Raising Chicken Precautions During Winter and Summer

Posted by admin 29 September, 2008 (0) Comment

Raising Chicken Precautions During Winter and Summer

Even though it seems like chickens are fragile creatures, they have certain characteristics that can let them survive through whatever weather may come. But you have to take note that not all chickens are alike.

While some can withstand winters, others preferred to sun bathe during summer sunshine. It will all depend on the weather that you are having when you decide to purchase the right kind of chicken so as not to waste money and time raising them and just have them end up in a chicken graveyard.

Winter
During wintertime or in cold weather days, never try heating your chickens just because you fear that they might catch a cold or freeze. You may find your flock dead in the morning. F.Y.I., chickens can adapt to extreme cold conditions because their body can change the metabolism as the cold weather approaches.

If you live in a place where winters are more prominent than summer or is literary winter all the time, you might as well take certain actions for your chickens that will not put any of your chicken’s lives in danger.

a. There is a risk that a chicken’s wattle and comb can be affected by frostbite. To avoid this, you can rub some petroleum jelly or any moisturizer every other day.

b. Look out for frozen water supply. You can’t deprive them of water. They will not drink from a frozen water outlet. Chickens can’t take water with impurities. It must always stay fresh and clean. You can take out a water heater so that the water stays in its liquid form. Or if you don’t have one, better bring the waterer inside the house then return it in the morning.

Summer

If you live in places where summer is the only known season, your chickens are prone to be exposed to excessive heat all the time. With this, they might be in risk to dehydration. The only thing that you have to look out for during summer is that their water supply never runs dry. It must always have clean water. Don’t let your chickens roam around without providing them a sort of shade. If there is no run, you can provide ventilation inside the pen.

During heat waves, hens would lay lesser eggs. If this occurs, it is a typical sign that your chicken is stressed because of the excessive heat. Their egg laying tendencies will go back to normal once the heat recedes.

If things get worse, you have to observe the behavior of your chickens. What are manifesting? If you’ve seen that one catches a cold or is acting a bit odd, isolate the chicken instantly to prevent further spread of the disease. Don’t forget to provide water and feed to the isolated animal.

Then, when things are manageable, consult with your vet. Tell him or her how your chicken/s are reacting. Are they having:

a. mites
b. abnormality in the stool (blood, worms and white droppings)
c. sneezing and teary eyes
d. depressed
e. unable to mingle with the flock
f. loss of appetite

Tell your vet what you actually see so that he or she can give you the appropriate answer to your dilemma. These are only bits of areas that you have to ponder upon regarding raising your chickens in winter or summer atmospheres. It’s better to be safe than very sorry.

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You Need To Chop the Chocolate Before You Melt It

Posted by admin 28 September, 2008 (0) Comment

You Need To Chop the Chocolate Before You Melt It

The first step in making chocolate is to buy the necessary materials and equipment. When you have everything ready, you need to chop the chocolate before melting it and then pouring this into the mold.

The reason why you chop bars of chocolate is to melt it evenly thus preventing overheating. You can use the kitchen knife or use something to cut this more evenly like a pair of chocolate clippers that can also be purchased from the craft store.

People who want to use a knife should make sure it is sharp. The ideal kind should measure at least 8 to 10 inches and when you cut the chocolate make sure that you press the knife down firmly and evenly on the chocolate.

You should start with the corners and then angle the knife slightly outward. You should continue doing so until all the chocolate is chopped into almost sized pieces. When you are finished, you then put this in a bowl so it can be melted.

There are two options when it comes to melting chocolate. The first is to use a microwave. The advantage of using a microwave is that the melting time is very fast. This will be over in a few minutes even if you set the microwave at 50% low power.

How long should you set the microwave timer? The best way to gauge that is 1 minute for every ounce of chocolate? So don’t forget to weigh this first before switching it on.

You might accidentally overheat the chocolate. If this should happen, pour the contents into a cool bowl and add chunks of unmelted chocolate and stir continuously.

If you prefer to use a double boiler, start by filling the sauce pan with hot water from the tap and then put the chocolate over into another bowl. Unlike the microwave where you can put a huge chunk in, you have to put this little by little and stirred constantly to prevent air bubbles. When this is done, this is the time you pour this into the mold.

