"One of the early signs of sophistication is not giving way to all inclinations but rather sending your emotions to school so they will learn how to behave." (Jim Rohn)
"If you can keep your head when all around you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, then the world is yours and all that's in it." (Rudyard Kipling)
"Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth." (Benjamin Disraeli)
With summer in full swing, the time is just right to head out of the kitchen and into the backyard for a little cooking al fresco. Whether a quiet evening at home with the family or a full-fledged block party, there's nothing quite like a meal freshly cooked and hot of the grill. Here are some grilling tips for novices and summer pros alike!
The All Important Grill
Gas vs. Charcoal: This one can spark heated debates between even the closest of friends. Gas cooks at an even temperature, is easy to use, and requires little clean up. Propane/gas grills are also healthier than charcoal grills
(charcoal-grilled meats contain more carcinogens).Charcoal is generally considered better for smoking and searing food, and many prefer the taste of food cooked on a charcoal grill. Charcoal grills are also less expensive that gas grills, and are somewhat more portable.
Material: For gas grills, stainless steel is the way to go. Grade 304 stainless steel is more durable than the cheaper grade 430, which will rust.
Cooking Area: If you're typically grilling for just your family or a small group of friends, a surface area of 600 to 900 square inches should be adequate. If you're planning on hosting larger events or keeping the grill fired up all summer, you will want to look for cooking areas of 1,000 square inches and up.
Gas Grill Tips
Charcoal Grill Tips
Direct Heat vs. Indirect Heat -
There are two main ways of cooking when usng a grill, each suited to specific dishes. Cooking with food squarely over the heat source is known as "direct heat" grilling. The food is cooked for shorter time spans, typically with the lid open. This type of grilling is appropriate for thin cuts of meats, kabobs, fillets and veggies.
Cooking larger, thicker portions of meat such as steaks, whole fish and roasts calls for grilling with indirect heat. With this technique, food is grilled just off of the heat source at temperatures around 350 degrees Fahrenheit. On a gas grill this typically involves leaving the outside burners on with the food centered over the dormant inside burner(s). With charcoal grills, the coals are bushed to the sides of the grill leaving a cooking area in the center. Cooking times with indirect heat are usually longer, and the lid is typically closed.
Fire it up -
You'll want to fire up the grill fifteen to twenty minutes before you start cooking to ensure that it reaches optimal temperature and kills any bacteria. Your grill should be 250 - 300 degrees Fahrenheit for low heat, 300 - 350 degrees Fahrenheit for medium, 350 - 400 degrees Fahrenheit for medium-high and 400 - 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Don't Stick With It -
Expertly prepared foods can still end up stuck to your grill if you don't take proper precautions. Brush the grill vigorously at the end of the preheating period (the surface will be easier to clean when hot). Lightly coat the grill in vegetable oil (the easiest method is to soak a paper towel or dish towel in vegetable oil, then brush it along the grill using tongs). You can also lightly oil your food, although avoid overdoing it. Keep both a grilling spatula and barbeque tongs handy.
Mind the Flames -
It may look impressive to have flames bursting up through the grill to kiss your food, but flare ups are actually bad news. Flare ups cause carcinogens to accumulate on your food, char the outside of the food before the inside as fully cooked, and alter the taste of the grilled item. Flare ups occur when fat drips down into the heat source and catches fire. Help prevent flare-ups by choosing lean cuts of meat and by trimming off excess fat before you grill. When the heat is on, keep a squirt bottle of water handy to help you tame the flames.
Grill Baskets -
Grill baskets are ideal for small food items or food that is difficult to flip. There are two main styles of grill baskets, each with a different ideal use. The first is a deep set open-angled bowl (think a square-ish wok with vented holes), a design that is ideal for veggies and other small items that might otherwise slip through the grill grating. The other design is a thin wire basket with a long handle. The food (typically fish) is placed in the tray of the basket and the wire basket closed and latched around it. With this setup, you can now easily turn the item for even cooking.
Grill Master(s) -
Barbequing can be rewarding, but truth be told it ain't easy running the grill all by your lonesome. Set up a rotation to man the grill so that everyone gets a chance to enjoy the barbeque and no one person spends the whole afternoon feeling the heat.
Cross Hatching -
Line the meat up on the grill at a 45-degree angle away from yourself. In other words, if you think of the grill surface as a clock, point the meat towards 2 o'clock. Cook until a set of grill marks appears on the meat (use a spatula to gently lift the meat and look underneath). Once marks have appeared, turn the meat 45 degrees without flipping it over (using our clock analogy again, point the meat towards 10 o'clock). Flip the meat and repeat this process on the other side.
