5 fun ways to cook using a pressure cooker

Today’s guest post comes to us from Chef Faisal Aziz at Best Pressure Cooker Reviews a website dedicated to the fun and food you can cook using a pressure cooker. This article outlines just how safe a pressure cooker can be to use if you follow Faisal’s 5 easy to follow tips on safe cooking using a pressure cooker. Growing up my mom used to cook using a pressure cooker to make deep fried prawns and scallops and the best fried chicken this side of the Mississippi. My mom’s family had midwest roots and the food I ate younger was a reflection of those roots. I can tell you that food that comes from a pressure cooker is like nothing else. It is so juicy and moist and not everything has to be deep fried. It is just that some of the tastiest food usually is that comes from a pressure cooker. That being said, please take a look at the article below and find out how much fun and how safe it is to cook using a pressure cooker.

Enjoy.
– Will

Enlightening details about the 5 most important steps for safe pressure cooking

Introduction to safe pressure cooking

Pressure cookers are considered some of the most convenient and safest cooking options. This is because a pressure cooker does not require much supervision while you cook using a pressure cooker. One just needs to set the timer and wait for the food to cook since the timer will switch off when the food is cooked. This means it is not necessary to stay nearby while the food is cooking and as a result one can start cooking and proceed to do other things. However, it is always important to observe safety while you cook using a pressure cooker. Here are the 5 most important steps for safe pressure cooking:

1. Ensure there is ample space
   As the name suggests, pressure cookers use pressure and steam to cook different kinds of foods. This means that there needs to be enough space inside the pot for the pressure. Because of this, it is important to avoid filling the cooking pots to the brim. This is because there will be no space for pressure and this can cause accidents. There are also some types of foods which expand when they are cooked and one needs to consider the space they will occupy after they expand.
2. Avoid opening the lid before the cooker is switched off
   It is always recommended that one should wait until the food is properly cooked until you move to open the cooker. Opening before the food is cooked will allow the pressure which was cooking the food to escape. Besides hindering proper cooking, this can be dangerous because the pressure also release steam which is usually hot. The hot steam can cause burns and it can be even more dangerous when it gets into one’s face. This makes it important to keep the lid on until the cooker is switched off. You can read power pressure cooker reviews for more instructions here on the necessary safety precautions one needs to take when handling a pressure cooker.
3. Regulate Pressure
   Pressure cookers come with options to adjust the pressure and heat levels depending on what is being cooked and the stage of cooking. Some types of food require a lot of heat so that they can cook properly and therefore they need high pressure levels. By not monitoring the pressure levels the pressure can be too much and eventually cause accidents. If a person is cooking while doing other things, it is advisable to use moderate pressure levels which are not likely to cause accidents.



4. Utilizing The Timer
   The timer of the pressure cooker is meant to stop the cooker once the time set has elapsed. But some people do not use a timer and this can cause problems. When the timer is not set, one can forget about the food getting cooked or get engaged in other things, consequently allowing the cooker to run unmonitored. The pressure cooker can experience problems or cause accidents if it remains running for long hours. This is why it is important to set the timer since it will stop the cooker even if the person cooking is not present.
5. Place The Cooker On A Firm Flat Place
   Even if there is no enough space it is always advisable to look for space which will hold the cooker firmly while it is cooking. This avoids the accidents that can be caused by the cooker tipping over and falling to the floor. This is one of the simplest safety tips but one where most people do not pay much attention to it. Therefore, by following the outlined steps one can safely do pressure cooking and enjoy well cooked foods.

It is my hope that when following these 5 basic safety measures when cooking with a pressure cooker, you will not only find out how easy it is to use a pressure cooker, but you will also learn to make many great meals with this fantastic cooking device. Please stop by my website and find out more about the fun and great tasting meals you can make with a pressure cooker.

About the Guest Post Author

Chef Faisal Aziz is the author of Best Pressure Cooker Reviews, a hobby niche blogger. Faisal loves to cook and publish his experience with his pressure cooker at Best Pressure Cooker Reviews.

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4 food safety rules you can’t overlook when cooking with children

Today’s guest post comes to us from Lauren D. Brown atMess Makes Food and she writes about 4 must-follow food safety rules when cooking with children. Nothing can be more rewarding that doing an activity with your child where they are learning. One of those activities is cooking with children and helping them to learn to prepare and cook a meal from start to finish, including safely storing the food after the meal. Lauren speaks about how to properly ensure the safety of your family when it comes to cooking with children that might be something a child would not think about from washing hands to food prep to storage, Lauren covers each aspect as a reminder so that we all remain healthy and happy in our household. I really enjoyed the read. I hope you do too.

Enjoy.
– Will

4 must-follow food safety rules when cooking with children

Healthy cooking must start with food safety. If parents want to cook with their children often, a good way to start is by using something easy when cooking for kids, such as teach them how to cook rice using rice cooker or ask them to help you wash your vegetables carefully. It is necessary to teach them the fundamental rules of cooking, but it still enables a safe cooking with children experience. Let’s allow our kids to be food safety explorers! Don’t let bacteria have the ability to grow! Right now, we will learn the basics, including, clean, separate, cook, and chill.