Some people add nuts to the chocolate. If you want to try that, there are two ways of chopping that. First, you use a sharp, serrated knife. The other option is to use a food processor but if you don’t have one, a coffee grinder will do. Just remember when you are chopping the nuts, don’t cut this into a fine meal because you will hardly taste it when you eat the chocolate.

Aside from chocolate, you can also use marshmallows. The nice thing about this is that this is available in small sizes so you don’t have to cut it. You can also use candy sprinkles which can be mixed with the melted chocolate when you are stirring it. Save some for the latter part when you take this out of the freezer so you can still add it in the finished product.

Chopping chocolate is just like cooking because this is the same thing you do before you throw in the meat or the vegetables into the frying pan. The only difference is that you only use low heat which is more than enough to melt everything so it can be molded into whatever shape of mold you have.

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THE CHEMISTRY AND ECONOMY OF SOUP MAKING

Posted by admin 28 September, 2008 (0) Comment

THE CHEMISTRY AND ECONOMY OF SOUP-MAKING.

Stock being the basis of all meat soups, and, also, of all the principal sauces, it is essential to the success of these culinary operations, to know the most complete and economical method of extracting, from a certain quantity of meat, the best possible stock or broth. The theory and philosophy of this process we will, therefore, explain, and then proceed to show the practical course to be adopted.

As all meat is principally composed of fibres, fat, gelatine, osmazome, and albumen, it is requisite to know that the fibres are inseparable, constituting almost all that remains of the meat after it has undergone a long boiling. Fat is dissolved by boiling; but as it is contained in cells covered by a very fine membrane, which never dissolves, a portion of it always adheres to the fibres. The other portion rises to the surface of the stock, and is that which has escaped from the cells which were not whole, or which have burst by boiling. Gelatine is soluble: it is the basis and the nutritious portion of the stock. When there is an abundance of it, it causes the stock, when cold, to become a jelly. Osmazome is soluble even when cold, and is that part of the meat which gives flavour and perfume to the stock. The flesh of old animals contains more osmazome than that of young ones. Brown meats contain more than white, and the former make the stock more fragrant. By roasting meat, the osmazome appears to acquire higher properties; so, by putting the remains of roast meats into your stock-pot, you obtain a better flavour.

Albumen is of the nature of the white of eggs; it can be dissolved in cold or tepid water, but coagulates when it is put into water not quite at the boiling-point. From this property in albumen, it is evident that if the meat is put into the stock-pot when the water boils, or after this is made to boil up quickly, the albumen, in both cases, hardens. In the first it rises to the surface, in the second it remains in the meat, but in both it prevents the gelatine and osmazome from dissolving; and hence a thin and tasteless stock will be obtained. It ought to be known, too, that the coagulation of the albumen in the meat, always takes place, more or less, according to the size of the piece, as the parts farthest from the surface always acquire that degree of heat which congeals it before entirely dissolving it.

Bones ought always to form a component part of the stock-pot. They are composed of an earthy substance, to which they owe their solidity, of gelatine, and a fatty fluid, something like marrow. Two ounces of them contain as much gelatine as one pound of meat; but in them, this is so incased in the earthy substance, that boiling water can dissolve only the surface of whole bones. By breaking them, however, you can dissolve more, because you multiply their surfaces; and by reducing them to powder or paste, you can dissolve them entirely; but you must not grind them dry. Gelatine forms the basis of stock; but this, though very nourishing, is entirely without taste; and to make the stock savoury, it must contain osmazome. Of this, bones do not contain a particle; and that is the reason why stock made entirely of them, is not liked; but when you add meat to the broken or pulverized bones, the osmazome contained in it makes the stock sufficiently savoury.

In concluding this part of our subject, the following condensed hints and directions should be attended to in the economy of soup-making:

Beef makes the best stock. Veal stock has less colour and taste; whilst mutton sometimes gives it a tallowy smell, far from agreeable, unless the meat has been previously roasted or broiled. Fowls add very little to the flavour of stock, unless they be old and fat. Pigeons, when they are old, add the most flavour to it; and a rabbit or partridge is also a great improvement. From the freshest meat the best stock is obtained.

If the meat be boiled solely to make stock, it must be cut up into the smallest possible pieces; but, generally speaking, if it is desired to have good stock and a piece of savoury meat as well, it is necessary to put a rather large piece into the stock-pot, say sufficient for two or three days, during which time the stock will keep well in all weathers. Choose the freshest meat, and have it cut as thick as possible; for if it is a thin, flat piece, it will not look well, and will be very soon spoiled by the boiling.

