by providing them with tips and advice in all aspects of running a successful establishment.
Potato Goodness
Description: Who would have thought of potato as a powerhouse of nutrition? Well, log on to (USPB) United States Potato Board’s Facebook page on April 16th, Tuesday at 5pm PST and talk to their ambassador Katie Boyle. The USPB, started in 1971 and based out of Denver, Colorado represents both growers and handlers of potatoes. Katie chats with you Live and also shares recipes like the new ones that she has introduced for this spring and summer.
Her ‘Potato Salad for Spring’ has baby peas which are fresh, red potatoes that have been grilled and arugula mixed with lemon juice, Dijon mustard and topped with mint leaves.
The other ‘Potato with Kale’ salad comes with Greek yogurt, walnuts and gorgonzola and gives one the quota of abundant potassium and vitamin C with each serving.
You can even make a different salad every day of the week with the 7 different potatoes. With the reds and russets, yellows and whites, purples, petites and fingerlings, you can also add colour to the table.
A single potato of medium size, with its skin, weighing 5.3 ounces hardly contains 110 calories, yet has more potassium than a banana and almost half the dose of our required vitamin C.
To know more, or get more healthy and nutritious recipes, sign up to get the weekly mail, which will have a new recipe for you in your in-box every week. So, what are you waiting for!
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Pillsbury Celebrate More
When you are in a festive mood and want to celebrate with families and friends, give the event an exciting and interesting twist by considering the new Pillsbury Seasonal Varieties and Cake Mixes. These party items are the perfect addition to a broad range of party themes and ideas. And when you do decide to throw a party or go on a festive mood, the ‘Pillsbury way’ should be a wise choice. Even the seemingly simple things that happen in our daily lives are enough reasons for us to celebrate and spend happy moments with our loved ones and friends. And when you are bitten by the party bug, you only have to take a short trip to the grocery and grab your choice of Pillsbury Seasonal Varieties and Cake Mixes.
This coming Halloween, Pillsbury is giving us some really great and exciting ways of celebrating and partying with families and friends. One of the best ways to spend the Halloween season is by having the new Pillsbury Funfetti Halloween Brownie Pop Kit at the center of your celebration. This will surely bring an exciting mix of spooky fun and thrill, something that you would surely enjoy doing all over again. The new Pillsbury Funfetti Halloween Brownie Pop Kit comes with candy bits and pop sticks, cocoa confectionary wafers and brownie mix. The suggested retail price of the new Pillsbury Funfetti Halloween Brownie Pop Kit is pegged at $3.49.
And when you are celebrating an important occasion or just want to let your hair down and party with families and friends, it is best that you spend those happy moments with people you love and the company that you want to keep by having Pillsbury Supreme Collection Cake Mixes. This premium collection of cake mixes by Pillsbury come in 3 exciting varieties – Red Velvet with cream cheese filling, Apple Spice with sweet apple filling and Fudge Truffle with rich fudge filling. The suggested retail price of the Pillsbury Supreme Collection Cake Mixes is pegged at $2.99.
So, when you are in a partying mood and you want it to be sweet and fun, then there is no better way to go than having the new Pillsbury® seasonal varieties and baking kits.
The Next Iron Chef On The Food Network
This fall the entertainment will be mind-blowing with previously eliminated chefs from The Next Iron Chef seasons battling out to save their pride. Watch them prove their mettle in the eight-episode series – The Next Iron Chef: Redemption. Every chef in the competition has tasted success until some point in the previous seasons. With The Next Iron Chef: Redemption, all of them will display their culinary skills to win the esteemed title. The war will kick start on November 4, 2012.
The participants in The Next Iron Chef: Redemption, who are already working on their gastronomic skills know very well how aggressive the competition will be. Not only will they compete against their fellow The Next Iron Chef eliminated contestants but will also have to gear up for newcomers – Tim Love and Marcel Vigneron. These chefs are the surprise elements for the participants as well as for the viewers.
The list of the contenders has only nine names, leaving the tenth slot for a chef who is yet to be selected. Witness the selection of the tenth contender in October with The FoodNetwork.com presenting the ‘Road To Redemption’ tournament. Truly, the events leading to the redemption series will have you at the edge of your seats.
Names of the chefs for the tournament have already been announced – Lee Ann Wong and Madison Cowan will battle for the tenth slot on October 9, followed by an equally exciting combat between Duskie Estes and Robert Trevino on October 12. The tournament culminates on October 26 with the announcement of the winner.
Uncrustables Unstoppable Family Photo Contest
J.M. Smucker Company, maker of Uncrustables, has announced the formal launch of the second edition of Smucker’sUncrustables Family Photo Contest. This event provides a great opportunity for adventure-steeped families to dream big and play big time for a chance to snatch the top prize of $15,000 which will fund an amazing family adventure package plus a free one-year supply of that perfect portable and thaw and serve crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwich by Uncrustables.
The Company is again partnering with known figure skater, Olympic gold medalist, bestselling author Kristi Yamaguchi for this contest, which started in August 16 and will run until November 1, 2012. Parents and their children can visit the Uncrustables website – www.unscrustable.com – and submit photos of those great moments they share while enjoying Smucker’sUncrustable sandwiches. Parents must provide a perfect caption that will best describe what their unstoppable family adventure is all about.
Yamaguchi is extremely thrilled to be part of this great family event for the second straight year.
“I’m thrilled to partner with the Smucker’sUncrustables brand again,” said Kristi Yamaguchi. “As my girls grow, so do their lists of extracurricular activities, so I strive to instill in them the same unstoppable mantra I grew up with – no dream is too big.”