4 Basic rules on food safety – checklist for children

Basically, food poisoning, due to viruses and bacteria, can be prevented by four simple rules when both parents and children are preparing a meal:

1. Clean – Wash your own and your children’s hands often

No one can deny the importance of washing your hands. Nonetheless, aside from that, cleaning all the surfaces of your kitchen is also vital, in particular, the countertops, the kitchen appliance, the reusable bags, and others (even if you need to peel or slice anything before cooking).

Taking a specific example, the inside of your microwave is easy to get dirty, owing to the food that can cover the insides of the microwave, so the bacteria can grow quickly. Correspondingly, it is necessary to clean both the outside and inside, involving, the buttons and handles to prevent food poisoning.

Washing hands in the right and most thorough way will dramatically decrease or remove the risk of food poisoning. Additionally, the spread of flu or cold is also minimized a significantly. Here are some things to always consider. You should also was wash your hands:

• Before and after eating, preparing the meal, after handling the pet, using the toilet, changing diapers.
• With the warm soapy water ~ 20 seconds. Asking your kids to sing a song while washing their hands can help these 20 seconds breeze on by.
• Cleaning the surfaces of the kitchen, particularly, the countertops, freezer, tables, fridge, shelves, and others

2. Separate – store your foods in a separate way – poultry, eggs, raw meat, and seafood

Cross-contamination can happen once germs from raw/ unclean objects (meat, fish, poultry,…) are placed close to the ready-to-eat or cooked dishes.

• Keep your foods separate so that it can prevent the cooked foods from cross-contamination by raw poultry, egg, meat, and seafood.
• Utilize more than a single cutting board – one for the cooked/ready-to-eat foods (vegetables, bread, fruits,…) and another for seafood, raw meat, and poultry.
• Clean these cutting boards with the warm soapy water after using and put them in your dishwasher. Additionally, you should also utilize a sanitizing solution or bleach solution on your cutting boards and don’t forget to rinse thoroughly with water after that that activity.
• Be sure to discard old cutting boards when you begin to see cracks, excessive scars of knives, and crevices.

3. Chill – Refrigerate properly to 40F or lower

The majority of the food safety programs recommend that housewives should refrigerate their foods properly at a suitable temperature. The purpose is to prevent food poisoning and slow the growing process of bacteria.

• Sets your freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit and fridge under 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place a fridge thermometer in your fridge. Don’t forget to check it frequently.
• Put the foods that you bought from the store in the refrigerator and freezer right away, especially the perishable foods.
• Refrigerate any leftover foods from your meal.
• Store your foods in small containers ~ 2 inches or less.
• Consume packaged foods based on its use-by date/date of expiration.
• Use cold-running water or the microwave in order to thaw the frozen foods before cooking with children.
• Marinate your meats in the refrigerator.

4. Chill – Refrigerate properly to 400F or lower

Meat, egg, fish, seafood, and poultry must be cooked at the proper temperature so as to destroy any harmful bacteria. Even though you cook with modern appliances such as using a toaster oven, it’s also necessary to choose the right temperature for your dishes.

• To check to make sure each of the following meats are done: poultry, meat, seafood, fish, and dishes with eggs. Be sure to utilize a food thermometer if you are unsure of when a certain type of meat isn’t cooked completely yet.
• Leftover foods must be reheated at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. For older adults, reheat all deli style meat as well.
• Boil the meat marinade ~ few minutes if you want to use it for your meal.
• Follow the proper temperature below for your dish:
  • + Lamb, beef, veal ~ 1450F;
  • + Ground lamb, beef, veal ~ 1450F;
  • + Pork ~ 1600F;
  • + Egg dishes, casseroles ~ 1600F;
  • + Poultry ~ 1650F;
  • + Leftover ~ 1650F;
  • + Ground poultry ~ 1650F;
  • + Using a fork with and knife to open opaque meat to check how done it is on the inside;

It is my hope that these 4 rules will help parents have a healthy cooking with children experience. At the same time, the risk of food poisoning is also minimized and/or eliminated by keeping everyone safe from germs.

About the Guest Post Author

I’m Lauren, founder of Mess Makes Food. My passion is delicious dishes from all over the world. I like to introduce my healthy recipes to my readers. I also want to share my opinions on how to choose best kitchen gadgets and some tips on cooking processes. Make, have, and enjoy many great meals together with your children!

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For all reviews, please exercise discretion. If the sponsor of the article is in conflict of the topic of the article, we will pull down the sponsorship to remove any conflict of interest with the article at-hand. For instance, there is an article about a hamburger restaurant and a competing hamburger restaurant sponsors the article; we will pull the sponsorship and issue a refund.

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What is your baby’s nutrition worth to you?