Never wash meat, as it deprives its surface of all its juices; separate it from the bones, and tie it round with tape, so that its shape may be preserved, then put it into the stock-pot, and for each pound of meat, let there be one pint of water; press it down with the hand, to allow the air, which it contains, to escape, and which often raises it to the top of the water.

Put the stock-pot on a gentle fire, so that it may heat gradually. The albumen will first dissolve, afterwards coagulate; and as it is in this state lighter than the liquid, it will rise to the surface; bringing with it all its impurities. It is this which makes the scum. The rising of the hardened albumen has the same effect in clarifying stock as the white of eggs; and, as a rule, it may be said that the more scum there is, the clearer will be the stock. Always take care that the fire is very regular.

Remove the scum when it rises thickly, and do not let the stock boil, because then one portion of the scum will be dissolved, and the other go to the bottom of the pot; thus rendering it very difficult to obtain a clear broth. If the fire is regular, it will not be necessary to add cold water in order to make the scum rise; but if the fire is too large at first, it will then be necessary to do so.

When the stock is well skimmed, and begins to boil, put in salt and vegetables, which may be two or three carrots, two turnips, one parsnip, a bunch of leeks and celery tied together. You can add, according to taste, a piece of cabbage, two or three cloves stuck in an onion, and a tomato. The latter gives a very agreeable flavour to the stock. If fried onion be added, it ought, according to the advice of a famous French chef, to be tied in a little bag: without this precaution, the colour of the stock is liable to be clouded.

By this time we will now suppose that you have chopped the bones which were separated from the meat, and those which were left from the roast meat of the day before. Remember, as was before pointed out, that the more these are broken, the more gelatine you will have. The best way to break them up is to pound them roughly in an iron mortar, adding, from time to time, a little water, to prevent them getting heated. In their broken state tie them up in a bag, and put them in the stock-pot; adding the gristly parts of cold meat, and trimmings, which can be used for no other purpose. If, to make up the weight, you have purchased a piece of mutton or veal, broil it slightly over a clear fire before putting it in the stock-pot, and be very careful that it does not contract the least taste of being smoked or burnt.

Add now the vegetables, which, to a certain extent, will stop the boiling of the stock. Wait, therefore, till it simmers well up again, then draw it to the side of the fire, and keep it gently simmering till it is served, preserving, as before said, your fire always the same. Cover the stock-pot well, to prevent evaporation; do not fill it up, even if you take out a little stock, unless the meat is exposed; in which case a little boiling water may be added, but only enough to cover it. After six hours’ slow and gentle simmering, the stock is done; and it should not be continued on the fire, longer than is necessary, or it will tend to insipidity.

Note. It is on a good stock, or first good broth and sauce, that excellence in cookery depends. If the preparation of this basis of the culinary art is intrusted to negligent or ignorant persons, and the stock is not well skimmed, but indifferent results will be obtained. The stock will never be clear; and when it is obliged to be clarified, it is deteriorated both in quality and flavour. In the proper management of the stock-pot an immense deal of trouble is saved, inasmuch as one stock, in a small dinner, serves for all purposes. Above all things, the greatest economy, consistent with excellence, should be practised, and the price of everything which enters the kitchen correctly ascertained. The theory of this part of Household Management may appear trifling; but its practice is extensive, and therefore it requires the best attention.

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Candy bar

Posted by admin 27 September, 2008 (0) Comment

Candy bar is a lovely rectangular piece of heaven that can be enjoyed by anyone. As the name indicates these are long bar shaped confectionary. Candy bar is a broad term and includes sugar milk, cocoa solid and cocoa butter bars. The presence of different delicious ingredients classifies the candy bar into dark chocolate, white chocolate and milk chocolate. Different ingredients such as emulsifying agents, soy lecithin and vanilla extracts are used in the manufacturing process of the candy bar.

Candy bars covered with chocolate coating are a favorite of everyone. The layers of grains, nuts and fruits have now replaced the plain candy bar. Different forms of candy bar such as nougat, cookie, fudge, fondant, marshmallow, coconut marzipans, and caramel are available in the market.

