Archive for July, 2008
How_a_Coffee_Maker_Works
How a Coffee Maker Works
We all wake up in the morning and depend on our old friend to start our day - the coffee maker. The only effort we have to put in when wanting to enjoy a mug of coffee is to add a scoop of coffee, add the required amount of water and turn the machine on. We stand back and wait for our coffee to be ready before we can enjoy it. Think about it, have you ever stood there and tried to understand how the water gets from the compartment to the top of the machine? Have you ever wondered what that gurgling sound was? Here is what goes on inside.
If you open the top of the coffee machine, you will find the bucket that holds the water when you pour it in before the cycle starts. If you look inside, you will find a hole in the bucket’s bottom, and this will become clear to you very soon. You also see a tube, and the purpose of this tube is to carry the water to the area where it drips out. The drip area is the part you see from the top that contains all the tiny holes. This is where the water arrives from the tube and then simply drips through the tiny holes.
If you turn the bucket upside down, you will see another tube and this is called the hot-water tube. This tube (tube2) connects to the black tube (tube1) that you see when looking at it from the top. Remember the hole in the bottom of the bucket mentioned earlier? Well, this is where tube2 picks up the cold water - from that hole. Also visible inside are the power cord and the on and off switch of the machine.
Next is the heating element. This little part is what makes the water hot. The heating element is just a simple coiled wire. This is similar to filament in your standard light bulb or the element in your every morning toaster. The coil in the coffee maker is held firmly in plaster, and this makes it rugged. This element has two jobs.
* The heating element (or the coil) boils the water when it is put in the coffee maker.
* The element makes sure the coffee stays warm once the cycle is complete.
The heating element inside the coffee machine is pressed firmly against the warming plate. A heat conducting grease ensures that heat is transferred competently to the warming plate. The conducting grease is messy and is extremely difficult to get off yours hands. This grease can be found in power supplies, amplifiers - basically anything that squanders heat.
There is a part that’s not visible in a coffee maker and this is the one-way valve. This valve can either be in that hole that was mentioned earlier or it could be in the heating pipe, and this pipe is aluminum. If a coffee maker had no one-way valve, the hot water would just flow back into the bucket after trying to make its way up the tube.
Yeast Infection in Animals
Yeast Infection in Animals
The cause of yeast overgrowth in dogs is slightly different from that of humans only in the sense that different causes are under focus. When a human has yeast infection, the concentration seems to lie on moisture and a low immune system response. Too much moisture in an warm area for an extended length of time on a regular basis contributes to abnormal yeast growth. Inability for the body to keep the growth under control contributes to the infection.
With an animal, such as a dog, many reasons are given as to why the animal could have a yeast overgrowth that causes infection. Although, it is possible that humans and dogs do share some of the same reasons for yeast infection.
One example is the overuse of antibiotics. Both humans and animals have become subject to that because of the ease of prescribing antibiotics and their popularity for helping improve so many illnesses. The double-edged sword lies in the fact that antibiotics can both help us, yet cause a yeast infection in the process of improving other problems.
Stress is another factor humans and animals share. Animals can’t discuss their stress, so it can easily be overlooked that they have a problem with it. Stress can create yeast imbalance in both humans and animals. Comprised immune systems, an imbalanced diet, and illness are all factors both humans and animals share when being subjected to yeast infections.
So, what is the difference in how humans and animals get yeast infections? Boarding, flea preparations, heartworm medications, toxic gut syndrome, vaccinations, no digestive enzymes and poor quality minerals are some of the ways animals and humans differ in how they get yeast infections.
If your pet isn’t responding well to treatments for other diagnoses, maybe you should ask your vet if yeast could be the problem. The solution could be a simple diet change to remove the yeast and poor quality food your animal has received. There are animals that simply don’t fare well on the lowest cost food on the market. Animals can get food allergies just like humans can.
Signs that your pet may have a yeast infection include:
Gas, bloating, lethargy, seizures, reoccurring secondary bacterial infections, redness under the pits of their legs, in skin folds, on inner thigh areas, between toes, excessive licking of paws or private areas, and scratching excessively or rubbing the nose.
You can order yeast removal kits, but be aware that detoxifying a pet can take two to six months. Your beloved pet deserves the best care, and it’s up to you to provide it. Animals suffer in silence many times, enduring uncomfortable situations simply because they can’t tell us there is a problem. A silent pet doesn’t mean a pet is healthy. Be aware of what is normal for your animal.
Medicated shampoo may be another treatment option to help your pet through their yeast problem. Bathing more often than normal may be necessary to help relieve the symptoms. Just make sure you dry the affected areas as thoroughly as possible. It may also be necessary to place a collar on the pet to keep them from licking their wounds during recovery.