Today’s guest post comes to us from Emma Claire at CookNovel who writes about baby food recipes so that you can make your baby food right at home.

When our children were little (today, at the time of this post they are 8, 6 and 3 respectively), we used the BEABA Babycook steam cooker/blender to make our baby food. We put the food in ice cube trays and put them in the freezer and pulled them out when we needed them.

Making food for our children without preservatives and all of the extras of store-bought food off of the shelf helped us feel good about what our children ate while growing at such critical stages in their brain development. Even to this day, we only buy Horizon brand organic milk with DHA labeled on the container.

The nutrition our children receive is one of the most important decisions a parent can make. We hope you can use some of these recipes for your own little ones. Thanks for the great article, Emma.

Enjoy.
– Will

5 Delicious wholesome homemade baby food recipes for your baby

When it comes to your baby, there’s no such thing as “trying too hard”, particularly when it comes to their food.

Cooking your baby’s food at home might take some extra time, which can be a problem for busy parents but there are several good reasons why you should consider homemade and wholesome baby food.

1. Since you’re the one that makes the food, you’ll know exactly what your baby is eating, down to the last ingredient. No preservatives, no colorants, no extra sugar. Just want you chose to eat.
2. It can be more affordable. This is not always the case but high-quality, organic, pre-packaged baby food tends to be pretty expensive. Luckily, making your own baby food can help you cut on the costs.
3. You can personalize your baby’s food based on what they like. This can help you gradually introduce new things in their diets, take out the foods they don’t like and eliminate any allergy risks.
4. You can share your food with your baby by making their food with similar ingredients as the one you used for your family’s dinner, saving time and money!

Now that you know why making your baby’s food at home is so convenient, it’s time to look at some of the most wholesome baby food recipes out there so you can make sure you’re giving your baby nothing but the best!

Delicious apple, oatmeal and pumpkin baby food

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Ingredients:

½ cup of unsweetened apple sauce.
½ cup of pumpkin, pureed.
1 ½ cup of cooked rolled oats. (Unsweetened)

Cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg to taste. (Remember not to use too much as to not to overwhelm your baby’s palate)

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Instructions:

Step 1: Mix the unsweetened applesauce, pureed pumpkin and the cooked oatmeal together.
Step 2: Gradually add the cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger and taste it. Add more spices if necessary.
Step 3: Stir everything until perfectly mixed and blend if necessary.

This recipe is fantastic for babies aged 6-8 months.

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Creamed peas and nuggets

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Ingredients:

4 cups of peas, preferably fresh.
1 cup of whole milk
2 tbsp. of flour
2 tbsp. of butter
Chicken

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Instructions:

Step 1: In a sauce pan, mix the flour with melted butter. Cook no longer than a minute.
Step 2: Add the milk and mix as you do it to prevent any lumps.
Step 3: Add salt and pepper to taste. You can also add other spices if you feel it’s appropriate.
Step 4: Cook while stirring until the mix starts to thicken.
Step 5: Add the peas and cook them for about five minutes or until they’re heated through.
Step 6: Add chicken

Since this recipe has dairy consult with your pediatrician before introducing it to your baby’s diet.

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Squash and rice puree

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Ingredients:

1 cup of mashed butternut squash
½ cup of fresh water
¼ cup of rice of your choosing.
Yogurt (optional)

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Instructions:

Step 1: Using a blender or a food processor mix your mashed squash and the water. Slowly integrate the rice until perfectly blended.
Step 2: If your baby doesn’t like the consistency add more water to thin it or, if your baby can eat dairy, add yogurt to thicken it.

This recipe is perfect for babies 8 months old or more!

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Banana Avocado Baby Food

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Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado
1 ripe banana

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Instructions:

Step 1: Peel and de-pit your avocado
Step 2: Remove the avocado meat and mash it with a food masher or a fork.
Step 3: Peel your banana and mash it with a food masher or a fork.
Step 4: Blend everything together in a food processor or a blender until you reach the desired consistency.

This recipe is perfect for babies between 6 – 4 months and it doesn’t need to be cooked so you can make it in a pinch.

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Sweet potato soup

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Ingredients:

1 ½ cups of sweet potatoes, cooked.
1 tbsp. of flour
1 tbsp. of butter
1 ½ cups of chicken broth
¼ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup of whole milk

You can use cinnamon instead or nutmeg or, if you prefer it, you can also use 1/8 of nutmeg and 1/8 of ginger for extra flavor.

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Instructions:

Step 1: Melt the butter and mix it with the flour in a saucepan. Mix until it acquires a caramel-like color.
Step 2: Slowly add the broth while mixing the entire way to prevent any lumps. Keep the soup simmering and slowly stir in the potatoes and whatever spices you chose.
Step 3: Cook for 5 minutes.
Step 4: Mix using a food processor or a blender (Top 5 best personal blenders for smoothies). Add the milk when you serve the baby food.

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Storing homemade baby food

If there’s a downside to homemade baby food is the fact that it doesn’t keep as long as pre-packed food.