Candy bar with nutritional value are also available now a days. Different percentage of vitamins and proteins are added in this bar maintaining its sweetness. Power bar is a famous bar that is widely consumed by the health conscious people. Brands like Ferrero, Dolphin, Charles chocolate, Annabelle Candy Company, Hershey food corporation, ION, Ganong bros limited, Idaho candy company, Hansel, Gandour, Ganong Bros limited, Kraft Foods Cadbury Schweppes and many more sell a variety of these candy bar packs.

American chocolate bar is available in three various flavors of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. Some are centered with nice creamy soft chocolate nougat. These bars are also known as milky way bar in many parts of the countries. Crispy rice, caramel chocolates bars are low in cholesterol but contain a very high level of fats and sugar. Each bar contains approximately 90 calories. Pink colored diet chocolate bar contains 60 % less fats than any other chocolate bar. The calorie conscious people can consume this bar while still maintaining their weights.

Sugar coated orange flavored chocolates are available in white, yellow, orange and in some parts of the country they are available in green, pink, mauve and brown colors. These are also available in egg flavor that contain tiny egg particles in it. Fruit pieces are also added in the bar and are known as Fruities.

Candy bar enveloped with almond bite with a sweet coating of honey are available in a pack of six pieces in each pack, separately wrapped in wax papers first and then in the wrappers. A bar filled with roasted peanuts and covered with vanilla nougat is an all time favorite of the people who love nuts. Biscuit filled bars coated with caramel and milk is the right bar to increase the energy levels with its glucose contents. Fresh coconut filled bar with a covering of milk or dark chocolate is the perfect bar for accurate sharing as it is available in two halves in the same pack.

Candy bar like breakaway, butterfinger, bourneville, brown pudding, break and a wide variety of candy bar packs is available to light up the occasion or festival. Many of these candy bar packs are available in bulk as well as wholesale rates with different flavors. However, the final quality of all these candies and candy bar depends up on the ingredients used in manufacturing process.

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Trouble Free Cooking

Posted by admin 27 September, 2008 (0) Comment

Trouble Free Cooking?

Believe it or not, trouble free cooking is a common desire around the world. Even those among us who love cooking and eating almost equally will be the first to confess that being able to cook without the worry of creating a mess, spilling, or burning would be a blessing. Truthfully speaking there really is no such thing as trouble free cooking though there are things you can do that will take a good deal of trouble out of your cooking.

Most of the tips here will be beneficial to novice or beginners in the culinary arts however, there are some great refresher tips for those who are more experienced when it comes to cooking as well. Hopefully you will learn some things through the next few paragraphs or at least remember some things you had forgotten.

First of all, cleaning as you go will take a lot of the trouble out of what comes after the cooking. When asked the least favorite thing about cooking a wide margin of women proclaim without a second of hesitation that the clean up by far is the worst thing about cooking. To make things easier, clean as you go. Keep a sink of hot sudsy water ready to go the entire time you are cooking and wipe up any spills that occur immediately to avoid sticky messes that are much more difficult to clean afterwards. You should also note that if you transfer your food to serving dishes and immediately wash your pots and pans they will be much easier to clean than if the food is allowed to sit in them while your family dines.

My best friend is constantly burning her dinners. The reason? She believes in high or low when it comes to cooking and there is nothing in between. Very few meals should be cooked on high truth be told. You are much better off to begin the food preparation at a medium or medium high temperature and to adjust accordingly.

Make sure your oven is preheated. The temperature of the oven does indeed make a difference in the cooking process. While there are those that believe preheating is a simple waste of electricity it is what is required in order to achieve the optimal results when cooking. Most modern electric ovens will signal when the proper temperature has been achieved.

Select recipes that fall within your comfort zone in order to avoid making mistakes or becoming too stressed about the cooking process. Once you’ve decided on your recipe read it through a couple of times in order to be certain that you not only understand all the steps involved but also have all the necessary ingredients before beginning.

Wash your hands thoroughly and wash your hands often. Remember the sink of sudsy water I mentioned above? You’ll want to use it quite frequently in order to wash any surface, cutting board, plate, or utensil that has come into contact with raw meat in order to avoid cross contamination. The same holds true for your hands.

While to some degree these tips may seem a bit simplistic, when it comes to trouble free cooking there really is no such thing. The more you do to make the cooking process seem as effortless as possible the more trouble free your cooking will really be.

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