Resource: Remax Realty, Kristina Jarczyk, Real Estate Agent
"The second mile -- the one for which you're not paid --generally yields more returns in the long run than the first mile." (Napoleon Hill)
"Happiness is not based on position, power, or prestige but on the relationship with other people that you love and respect." (Author Unknown)
"As long as a man stands in his own way, everything seems to be in his way." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
"Try not to become a person of success, but rather to become a person of value." (Albert Einstein)
The first step towards the solution of any problem is optimism. (John Baines)
"If you want to get somewhere you have to know where you wantto go and how to get there. Then never, never, never give up." ( Norman Vincent Peale, Author and Speaker )
Whoever is happy will make others happy, too. (Mark Twain)
When you have nothing left but God, you become aware that God is enough. (Guideposts)
The first step towards the solution of any problem is optimism. (John Baines)
"Begin doing what you want to do now. We have only this moment,sparkling like a star in our hand -- and melting like a snowflake." ( Marie Beyon Ray)
"Life is a great and wondrous mystery, and the only thing we know that we have for sure is what is right here and right now. Don't miss it." (Leo Buscaglia)
"Challenges can be stepping stones or stumbling blocks. It's
just a matter of how you view them." (Author Unknown)
"If you have grown, if you have contributed, if you have loved if you have been loved -- then you have lived."
(M. Burkill)
To dream of the person you would like to be is to waste the person you are.- (Proverb)
The world of achievement has always belonged to the optimist. (Harold Wilkins)
Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself. (William Faulkner)
It is almost the beginning of a new year and though this can be a good thing...you know...new friends, new resolutions, new ideas...it also means one year older is on it's way for all of us! Those of us who are already in our middle years, probably dread it the most. So for all of us now middle-agers, here is a wonderful prayer that I found. Read it, enjoy it, pray it!
Lord, you know better than I know myself that I am getting older and will someday be old. Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion. Release me from craving to straighten out everybody's affairs. Make me thoughtful but not moody, helpful but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom it seems a pity not to use it all, but you know, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end. Keep my mind from the recital of endless details-give me the wings to come to the point. Seal my lips on my aches and pains. They are increasing, and my love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter. I dare not ask for grace enough to enjoy the tales of others' pains, but help me to endure them with patience. I dare not ask for improved memory, but for a growing humility and a lessening cocksureness when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken. Keep me reasonably sweet. I do not want to be a saint-some of them are so hard to live with-but a sour old woman (man) is one of the crowning works of the devil. Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places, and the talents in unexpected people. And give me the grace to tell them so.
Prayer in Old Age, attributed to a Seventeenth Century Nun
Beliefnet.com
No special info today. No relevant post. I just want to share with my readers that I am feeling gloriously happy today and content. The sun is pouring through my windows and it is very nippy outside. We even have a snow advisory posted for tomorrow and I shall sit in my sunroom and watch it fall from the sky while I ponder the awesome beauty and individuality of each miraculous snowflake that only God could create! I will not feel quite as excited over the snow after 2 or 3 more snowfalls! I wish for each of you a fulfilling day and an awareness of the miracles and blessings that surround each of us every day of our lives.
Well, here I am in my new home at last! I'd like to say that I am all settled in and organized, but that would be a blatant lie. My garage is filled with boxes and my beautifully finished basement looks like cardboard box marina city. Just today I discovered that I really do have a living room. A few friends stopped by to help me unpack more boxes and organize their contencts into some semblence of order. Once this monumental feat was accomplished, Voila! There was my living room!!! I expect that I will experience the same surprising result when the boxes in the garage and the sun room are equally attacked. I must say, however, that what I have seen so far of my new home, I like. I am beginning to feel less like a fish out of water and soon I will feel quite at home! It is amazing how much crap I accumulated over 30 years in my former home. I have vowed to throw things away and try to suppress my "pack rat" addiction.
Well, it is Halloween and that means parties and costumes and scary masks and things that go bump in the night! But it also means excited children all dressed up as their favorite characters carrying huge Trick-or-Treat bags just waiting to be filled with candy and gum! I recall my Trick-or-Treat days and the excitement that ruled my very thoughts. I recall hoping that the neighborhood folks would give out really popular candies and gums....anything was better than those dried up home-made popcorn balls that were more kernels than popped corn. YUK!!! However, now we are adults and we must make the same decision our parents had to make....how much candy do we allow our children to consume in one sitting? I used to hate it when my mom or my dad would take my bag of candy from me as soon as we got home from Trick-or-Treating. They always explained that they didn't want me to get sick from too much candy....or even worse....the dreaded cavity and toothache reason for taking my bag from me! Were any of you thinking about cavities on Halloween night? Hell no we weren't!!! I found the following article that defends the position that our parents took regarding candy consumption....all I have to say is Bah-Humbug!
Besides tasting good, candy has few redeeming qualities (although, maybe tasting good is enough). Many people believe that candy is a major contributor to tooth decay. In addition, while providing calories, candy rarely provides any nutrition. And although science has never corroborated the claim, many parents blame the sugar in candy for causing hyperactivity in children.
Halloween is here and kids are excited. Halloween ranks right at the top as far as favorite holidays go. Not only do children get to put on fun costumes, but they also get to collect pillowcases full of candy. What could be better?
As fun as Halloween can be for kids, it can be a challenge for parents. As a parent, how do you keep the holiday fun but make sure that your child doesn't overdo it when it comes to candy. Most experts agree that the first step is setting guidelines in advance of the special night.
