Do you find yourself sometimes taken on a cloudy dream surrounded by juicy strips of bacon floating you along….

When I was a little girl, most mornings my mom would fry up strips and strips of bacon for me, my sisters and brother.  I remember sleeping so soundly until the smell of bacon took over and lured me out of my slumber.  I used to always wonder how she got the bacon so perfectly cooked and crispy…

Then as I got older I had plenty of mishaps but finally got it together, here’s an easy way to cook delicious crispy bacon!

* Safety First:  When cooking bacon you always want to make sure you shield yourself from any splattering fat.

* Make sure that you have a plate assembled with paper towels for when the bacon is finished cooking to drain on.

*  Choose a large enough frying pan that can accommodate long strips of bacon.  This will allow the bacon to cook evenly.

*  Before turning the fire on, lay the bacon alongside one another in a cold frying pan, making sure no pieces are overlapping.

*  Cook the bacon on medium heat.  If you increase the heat to fast this will make the bacon cook to quickly and end up burning the bacon and burnt bacon in my opinion is NOT yummy.

*  As you see the bacon starting to shrink, that is when you flip it over with a fork and cook the other sides.  make sure that the bacon stays flat while cooking.  Once you make the first flip, make sure to flip them continuously after every 45 seconds.

*  Once the bacon is fully cooked, transfer the bacon to your plate with paper towels and allow to drain.

* All that is needed after bacon is cooked is to sit down and enjoy!

Guest Post by Shireen Qudosi.

Let’s face it – everyone’s got a busy life.  As much as we love a great get together, the process can be taxing on both our time and wallet.

Yet, when it comes to entertaining, nothing beats good company paired with wine alongside a roasting fire.  With chilled winter season right around the corner, find out how you can create this lush experience in your own home.

The Menu

When hosting a dinner party, the center of any lively combination should be several bottles of wine alongside a casually but well-thought out platters. Conventionally, platters were limited to cheese, but chic wine connoisseurs know that mixing it up with breads, chocolates, and some delectable deserts works equally as well. With such a colorful sensation for the palate and the array of pairings to choose from, you and your guests will be marveled by how easy it can be to have a great time.

• In fact, in light of the recession many hosts and hostess have decided to forgo conventional dinner parties and instead opt for rich but simplified menu of wine served with a few pairings. Having come to be known as chic “Wine Parties”, guests usually delight in being able to have a more casual get together that isn’t meal-oriented.  These new types of parties are not only friendly on the wallet, but are also far more time efficient – requiring less preparation and clean up, they can be thrown at the last minute while still being a hit with your guests. Guests also enjoy the opportunity to sample new types of wines.
• Going beyond just the basics of wine, any great wine party host will take the time and considering to set the stage for his or her guests. After all, you a cold barren room is hardly going to foster an evening of warm and engaging conversation.

• Equally as important as the wine and pairings you serve, is what type of setting you serve it in. With winter here and everyone huddling indoors, a fireplace creates the ideal ambience for a memorable evening.

Set the stage for a great evening

Whether or not you have a fireplace, you can still create the same effect with faux fireplace that doubles as an energy-efficient heater. A fireplace heater lets you fill your home with a mesmerizing, soft glow without the hassle of burning ash and buying wood.

Conventional fireplace are often limited to a large home that can accommodate the space and chimney necessary to install a traditional fireplace.  With an electric fireplace heater, it’s possible to have a fireplace no matter what size or type of home you’re in.

Electric fireplace heaters are perfect if you live in a small home or apartment and prefer the stylish addition of a fireplace. Fireplace heaters make it possible for these types of spaces to still enjoy the warm glow of a fireplace – especially at your next wine party!

The look of an electric fireplace heater is surprisingly realistic since it includes light bulbs to simulate the gentle smoldering of a fire down to the glowing embers. With portable fireplace heaters, you can get the coveted architectural element of a fireplace, without the cost – plus its portability allows you to move it to whatever room you decide to hosts your guests in.

Shireen Qudosi is a consumer awareness writer with http://www.heater-home.com.

Pasta is one of the easiest dishes to make.  It can be paired with any type of sauce and added to any dish.  But sometimes it can have a tendency of not being cooked properly or cooked too much.  Here are a few Do’s and Dont’s when it comes to cooking Pasta.

Do’s

* Use a large pot that can hold enough water to submerge all the pasta you want to cook.  Remember, that the lighter the pot the faster it will come to a boil, which is much better.  After adding the pasta return pot to a boil immediately.