There are two ways you can store baby food, in the freezer or the fridge.

Fridge

You can store your homemade baby food in the fridge for up to 48 hours, as long as you keep it in an airtight container.

Freezer

You can also freeze your baby food so it lasts from 1-3 months.

The best way of doing this is not adding liquids (such as milk or broth) to the food until it’s time to eat it:

• Puree the base of your baby food and freeze it in ice cube trays.
• Take out only the baby food cubes you’ll need. (1 cube is optimal for young babies)
• Thaw the pureed baby food and integrate the liquids
• Reheat and serve

What do you think of these recipes?

Do you know any others that you think need to be included in this list? Do you have any doubts? Questions? Suggestions? Want to let us know if your baby liked the food? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to share with your friends and family if you found this article useful.

Thanks for reading!

About the Guest Post Author

I’m Emma, founder of CookNovel blog, and I’m absolutely in love with food blogs. I’d like to share the interesting recipes, food tips and top lists of kitchen gadgets. I’m a foodie at heart but being the mother of 3 kids, it’s not always easy to keep up with fancy dinners… so I rely on the support of other blogging moms like me to help along the way.

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For all reviews, please exercise discretion. If the sponsor of the article is in conflict of the topic of the article, we will pull down the sponsorship to remove any conflict of interest with the article at-hand. For instance, there is an article about a hamburger restaurant and a competing hamburger restaurant sponsors the article; we will pull the sponsorship and issue a refund.

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Do you like to cook?

Today’s guest post comes to us from Olivia Rose at mykingcook.com. She writes about essential kitchen gadgets to keep handy in your kitchen at home. These items are must-haves and essential for any budding cook or experienced chef. With the holidays coming up, these would make excellent stocking-stuffers too. Thank you for your great article, Olivia. We truly appreciate the contribution.

Enjoy.
– Will

Top 5 Kitchen Gadgets Every Food Enthusiast Should Have

Every home cook should have a best friend in the kitchen. But in my case, I have more than one that I rely on when I whip up something delicious at home. As a matter of fact, these tools are not just perfect for food enthusiasts like you and me, but also, having different kitchen gadgets, appliances and tools can definitely come in handy for emergency dinners and get-togethers at home.

So, if you are looking for great ways to spruce up your kitchen, aside from having the best cookware for glass top stoves, then here are my favorite kitchen gadgets on your list of must-haves.

5 Innovative Kitchen Tools and Gadgets for You

1. Digital Volume Spoon Scale

Say goodbye to doing manual measurements. No more having too much or too little of a certain ingredient, because having a digital volume spoon scale will ensure perfect measurements every time. It is a measuring cup and spoon, all rolled into one device. Just attach or detach the spoon or cup and you are all set. It’s battery operated with an LCD panel where you can read the measurements. Now, you can measure your spices, such as smoked paprika, thyme, or dried basil without fuss.

2. Portable Vacuum Sealer

It doesn’t matter whether you are planning to sou vide your steaks for the holidays or you simply want to keep your food (wet or dry) fresh; you definitely need to own a decent vacuum sealer at home. Trust us, when we tell you that owning even a food saver can help you save tons of money on food. I have a heavy duty one at home because I do a lot of experiments in my kitchen. You can do the same, if you as adventurous. There are different kinds of sealers on the market, from large commercial kitchen grades to handheld mini-sealers. Just choose the one that serves your needs.

3. Digital BBQ Tongs and Thermometer

Are you a BBQ lover like me? If you are, then this gadget definitely deserves a space in your kitchen. Each person has his or her own degree of cooked preference when it comes to their meats. So, it is important that we have the right temperature every time we fire up the grill. The handles on this item have a built in, battery operated thermometer to help you find out if the your choice cuts on the grill are cooked to delicious perfection.

4. Instant Wine Chiller and Refresher

Everyone deserves a perfectly chilled glass of wine, don’t you think? Most of us follow the practice of just leaving your wine bottles out there in the open or stuck in an ice bucket. With this mini wine chiller, you simply have to stick the spout in the freezer for about 6 hours and attach it to the neck of the bottle, and voila! Instantly chilled wine in your glass. This gadget chills the wine and not the bottle! It’s simply perfect for every wine lover out there.

5. Vegetable Spiralizer

With the increase in the number of people who are becoming more and more health conscious, it is definitely time to join in. Now you can use zoodles (noodles made from zucchini), carrots, sweet potato and cucumber spirals as substitutes for carb-loaded pasta with ease. There are different types of spiralizers in the market, so you can choose the bigger ones or the handheld veggie noodle makers. All you need is your spiralizer and your imagination, or some fantastic recipes to try, and you can start making delicious and healthy dishes at home.

Bonus Kitchen Gadget: Flameless Marshmallow Roaster

Usually, I am not-so-keen on single-use gadgets but who doesn’t want to have a s’mores party from time to time? This is something that most people would consider a complete splurge. But, however you would look at it, you can’t deny that this roaster is pretty awesome. Now you do not need to go out camping just to enjoy this sweet treat. Consider this my our bonus!

