Thursday, June 14, 2023

5 Steps to Properly Cleaning Vegetables and Why You Should

 

Wash Your Vegetables

Wash Your Vegetables

5 Steps to Properly Cleaning Vegetables and Why You Should

 

Where did my food come from? Who all has handled it? What do I do with my vegetables when I get them home? Should I invest in vegetable cleaners being sold? In today’s world of pesticides, bacteria, and unsafe handling in foods, all of these questions are understandable concerns. However, they can easily be addressed with an at-home, safe, and affordable method of properly cleaning vegetables.

Why Should We Wash Our Vegetables?
Vegetables have come from many parts of the world. There is no way that we can tell in the grocery store as to what bacteria, dirt, or germs the vegetable has picked up. We also need to consider the chemical residue left from growing. Even organic vegetables can come in contact with harmful residue. This could help us avoid such diseases as E.coli and Salmonella as well.

 

 

Should We Invest in Vegetable Cleaners?
With all of the concerns of dirty vegetables, many companies have started to offer vegetable cleaners. This is to provide a safe way of washing our produce to make it safe for us to eat. However, these cleaners can quickly bump up our grocery bill. If the correct steps are taken to wash vegetables at home, we can avoid this expense. The process is very easy, safe, and affordable.

 

 

Steps to Properly Cleaning Vegetables
1. Wash your hands thoroughly so that you are not adding further contamination to your vegetables.

2. Bring out a large bowl or dishpan that can easily hold all of your vegetables and water. Fill up the pan or bowl with cool water deep enough that it will cover your vegetables.

3. Choose whether you would like to use baking soda or apple cider vinegar as your homemade cleanser. If you choose baking soda, add 3 tablespoons to the water. If you choose to use the vinegar, add 3 tablespoons per gallon of water. Let your vegetables soak for about 10 minutes in the solution.

4. Use a brush to scrub the dirt from your vegetables. This will really allow you to remove the dirt that may have embedded itself in crevices. A vegetable brush will work well for this.

5. Rinse your vegetables one last time to wash away any residual dirt and the cleanser. Dry them and be sure to wash the bowl or pan you used for the vegetables so that it will be clean for your next batch of produce.

Overall, properly cleaning vegetables is a very easy and inexpensive process that will really pay off in the long-run. Safety is important to all of us when it comes to ourselves and our families, and this is one step that we can take to ensure that safety.

 

 

Image by photobunny, and licensed through Creative Commons.

Bath and Kitchen Studio is an online retailer that specializes in discount bath and kitchen fixtures, accessories and furniture. Shop for kitchen fixtures and more without paying retail prices.

Thursday, June 14, 2023

Hosting the Best BBQ: Tips and Tricks

The Best Ever BBQ

The Best Ever BBQ

 

People will come to your BBQ not just for the food, here are the key ingredients to a successful barbeque:

 

 

1. Food:

Whenever you’re planning anything you need to make sure you have enough food and a bit more to feed your crowd. There is nothing worse than running out of food at any dinner party you may have. Usually my favorite thing to do is to make some and order some to save you some time. BBQ catering in Sydney is typical; it’s not hard to find a place with good food – even if you’re not from around Sydney. You can go on ‘Google’ and find BBQ caterers close to where you live like BBQ At Your Place which has a bunch of options to choose from. Any BBQ caterers you go to make sure you take a good look through their menu, I noticed that Sydney BBQ caterers will give you the option of finger foods or on a per plate basis. Finger foods are always great; most websites will help you calculate how much you should order, try this calculator they can tell you to the hour. If you want you can order all your food and save all cooking hassle, and there I would recommend to do the per plate option that a lot of BBQ caterers have the option of – just like a wedding.

 

Make a decision on drinks, and keep them on the side, don’t keep them right beside the food to avoid major spills, it will happen!

 

 

2. Activities:

Whether you live by the lake or if you just have a backyard, know whose coming to your BBQ. People will want to be kept busy; badminton is a great idea if you don’t have a pool. This is really important if you have kids coming to your BBQ, they can get bored very quickly-Be ready! If you have a bit of space, throwing around a ball, or kicking one can easily get people entertained, especially if you make teams (girls versus boys is always fun).