After trick-or-treating, have your children spread their candy on a table or the floor. You can try one of these three approaches:
Or, develop a system that works well in your home. Whichever approach you choose, make sure you let your child know what the plan is before the big night. And if it works well, stick with it every year.
Resources: American Academy of Pediatrics http://www.aap.org
American Dietetic Association http://www.eatright.org
Beliefnet.com: Halloween: Let them eat candy---But how much? by Mary Calvagna, MS
Each state's claim to fame...
*ALABAMA ... Was the first place to have 9-1-1, started in 1968.
* ALASKA .. One out of every 64 people has a pilot's license.
* ARIZONA .. Is the only state in the continental U.S. that doesn't follow Daylight Savings Time.
* ARKANSAS ... Has the only active diamond mine in the U.S.
* CALIFORNIA . Its economy is so large that if it were a country, it would rank seventh in the entire world.
* COLORADO ... In 1976 it became the only state to turn down the Olympics.
* CONNECTICUT ... The Frisbee was invented here at Yale University.
* DELAWARE .. Has more scientists and engineers than any other state.
* FLORIDA .... At 759 square miles, Jacksonville is the U.S.'s largest city.
* GEORGIA .. It was here, in 1886, that pharmacist John Pemberton made the first vat of Coca-Cola.
* HAWAII .. Hawaiians live, on average, five years longer than residents in any other state.
* IDAHO ... TV was invented in Rigby, Idaho, in 1922.
* ILLINOIS ... The Chicago River is dyed green every St. Patrick's Day.
* INDIANA .. Home to Santa Claus, Indiana, which gets a half million letters to Santa every year.
* IOWA ... Winnebagos get their name from Winnebago County. Also, it is the only state that begins with two vowels.
* KANSAS .. Liberal, Kansas, has an exact replica of the house in The Wizard of Oz.
* KENTUCKY .. Has more than $6 billion in gold underneath Fort Knox.
* LOUISIANA ... Has parishes instead of counties because they were originally Spanish church units.
* MAINE ... It's so big, it covers as many square miles as the other five New England states combined.
* MARYLAND . The Oujia board was created in Baltimore in 1892.
* MASSACHUSETTS ... The Fig Newton is named after Newton, Massachusetts.
* MICHIGAN .. Fremont, home to Gerber, is the baby food capital of the world.
* MINNESOTA ... Bloomington's Mall of America is so big, if you spent 10 minutes in each store, you'd be there nearly four days.
* MISSISSIPPI ... President Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear here ... that's how the teddy bear got its name.
* MISSOURI ... Is the birthplace of the ice cream cone.
* MONTANA .. A sapphire from Montana is in the Crown Jewels of England.
* NEBRASKA .. More triplets are born here than in any other state.
* NEVADA .... Has more hotel rooms than any other place in the world.
* NEW HAMPSHIRE ... Birthplace of Tupperware, invented in 1938 by Earl Tupper.
* NEW JERSEY ... Has the most shopping malls in one area in the world.
* NEW MEXICO ... Smokey the Bear was rescued from a 1950 forest fire here.
* NEW YORK ... Is home to the nation's oldest cattle ranch, started in 1747 in Montauk.
* NORTH CAROLINA .. Home of the first Krispy Kreme doughnut and PepsiCola.
* NORTH DAKOTA ... Rigby, North Dakota, is the exact geographic center of North America.
* OHIO ... The hot dog was invented here in 1900.
* OKLAHOMA ... The grounds of the state capital are covered by operating oil wells.
* OREGON .. Has the most ghost towns in the country.
* PENNSYLVANIA ... The smiley, :) was first used in 1980 by computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon University.
* RHODE ISLAND . The nation's oldest bar, the White Horse Tavern, opened here in 1673.
* SOUTH CAROLINA ... Sumter County is home to the world's largest gingko farm.
* SOUTH DAKOTA ... Is the only state that's never had an earthquake.
* TENNESSEE ... Nashville's Grand Ole Opry is the longest running live radio show in the world.
* TEXAS ... Dr. Pepper was invented in Waco back in 1885.
* UTAH ... The first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant opened here in 1952.
* VERMONT ... Montpelier is the only state capital without a McDonald's.
* VIRGINIA ... Home of the world's largest office building ... The Pentagon. The Pentagon is the largest office building in the world but did you know that the Basillica in Rome (The Vatican) is the second largest structure under one roof in the world? The NASA Space Shuttle building at Cape Canaveral, FL, is number one.
* WASHINGTON .... Seattle has twice as many college graduates as any other state.
* WASHINGTON D.C. ... Was the first planned capital in the world.
* WEST VIRGINIA ... Had the world's first brick paved street, Summers Street, laid in Charleston in 1870.
* WISCONSIN ... The ice cream sundae was invented here in 1881 to get around Blue Laws prohibiting ice cream from being sold on Sundays
*WYOMING...WAS THE FIRST STATE TO ALLOW WOMEN TO VOTE