These gadgets and tools will surely make your life in the kitchen a little less stressful and a lot more fun!

Sources:

1. Admetior Digital Volumetric Spoon Scale
2. 30 Innovative Kitchen Tools & Gadgets by Hongkiat
3. 25+ Of The Coolest Kitchen Gadgets For Food Lovers by Bored Panda

About the Guest Post Author

My name is Olivia Rose. People say I am a housewife and have nothing much to do, but being a mother of two kids is itself a ful time job. I like to research and learn about new food and health related discoveries. I want to share my knowledge, that is why I have established mykingcook.com. I have shared my very own recipes also. I hope readers like my content and learn from it.

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By sponsoring this article, your sponsorship will display for a period of 180 days (6 months). If, for any reason, and it is up to the discretion of the authors of Windy Pinwheel, we feel content linked to or the name provided does not coincide with the objectives of this site for our audience we will issue a refund and pull the sponsorship of the article. This action does not limit you from sponsoring an article on our site again. However, by sponsoring again, we will issue the same review criteria as the prior sponsorship and if it fails, we will follow the same process as before and issue a refund and pull down the sponsorship. We truly appreciate the support of our audience and hope you can help offset our costs of operating this site by sponsoring our site articles.

For all reviews, please exercise discretion. If the sponsor of the article is in conflict of the topic of the article, we will pull down the sponsorship to remove any conflict of interest with the article at-hand. For instance, there is an article about a hamburger restaurant and a competing hamburger restaurant sponsors the article; we will pull the sponsorship and issue a refund.

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Are you a household chef, cook or foodie? This post is for you.

As an owner of Cutco cutlery (I used to sell them while in college), I pretty much consider myself a knife snob. Our latest guest post author, Julia Jones from Boston, MA, offers her own insight below regarding your choice in cutlery for use in your home.

Enjoy.
– Will

Using The Right Knives For Your Cooking

At a first glance, it might look difficult to make the distinction between a quality knife and a random one. After all, you can’t tell how the quality of a knife is by looking at it, turning it around, inspecting and touching it. Instead, you need to use it for a while in order to determine whether or not it meets your needs. After all, different people have different quality standards. The more you use the respective knife, the easier it becomes to recommend it further. With all these, there are some aspects to look at in order to figure how good and durable a knife will be.

Look for a perfect assembly

A perfect assembly is a main necessity. Make sure there are no useless parts in its assembly. Instead, everything should match. Look at the bonding between the blade and the handle before anything else. It is important for these two parts to blend with no gaps. Gaps are extremely important for the overall hygiene. If these things present any irregularities, the respective gaps become excellent environments for growing bacteria. It is easy to realize that such microorganisms will infect anything you use the knife for.

Safety comes first

In knives, safety is directly proportional with ergonomics. An ergonomic handle makes the operation safe and secure. The handle must be properly created to be kept with no risks at all. It should not slip either. After all, chances are you will cook with your hands wet due to all the groceries that require cleaning upfront. An ergonomic design and a perfect weight will allow you to use the knife with no safety risks at all.

Inspect the blade responsibly

The metallic blade and the way it was manufactured will tell you a lot about the quality standards. Knives are no longer made like ten years ago. Today, there are a wide number of advanced technologies that can seriously enhance the cutting capability. Moreover, durability is not to be ignored either. The sharper a knife is, the better it will maintain its blade and cutting qualities. Moreover, you should know that a quality knife will maintain its blade in a good shape for long periods of time.

Look at the blade surface

The blade surface can be enriched with all kinds of elements, only to make the knife more efficient in cutting particular foods. Different foods require different types of blades. But if there is one thing that matches to all kinds of knives, that is the surface quality. The better polished it is, the more durable it becomes in front of oxidation.

Not sure about the brand?

The brand is not always relevant, yet some brands are world renowned for their quality standards. Choosing one of these brands will ensure that the manufacturing technologies are performed at the highest standards. There are plenty of technological procedures required to manufacture a top notch knife and each of them must be maintained by the book. All these things lead to a good final result, as well as an exquisite cooking performance.

About the Guest Post Author

Julia is an avid food enthusiast who loves everything about cooking and especially using modern tech in cooking that can make even a novice cook look like an expert chef. She occasionally shares her opinion about the latest and craziest kitchen gadgets on the Kitchen Gadgets Wars blog.

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For all reviews, please exercise discretion. If the sponsor of the article is in conflict of the topic of the article, we will pull down the sponsorship to remove any conflict of interest with the article at-hand. For instance, there is an article about a hamburger restaurant and a competing hamburger restaurant sponsors the article; we will pull the sponsorship and issue a refund.

By clicking the button below, I agree with the Terms & Conditions.