 

 

3. Be prepared for all weather:

What happens if it rains? I really hope it doesn’t for your very first BBQ, but if it does have a Plan B, whether it is doing a rain check (If you’re ordering a BBQ caterer visit them online and check their cancellation policies, most BBQ catering firms as for example BBQ At Your Place (https://www.bbqatyourplace.com.au/) will ahve them on their website) or if you have a house that will fit all your guests bring the party inside and enjoy the good food and company from there. (Checking the weather in advance helps, but don’t rely on it!)

 

 

4. Be organized and most importantly HAVE FUN!

 

 

By Julia Natanek – Business Enthusiast @ www.SoaringVenture.com

Wednesday, June 13, 2023

Summer Birthday Ideas

 

Child's Birthday Party

Birthday Fun

 

Great summer birthday ideas for kids

If your little darling is celebrating their birthday this summer, you’re probably unsure of what kind of party they’d like. Maybe they’re a bit too young for bouncy castles, or they’re still a bit too small to travel abroad to visit relatives. If you’re trying to save some cash whilst giving them a birthday to remember, here are some ideas to get you started…

 

 

There’s something about combining a birthday and a holiday that makes both extra-special, and there are plenty of British Holiday Parks that will enable you to afford a lovely break with your family, celebrate a birthday, and enjoy a well-earned break. What could be nicer than stuffing a picnic hamper full of delectable goodies, and heading off to the beach for lunch, followed by a game of frisbee with your loved ones? Plus, there’s always the chance to pack a birthday cake, and enjoy a slice as the afternoon winds down. This is great for younger kids who can’t keep still, and who crave nothing more than the chance to play all day – plus, you avoid all the hassle of airports, flights and foreign food (parents with fussy eaters will be nodding at this.) Perfect.

 

 

Another brilliant idea for smaller kids is a treasure hunt party. This will take you a while to set up, but it’s worth it. Separate the afternoon with four separate hunts in your garden, and whilst you’re setting up each hunt, enlist your spouse to entertain the kids in your lounge. You will probably need some help coming up with the clues and practicing each individual treasure hunt, but it’ll keep the kids entertained – just remember to give them some ace prizes, so the enthusiasm for the next hunt doesn’t die down!

 

 

If another child is celebrating their birthday at the same time, why not share the stress (and cost!) and arrange a party at a local church hall? This is far more economical than ferrying ten fidgety kids to the cinema, and if you can find a family friend to DJ, a mini-disco will work extremely well. You can make this even cheaper by making your own food (and birthday cake), and mums that have children that react badly with e-numbers will thank you for not filling their kids full of chemically-laden snacks. Remember to always make sure that anyone who has an allergy is catered for, and that you’ve got contact numbers for everyone.

 

 

It’s always worth looking to see if a local zoo or farm offer group discounts if you don’t fancy entertaining a bunch of fun-seeking kids, as there’s nothing like the sight of wildlife to ensure children are mercifully distracted (and interested). Lots of farms have playparks for the wild at heart, and many offer group activities such as tractor rides, which round off the day nicely. The only added extras here are a) the gift shop. Avoid! and b) lunchtime. It’s always worth bringing your own packed lunch for yourself and your guests, as a sugar-and-fat-laden lunch in the farm canteen can be horrendously expensive. It goes without saying that all children should be washing their hands pretty much every half hour whilst at a farm, and especially before eating.

 

 

Finally, if your child is a little older, how about a camping party? This will only work if you have a fairly big garden, but if you can stand the thought of 20 pre-teens giggling all night, this is for you. Kids can arrive about 6ish with their parents, set their tents up, then get on with it! You can bring out their dinners later on, and even set up some garden lights so they can carry on chatting into the night. It’s also worth setting up some sleeping bags and pillows in the lounge so those who get a bit chilly can come indoors, and always leave the kitchen fully-stocked – you never know who’ll develop a killer appetite late at night!

 

 

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