PowerCooking.net

Need to beat eggs quickly?  Here’s how you do it in less than ten seconds.  Seriously – it really beats (haha!) beating eggs with a fork or whisk, and is especially quick for making scrambled eggs – just make sure you add a little bit of milk to your mixture.

All you need is a jar with a lid.  I use Ziploc Twist ‘n Loc Containers which are available at your local grocery store.

1. Break the eggs and add them to the jar.  Make sure you leave some room for air in the jar.
2. Screw the lid tight.
3. Shake vigorously for ten seconds and voila!  Beaten eggs with air bubbles.

* Note: this post assumes you have a dishwasher.  I lived without one for a couple of years before, and now I will never go back.

Do the dishes, forks, and spoons sometimes just sit in the dishwasher because you’ll “put them away later”?   This has certainly happened to me some times because it can feel like a chore.

Well, next time, be efficient in how you load the dishwasher.  Put all the forks together in one “slot”, all the spoons in another, and so on and so forth, grouped by where you actually put them away.   When the dishwasher’s done, simply pull out all the forks with one hand and put them in the right spot.  No need to sort out the silverware.

This isn’t quite as easy with cups, dishes, pots and pans though.  If you have any tips, please let us know in the comments!

I have to admit that I was skeptical when our downstairs neighbor raved about the FarmFreshToYou.com local grocery delivery service.   Basically, they deliver a box of locally-grown fruits and vegetables to you every week, bi-weekly, or every month, straight from their farm, or nearby farms.

How is this any different from your local Whole Foods you might ask?  Well, maybe it’s placebo, but I have to say that I could TASTE the freshness/crispness in the grapes, green leaf lettuce, chard, etc.

We will have to do a FarmFreshToYou, farmer’s market, and Whole Foods side-by-side comparison at some point to really know for sure.  But, for now, I’d encourage you to try a service for yourself.  FarmFreshToYou seems to be available only in California, but punch in your zip code on the site and see.

Will report back if we feel any differently with our second shipment!

I’m sure we’ve all had leftovers from dinner and stuck them in the refrigerator.  But, how long can it last before you should throw it out?  Or maybe you’ve spied a bottle of ketchup and it’s a couple of weeks past it’s food expiration date.  Is it still good?

Now there’s an online site called StillTasty.com where you can type in what food or condiment you’re wondering about, and it’ll tell you how long you can store it in the refrigerator or freezer, and how you should store it.  Super handy, no?

BUT, here’s an important point. Let’s go back to the ketchup bottle.  There’s a difference between opened and unopened prepared foods/condiments (duh, of course).  So if you’re like me, you probably have no idea when you even opened that bottle.

Here’s a simple trick, just keep a permanent marker in your kitchen, and remember to mark the “open date” on the jar or bottle.  A few months later, when you open your fridge, you won’t be scratching your head and wondering whether you’ll be getting sick if you eat what’s in that jar.

Go check out StillTasty.com now.

I’ve been looking for a good meat temperature chart since I bought a top-of-the-line instant-read digital thermometer, the  Thermapen (more on this in another post).

So after a bit of searching, I found something I think may be a keeper.  This chart below is from the Knol wiki, and has “chef” cooking temperatures, which is what restaurant chefs use.  Also listed are the USDA Recommended temperatures, which give you temperatures at which you will be absolutely safe from bacteria.

I recommend you read the wiki entry for more detailed explanations and tips from the author. Obviously, use this info at your own risk as I don’t claim to be a food safety expert.