* Salting the water is a must.  Once the water starts to boil make sure to add enough salt to it, this will give the pasta added flavoring.   For every pound of pasta add two tablespoons of salt and 6 quarts of water.

Learn more, * Stir the pasta once you add it to the boiling water and throughout the cooking process.  This will help from the pasta sticking together in a clump.

* Test pasta out by grabbing a strand or noodle and trying it out for doneness.  Dried pasta should be cooked through but still firm to the bite.  If the pasta sticks to the wall of the pot then it is overdone.  Fresh pasta will rise to the surface when ready.  The pasta should all be one color and chewy.

Dont’s

* Don’t break pasta to fit it in the pot. Let the ends stick out until the submerged sections soften, about 1 minute. Then stir to bend the pasta and push it underwater.

* Don’t add oil to the pot.  Stirring the pasta should be able to keep it from sticking.  Adding oil to the pasta will prevent sauce to stick to the pasta when done.

* Don’t throw away the pasta liquid.  Always reserve a cup of the cooking liquid for adding to the sauces.

* Don’t rinse cooked pasta.  This will kill the flavorful starch that helps the sauce stick to the pasta.

Source

(Image: Daniel Greene/ Flickr)

Quinoa is very tasty and versatile, which allows it to be added or replaced in most recipes such as rice or couscous.

Cooking quinoa is similar to cooking rice, by how fast and easy it takes to make it.  There are three different kinds of quinoa that can be found in markets: the most common one is the white variety, but also the red and blank ones.

Here is a basic way to cook quinoa:

1.  Measure and rinse quinoa.  One cup of dried quinoa makes three cups of cooked quinoa (just like rice).  Measure out your chosen amount, rinse thoroughly with cold water in a mesh strainer and then drain.  Rinsing the quinoa will remove its natural coating, called saponin, which can make the quinoa taste bitter.

2.  Transfer quinoa into a small saucepan.  Add 1 1/2 cups water & 1/2 tsp salt if desired.  You can also use vegetable, chicken or meat stick if preferred.

3.  Boil, Cover, and Simmer.  Bring to a quinoa to a boil, cover with a tight fitting lid, and turn the heat down to simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.

4.  Remove from heat and let rest.  Remove quinoa from heat and allow to sit for five minutes with the lid on.  Fluff quinoa gently with a fork and serve.

(For Quinoa stuffing recipe)

Ever have the smell of garlic lingering on your hands hours after you season and cook your dish of choice?

No matter how much I love the taste of garlic in my food, I absolutely hate the lingering potent smell it gives off on my hands and I don’t know about you but smelling like a garlic garden isn’t very attractive, if you get what I’m saying.

To remove the garlic smell from your hands, simply rub your hands with a stainless steel spoon or other stainless steel utensil.  If you don’t have any stainless steel utensils you can always just rub a little salt or baking soda on them and wash again with soap and water.

Now you should be smelling like your rosy self again!!!! For me it would be more of a lavender pomegranate!

(Image: Morberg/Flickr)

A wine party is a great way to experience new and unfamiliar wines with intimate friends in the comfort of your home.  The tasting allows you and your friend to not only have a chance to catch up in conversation but also the chance to learn and educate yourselves on new and different wines as well.  Choose on three different wines to feature at your party.

Sparkling Wine

The first one to try and start off with is a Sparkling wine, these are a great beginning.  Three great one that could be opened and tried are : Proseco, which is a sparkling wine grown  in the Veneto region of Italy.  It is a less expensive substitute for champagne.  The second one is a White or Rose sparkling wine, any kind can suffice.  The third is Champagne, our favorite choice, which is cultivated in the Champagne region of France.
For more,
Riesling

Riesling is an aromatic white grape variety originated in Germany displaying its flowery and perfume-like aroma.  It is used to make dry and sweet sparkling white wines.  Three different Rieslings that can be served are: Austarlian Riesling, New Zealand Riesling, and Alsace Riesling.

Italian Reds

To narrow a decision in a specific region in Italy is quite difficult to do, the best option would be to choose your most favorite of Reds.  For example, A Chianti, found in the central part of Italy, is made from the Sangiovese grape, with small amounts of other grapes.  A Barolo would be the next choice, this wine is found in Northern Italy, it is made from the Nebbiolo grape.

Quick Tips:

· Include a pre–printed menu at each place setting with wine information and food pairings.

· Have pencils/pens available for guests to jot down wine notes on the backs of their menus.