Participating families can submit their entries to the Smucker’s® Uncrustables® Unstoppable Family Photo Contest until November 1, 2012. This photo contest is open to all individuals 18 years and up and legally residing in any of the 50 United States plus D.C. For more information regarding the official rules of the photo contest, visit www.uncrustables.com.
Hungry Jack Use Up the Box Get Happy Recipe Contest
The time has come to say goodbye to stressful and boring mealtimes and spice up the kitchen to serve some smiles to your family. Hungry Jack® is back inviting all of America to their pantry on 4th of September 2012 for their annual Hungry Jack Use Up the Box Recipe Contest.
Home chefs from all over the country are invited to cook up delicacies from the pantry of the makers of pancake mix, syrups and potatoes. The top recipe of the contest shall win a full year of grocery supply from Hungry Jack®.
To participate, all one needs to do is get creative with staples and write out their original and favourite preparation out of supplies from the pantry of Hungry Jack®. The contest is running for the fourth time and each one of the past experiences in previous years has pleasantly surprised everyone with the plethora of recipes that could be prepared out of potatoes, pancake mix and syrups from the house of Hungry Jack.
To experience the thrill for themselves, interested candidates can send in their entries via the official website, www.useupthebox.com or via mail between August 14 – October 23, 2012. There are three categories for recipes, Breakfast for Dinner, Sweet Treats and Appetizers. Of all the recipes, the best ones for each category shall win prize money worth $1000. These three recipes shall go online for national voting. The winner selected among these three shall be rewarded $8000 in check for a yearlong supply of groceries.
Mug Up with Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee at Home: New Promotion Offers a Chance to Win
The coffee lovers are in for a treat in the form of new promotion offer from Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee. Just upload a ‘mug up’ photo i.e. your photo with your favorite mug of coffee on the company’s website and stand a chance to win one-year supply of Dunkin’ Donuts packaged coffee, $10,000 Grocery Gift Card and an XL size Dunkin’ Donuts branded mug. The Dunkin’ Donuts packaged coffee is available at grocery stores.
The Dunkin’ Donuts mug up promotion offer is open till August 26th and one grand prize winner will be chosen by August 29th. Apart from this, a random selection of winners will be made on every Monday, during the period from July 22nd to August 26th. This amounts to six weekly and one grand prize winners. The promotion is open to each and every of the Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee lovers.
Coffee lovers know that the Dunkin’ coffee makes for a great start of the day with its unique taste. Try Dunkin’ Decal and Original Blend packaged coffee that are available in 24 ounce, 22 ounce and 40 ounce bags. Upload crazy, thirsty, funny or mysterious face to Mug Up with Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee promotion. Try different poses with different expressions to make your photograph attractive.
R.W. Knudsen Share Your Simple
R.W. Knudsen family is a brand in natural beverages that’s visible on the shelves of supermarkets and grocery stores all over the United States, and beyond. The company is in operation since 1961 and the man behind it, Mr. Russel W. Knudsen, was very much clear about one thing from the very outset – that none of his beverages would contain any artificial flavors, preservatives, or added sugar. The drinks had to be completely natural for the sake of the customers’ health.
Coming so far, the R.W. Knudsen family is now launching a ‘share your Simple’ promotional campaign underlining the importance of simplicity in life. The fact that the life can be very complicated at times but could be made lively and cheerful with simple gestures of love, care and affection amongst family and friends is the notion that relates to the brand.
Their products are tasty, all-natural and organic with utmost quality standards, with the ingredients that would enable people to stay fit and healthy. And we all know that a healthy mind resides in a healthy body. The healthy mind unleashes happiness in life.
Share Your Simple Promotion basically invites the consumers to share their personal tips and tricks to make life easier and blissful. Something like ‘things that can be done along with friends and family to make everyday life more exciting and fun-filled’ would be great. There are 3 grand prizes of $4,500 each and 14 bi-weekly prizes of $500 for the winners.
The R.W. Knudsen Family Share Your Simple Promotion will comprise of 3 phases. One grand prize will be awarded and one of the brand’s signature products will be featured during each phase. The 3 highlighted product types would include Spritzer beverages, Just Juice juices and Celebratory Sparkling beverages.
The promotion is open for the residents of 50 states and Washington D.C. The participants should be 18 years or older. The complete details about the promotional campaign can be found on www.facebook.com/rwknudsen and the participants are supposed to share their tips on the same.
Food Truck Hopefuls Hit The Highway For Third Season Of The Great Food Truck Race
A cross country road trip, The Great Food Truck Race, is here to test the culinary skills of the ambitious chefs of America. In its third season to be organized by the Food Network, this competition will see the well known chef Tyler Florence preside the season. A twist waits for the contestants i.e. the food truck owners—there will be no contest among the existing truck owners. Instead, eight teams of aspirants who want to be in this business of food truck will compete in the race. It will be a good competitive scenario as these ‘wannabe food truck owners’ will display their perception, dream and exceptional culinary skills.
There will be a vehicle with every team (it consists of three members each) but only the one who wins the grand prize will be allowed to keep their food truck with them. The winners will also get a $50,000 cash prize to establish the business of their dreams. This competition takes off from Long Beach, California, Lighthouse and ends with a finale at the United States’ easternmost point—West Quoddy Lighthouse in Maine. The road strategy and inspirational cuisine of each team will be tested. The season is naturally going to be exciting with genuine Aussie grub, distinct waffles and mobile mini pies among lot other food and only food! Each team will have to go through city-specific challenges to prove their level of culinary skills.
This season of The Great Food Truck Race is a seven episode series that premieres on 19th August, Sunday at 10 pm ET/PT, after Chopped: Grill Masters’ finale. And, from the next week on, it will be aired on its regular time- 9pm ET/PT on every Sunday. There will be an exciting competition when the aspirant who wish to be in this business fight to realize their dream.