“Arrgh, arrgh, arrgh!” – Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor, a Home Improvement television sitcom character played by Tim Allen

With Summer and Father’s Day right around the corner, we thought we would hold a giveaway celebrating all that is man, manly, and neanderthal by hosting a giveaway as a part of the Backyard BBQ Giveaway Hop hosted by Review Wire Media

For the Backyard BBQ Giveaway Hop, we decided to offer up the Weber 6630 Original 3-Piece Stainless Steel Tool Set to one lucky winner. Besides, any outdoor man’s man needs a good set of barbecue tongs, a spatula and a fork for grilling the world’s best meats and vegetables for his family#Besides, any tetosterone-laden man’s man needs a good set of barbecue tongs, a spatula and fork to grill the world’s tastiest foods set to fire expressing domination over nature, bi-winning at the hands of someone infused with tiger blood mixed with Adonis DNA in taming the wild fires of all creation. The unique front end soft-touch handle offers comfortable, non-slip grip for all the metro-sexual men out there as well. The tong handle locks for compact storage and the spatula has an angled neck to reach over the edge of any grill, keeping your hands and arms away from heat. Finally, the fork tines are designed to pierce food without shredding it. But hey, if you like shredded meat, that’s your perogative as a man, right?

Does that sound like what a man can handle? “Arrgh, arrgh, arrgh!”

We thought so.

With Father’s day and Summer right around the corner, who couldn’t use a set of grilling tools to lend you some assistance in creating a meal equivalent to your masterpiece, your magnum opus, or pièce de résistance, if you will, for the entire family to enjoy.

Please sign up below to win this set absolutely perfect for any man’s man (ahem, or woman) to use to dominate the grill for all-time. Hurry, you have until June 18, 2013 9:00 PM PDT / 12:00 AM EDT to enter.

Be a man and sign up to win today!

*Contest is available to entries from the United States and Canada only.

All participating bloggers are offering a prize to help kick off the grilling season. After you enter all the sizzling giveaways, make sure to stop by The Review Wire to enter the Grand Prize! 80s Tees and Little Tikes will be sponsoring the Grand Prize. This hop will run from June 4-18. Get your grill on!

Disclosure: Windy Pinwheel is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment.

Companies and bloggers, if you would like to participate in group giveaway events like this one, sign up to be emailed about future events hosted by The Review Wire.

Indoor activities for kids during the cold winter months can include art projects, reading, baking and cleaning. There are also a number of great places that are perfect to visit in during the cold weather months and winter days.

I wanted to share some of my tactics for keeping myself sane during stay-at-home days. Please note that I am not, by any means, an expert on indoor activities for kids, but I try to be creative and enjoy my time with my children.

This fall, we had to keep both our children home “sick” for the day. They weren’t sick, as in, “laying in bed and sleeping all day”, but sick enough not to go to school and not sick enough to make me think, “What in the world am I am going to do with two kids during the winter when we can’t go outside? I need to find some indoor activities for kids and find them fast!” Like any modern mom these days, I escaped to my favorite idea generator, Pinterest to learn about more indoor activities for kids that I can store in my arsenal for those cold, chilly winter months ahead! I started pinning some ideas and keeping track of what I wanted to do to prepare myself for the holidays and wintry days ahead.

Tip: Check out my “Crafty Kids” board on Pinterest for even more ideas.

Top 12 indoor activities for kids

1. Art Projects: Painting or drawing is one of our kids’ favorite activities. We typically get a big plastic outdoor tablecloth, you know, the ones with the material on the back to keep them from slipping. You can find these on sale towards the end of the Summer. We have an easel that we use, but sometimes, I find great deals on blank canvas frames at the local craft store and I let them go crazy (these great for gifts to family members). Typically, we let them paint in the nude with just an apron and a diaper/underwear (because they are young and don’t really know how to keep themselves clean during art project time). This decreases my mommy stress with less ruined clothes afterwards. For a little extra fun try making your own finger paint.



2. Cooking and Baking: Absolutely my go-to kids activity to do. Break out all the ingredients for really anything you want to cook and let the little ones help with the parts that are safe for them. As a teacher, I know this is also an amazing way to show my kids how the skills and content they are learning about in school connects to real life. This is also a great way to get them to try new and exciting foods. We all know kids can be persnickety, but if they have a stake in making the meal, they might just be fired up to try it.
3. Movie Night: As an easy activity to keep kids busy for a while, most movies that are geared towards the preschool and elementary school crowd are no more than 90 minutes, but why not make it more of an evening with hot cocoa and a slumber party? Try making these fun movie pillows or, if you have time to plan in advance of a winter storm, try a Disney-themed movie night.
4. Dance Party: As another indoor activity for kids, this may or may not be my own way of reliving my own childhood, but I love having dance parties with my family. My daughter actually received a karaoke machine for Christmas. Turning up the music and letting all your cares go out the window is like therapy for a winter’s day. Use some oldies, but goodies, and relive some of your favorite childhood memories with your own children. You can get really crazy and rowdy and let the kids dress up and put on a performances as well. For the ultimate dance party, try a family talent show!