· Each pour should be two ounces, so plan on one bottle of wine serving approximately ten guests.

· Make sure to use proper stemware for each wine.

· Chill white and sparkling wines in wine buckets.

· Keep guests hydrated with water.  Keep a pitcher of water next to each setting.

· Definitely serve accompaniments on large platters for guests to nibble on.

Confused with all that small print wine mumbo jumbo on the wine label… Does it all just sound foreign to your ears?

Learn to decode the label and become a wine extraordinaire! Especially in time to host your own wine party….

The most important pieces of information on a wine bottle label are the grape, the winemaker, and the vintage. 

1.)  The Wine maker or winery: which can be found at the top of the wine bottle in big print.  This is the company or firm that made the wine or, in some cases, the wine’s trademark name.

2.)  Appellation: is the country or region where the grapes for this wine were grown. It can be broad id description or narrowed down to specific region.
To learn more,  3.) Vintage:  This is the year in which the grapes were harvested, not the year in which the wine was bottled, which for some wines may be years later. Note that some countries add the local word for “vintage” to the label.

4.)  Variety:  Some wines will disclose the specific kinds of grapes used to make the wine but most do not such as French and Italian wines.

5.)  Estate bottling and winery information: If the wine is labeled estate bottled, it means that it is made from grapes grown and harvested in the winery’s own vineyards.  If this is the case then it will be printed in its native language on the label, Examples: French “Mise en bouteille(s) au Chateau;” the German “Gutsabfüllung“; or the English “estate bottled” or “grown, produced and bottled.”

Image: Billa/ Flickr

Follow these easy tips to keep your frozen foods fresh.

Ever wonder what those grayish, frosty spots that you find on the surface of foods,they are known as freezer burn.

Freezer burn occurs when food is improperly wrapped and exposed to too much oxygen.  This technically is a process of chemical sublimation and is done intentionally when making freeze-dried foods.  

Lucky for us freezer burn will not rot meat or produce, but has a tendency to cause items to toughen and taste spoiled.  Which if you ask me is not tasty at all… Yuck!  

Protect food from freezer burn and yucky ice crystals by tightly covering it with freezer-safe wraps and bags.  Always remember to make sure to squeeze out excess air.  

Wrap large items like meat and loaves of bread in a double layer of plastic wrap, wax paper, or aluminum foil, then store in a container or plastic freezer bag.  Store smaller items like chicken stock, sliced carrots, and such in small-sized containers or plastic bags.

Whenever anything is placed in the freezer the chance of it getting freezer burn is inevitable, thats why you must always remember to rotate your freezer after a while.

Image: Transguyjay/Flickr

I think we all know that breakfast is the most imporatant meal of the day, well that’s what I was told for years, and I fully agree!

That’s why I know how difficult it can be when you are rushing in the mornings trying to get kids up and ready and out of the door to school before going to work.  Here is a quick and easy way to get some morning protein and start your day off right.   The best thing of all is that clean-up is simple and no hassles with pots and pans.

All you  need:

• Microwave safe bowl
• Eggs
• Margarine or butter
• Salt, and a Fork. 
• Toppings of your choice, such as cheese, salsa, onions, peppers, ham, sausage

Click for directions, 1. Crack open the desired number of eggs in a microwave safe bowl.  Discard shells in trash or compost pile.

2. Add one half teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of margarine or butter. Mix together with a fork or whisk.

3. Place in microwave oven and cook on high approximately 3 minutes. (Cooking times may vary slightly depending on microwave oven wattage) Take out and stir. Cook for one additonal minute or until eggs are no longer runny.

4. Then add your desired toppings…. Enjoy!

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Ever have trouble on measuring out ingredients when you are wanting to bake. Here is simple guideline to help you next time.

• Flour: Before measuring flour, stir through the container, this will help to loosen the flour that has been sitting there. Lightly spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup, then level it off with a spatula or knife. Try not to shake off the excess flour, shaking will compact the flour and you’ll end up having too much.

• Sugar: Spoon sugar into a dry measuring cup. Pack it firmly until it is all one level.

• Shortening: Spoon shortening into a dry measuring cup. Pack it firmly into the cup and level off the top.

• Liquids: Measure liquids in a glass measuring cup. Make sure to fill it just to the measuring line.

• Butter: Butter sticks have tablespoon markings on the wrapper,  8 tablespoons per stick. Just slice off what you need when you need it.  *Always remember: 1 stick equals 1/2 cup butter.*