5. Cleaning: If you are stuck in your house for any length of time, you will probably begin to notice your floors need cleaning. There is dog hair all over the couch and the laundry is about 5 loads deep. Not to mention, the laundry that did not get put away from the previous 5 loads is still left in a laundry basket, left to be put away. Well, at my house anyway, this often happens. So, I have started having the kids help with with cleaning and organizing. Giving kids responsibilities around the house makes them an active member of your family and helps them to learn that cleaning up and keeping a house in perfect condition does not magically happen. I really like this list of chores for kids because its broken down into age groups. Please be sure to try these as one of your own indoor activities for kids in your arsenal of things to do with your children.



6. Build a Fort: Easy, cheap, and provides loads of fun as one of our indoor activities for kids to engage in. Grab your dining room chairs, a large sheet or blanket and let your imagination take you on various adventures.
7. Put on a Play: Similar to the Dance Party and the Fort, this is one of those fun indoor activities for kids to let your imagination go wild. Grab some clothes from your closets or the kids dress-up box, you can even let your kids make up the characters. Playing make believe is wonderful for children’s development.
8. Reading: As a teacher, I cannot stress enough how important reading is for children and what a great excuse it is to sit down in a comfy chair and start reading to your child as one of our favorite indoor activities for kids. You can start with a short story or even a chapter book. Really, any book will do. Talk to them about the book and get their feedback. Ask questions about the colors, shapes and names of what they are looking at. Engage them as you’re reading. My husband’s favorites are Go Dog, Go by P.D. Eastman and Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. In fact, he reads Green Eggs and Ham at varying speeds just to be playful with our kids. It really cracks them up and makes them laugh as he is reading it to them. This is one of my favorite indoor activities for kids.
9. Create your own story and illustrate it: As one of my go-to indoor activities for kids, I know that kids love books and they love to color. Put those two together and write your own story. You can have them draw the illustrations and, if you really want to get crazy, you can eventually scan all the photos and have it made into a book. I have made some for families through Hullabaloo Stories in the past. For your day at home, however, you can simply put all the pages together with a bit of ribbon or string and a hole punch. Help your children write out the words and draw what they are seeing in their minds. This is among our top picks for indoor activities for kids to encourage creativity and imaginative play.
10. Interview your children and have them interview you: This is a great indoor activity for kids to encourage the growth of your child’s imagination. You can do this to get information for creating a birthday present or just to learn about each other on a deeper level. It’s always a fun game. I always enjoy this one when selecting indoor activities for kids to do with my own children.
11. Go on a scavenger hunt: One of the teachers at our preschool does a fun twist on a traditional scavenger hunt for one of her indoor activities for kids. She adds on one thing at the end, asking the kids to think through which item is in the wrong place. This goes along so well with teaching them about clean up responsibilities because they begin to learn that all things have a place. For younger kids, print out pictures of the items you want them to find and for older kids, have them practice their reading skills by just simply writing a list of items to find.
12. Card and Board Games: Candyland, Hasbro’s Connect Four, Go Fish, using something like this Melissa & Doug Classic Card Game Set, Checkers, puzzles, and many more are appropriate for the preschool crowd. Try your hand at playing some fun board games with your kids, this can lead to many hours of fun, but a word of caution, once they start playing games, they will not only beat you but want to keep playing again and again. For a fun twist, try this life size Candyland game.

Top places to take your kids in Northern Nevada, Reno, Truckee Meadows and beyond for indoor activities for kids during a cold winter day

1. Discovery Museum: Hands down, one of the best places in Reno, Nevada to spend the day with your entire family.
 



2. Coconut Bowl: A fun way to spend the afternoon, ask the staff to help you with bumpers and other aides to help kids bowl. Also check out their “glow bowling” for the older kids. Coconut Bowl also offers much more than bowling check out our post and their website for more information.
3. Kids n Art: A new local art studio designed just for kids. They even offer camps! Do some art without making a mess in your house. Sounds like a great snow day to me! They even offer adult classes.
 



4. The Playroom: who doesn’t love an indoor playroom place to play, all the toys and equipment to wear your kids out while you have the opportunity to sit back and watch them revel in new discoveries.
5. The Clay Canvas: an activity better reserved for older children and toddlers who are able to be around breakable objects.
6. The Children’s Museum of Northern NV: Located in Downtown Carson City, Nevada. This museum is Northern Nevada’s oldest children’s museum and an entirely play-based great afternoon outing in our state’s capital, Carson City, Nevada.
7. Movie Theater: Typically there is always a movie suitable for younger audiences at the movie theater. Most theaters have booster seats for the little ones and who doesn’t love a bowl of movie popcorn? Check your local theater for listings.
8. National Automobile Museum: Kids love cars and going to see them is among our many indoor activities for kids. They just love them. Mine always try to sneak in the driver’s seat. The minute I unbuckle their car seat harnesses, my two year-old always tells me, “I dive”. Meaning, “I drive”. He wants to be a race car driver, I just know it. I took both my kids and my car-enthusiast father-in-law to the National Automobile museum last February. I can’t honestly say who had more fun, my father-in-law or my son. This museum is a pretty cool place. I would only caution that most of the cars are for looking at and children can’t touch them. So, be aware of that, ahead of time, to make sure your kids understand why they cannot “drive” all the cool cars and hot rods.



9. The Library: As I mentioned before, I love reading with my kids. Sometimes however, you feel like you have read the same book one too many times and just have get out of the house as one of your indoor activities for kids. So, often times, we will go to the library or our local bookstore to pick out some new books to add to our rotation. Check out your local bookstore or library for story time. Most places have a set story time and activities related to the story that is read that day.
10. Build a Snowman or Go Sledding: Admittedly, this is not one of our indoor activities for kids, but who can resist going outside and playing in the freshly fallen snow. Bundle up and dive in. You can even sled down your own driveway or just pull the sled down the street. It’s a great workout for you and the kids will wear themselves out; then you can start a warm fire and put on some hot cocoa, and a movie or better yet… nap time!

So there you have it. My survival guide for the cold winter months for indoor activities for kids when I am trapped inside a lot with my children and do not want to lose my mind and go daffy. Share with us, what do you do to keep your marbles, I mean active indoors with your kids in the winter?

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Rachel K’s Home Cooking / Home Ec. Express

Picture this… sitting out near the Truckee River with farm fresh vegetables growing all around you. Now imagine you and your child are walking through the process of making a fresh meal together. Imagine no more… Rachel K’s Home Cooking has added cooking classes for kids and adults. Home Ec. Express is a fun new way for families to learn their way around the kitchen together.

Getting your kids involved in preparing a meal for the family can often be some of the happiest memories we make as parents, not to mention a way to keep your child occupied with both something that they will learn to use again and again, but also something to do as a part of the family where they can contribute when making meals together. Rachel K. is a knowledgable teacher who loves bringing the joy of cooking to all ages.

Located at the River School Farm in West Reno, Rachel K’s Home Cooking / Home Ec. Express classes take place near the Truckee River on a live working farm full of all sorts of animals from goats to chickens and even active bee hives to pollinate all of the vegetables growing on the property. Once you’ve made your meal, you can enjoy it outdoors near the river on a warm Spring or Summer evening with your little ones.

When: Classes are offered in the afternoons and weeknights (check out their website for updated schedule).

Where: Kids classes take place at the River School Farm.

What: Cooking class geared towards your child’s age and readiness to cook.

How to dress and what to bring: Bring yourself and an apron if you want to dress the part.

Need to know: This is a hand’s on class; you will get fully involved in the preparation of the meal. You will learn about the skills of the kitchen and eating is encouraged.

Extra Extra: Classes are also offered for families with babies who want to make their own baby food and classes for older kids where they learn to cook without their parents (imagine your children making dinner for you!). Rachel also offers catering services, in-home classes and classes just for adults, in case you want a night out.

Website/Contact Information: http://www.rachaelkhomecookin.com/

About Rachel K: Rachael K is a member of the United States Personal Chef Association. She is a certified Personal Chef, a Certified Food Safety Manager, and is certifiably crazy about great Home Cookin’. She has worked in kitchens across the country, from her roots in Ohio down to Southern Louisiana, from the Smokies in Tennessee to the Sierras of Reno. She has had an obsession with cooking since she was old enough to lick the brownie batter bowl. She holds degrees in Culinary Arts and Fine Craft. When she is not being a personal chef she can be found in her organic garden, making wine with her Husband, playing with her 2 sons, or creating a work of fine craft. She believes in community, sustainability, practicality, hard-work, and honesty. She respects her client’s values and wishes regarding their diets and homes.

Rachael Krysiak
Certified Personal Chef
Rachaelkhomecookin@gmail.com
775.750.3345
Source: RachaelKHomecookin.com

Sponsor this article for $1.00

Enter sponsor title and e-mail.

Enter website URL. Sponsor title will be hyperlinked with this URL.

By sponsoring this article, your sponsorship will display for a period of 180 days (6 months). If, for any reason, and it is up to the discretion of the authors of Windy Pinwheel, we feel content linked to or the name provided does not coincide with the objectives of this site for our audience we will issue a refund and pull the sponsorship of the article. This action does not limit you from sponsoring an article on our site again. However, by sponsoring again, we will issue the same review criteria as the prior sponsorship and if it fails, we will follow the same process as before and issue a refund and pull down the sponsorship. We truly appreciate the support of our audience and hope you can help offset our costs of operating this site by sponsoring our site articles.

For all reviews, please exercise discretion. If the sponsor of the article is in conflict of the topic of the article, we will pull down the sponsorship to remove any conflict of interest with the article at-hand. For instance, there is an article about a hamburger restaurant and a competing hamburger restaurant sponsors the article; we will pull the sponsorship and issue a refund.

By clicking the button below, I agree with the Terms & Conditions.