All About Drip Coffee Makers
All About Drip Coffee Makers
Drip coffee makers are some of the most commonly used coffee makers in the United States. They are easy to use and inexpensive to own and operate. Available in a wide variety of styles, colors and sizes, there’s a drip coffee maker to fit any kitchen. One study reports that automatic drip coffee makers are the most purchased small kitchen appliance. Approximately 14 million automatic drip coffee makers are sold each year.
Mr. Coffee is one of the best known automatic drip coffee makers. Other well-known coffee maker companies include Black and Decker, Braun, Cuisinart, and Proctor-Silex.
Automatic drip coffee makers are used in many homes and businesses. They work by dripping water through a filter containing ground coffee. Two types of filters are available for these machines: paper and permanent.
Paper filters can affect coffee taste as can some plastic permanent filters. Plastic filters do not last as long as metal filters. Metal filters may require that coffee beans be ground a bit coarser than is needed for paper filters.
Automatic drip coffee makers offer a variety of special features. From basic machines to high end models that do everything from grinding the beans to brewing it at a pre-set time. Basic automatic drip coffee makers feature a water reservoir, a filter basket, and warming plate to keep carafe warm. Most feature filter baskets that swing out or lift out and simple on/off control.
Extra features include indicator lights, a brew-pause selection, digital display and /or digital control panel, clocks, timers, permanent filters an automatic shut off. High end features include water filtration, flavor settings, and a built in grinder. Single cup machines are available, as are machines making anywhere from 4 cups to 12 cups.
Drip Coffee Maker Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best temperature for brewing coffee?
Most experts agree that 200 degrees is the best temperature for brewing coffee. Many restaurants do not allow the temperature to get that high because of liability issues should a consumer spill coffee and get burned.
What affects the quality of a cup of coffee?
Several things can affect the quality of brewed coffee. The cleanliness of the brewing equipment, the quality of the coffee beans, how long it has been since the beans were roasted, how long it has been since the beans were ground and the quality of the water used in brewing.
How do I clean my coffee maker?
Coffee makers should be cleaned at least once a week. Some experts suggest using dish detergent and water. Other experts suggest running one fourth part vinegar and three fourths part water through the brewing cycle a time or two followed by running plain water through the cycle. This removes hard water deposits and other buildup.
Can Espresso beans be used in drip coffee makers? Yes.
Where did the term ‘cup of joe’ come from?
Some say that Admiral Josephus (Joe) Daniels once outlawed alcohol on ships, making coffee the most used beverage, hence the ‘cup of joe.’ Others say that the term comes from ‘Joe’ as 19th cent, slang for coffee. Automatic drip coffee makers allow coffee lovers to indulge their senses whenever they please.
MACARONI RECIPES
MACARONI RECIPES.
Home-made macaroni.
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To four cupfuls of flour, add one egg well beaten, and enough water to make a dough that can be rolled. Roll thin on a breadboard and cut into strips. Dry in the sun. The best arrangement for this purpose is a wooden frame to which a square of cheese-cloth has been tightly tacked, upon which the macaroni may be laid in such a way as not to touch, and afterwards covered with a cheese-cloth to keep off the dust during the drying.
Boiled macaroni.
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Put a larg cup of macaroni into boiling water and cook until tender. When done, drained thoroughly, then add a pint of milk, part cream if it can be afforded, a little salt and one well-beaten egg; stir over the fire until it thickens, and serve hot.
Macaroni with cream sauce.
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Cook the macaroni as directed in the proceeding, and serve with a cream sauce prepared by heating a scant pint of rich milk to boiling, in a double boiler. When boiling, add a heaping tablespoonful of flour, rubbed smoothed in a little milk and one fourth teaspoonful of salt. If desired, the sauce may be flavored by steeping in the milk before thickening for ten or fifteen minutes, a slice of onion or a few bits of celery, and then removing with a fork.
Macaroni with tomato sauce.
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Drop a cup of macaroni into boiling milk and water, equal parts. Let it boil for an hour, or until perfectly tender. In the meantime prepare the sauce by rubbing a pint of stewed or canned tomatoes through a colander to remove all seeds and fragments. Heat to boiling, thicken with a little flour; a tablespoonful to the pint will be about the requisite proportion. Add salt and if desired, a half cup of very thin sweet cream. Dish the macaroni into individual dishes, and serve with a small quantity of the sauce poured over each dish.
Macaroni baked with granola.
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Cook a large cup of macaroni until tender in boiling milk and water. When done, drain and put a layer of the macaroni in the bottom of a pudding dish, and sprinkle over it a scant teaspoonful of granola. Add a second and third layer and sprinkle each with granola; then turn over the whole a custard sauce prepared by mixing together a pint of milk, the well beaten yolks of two eggs or one whole egg, and one-fourth of a teaspoonful of salt. Care should be taken to arrange the macaroni in layers loosely, so that the sauce will readily permeate the whole. Bake for a few minutes only, until the custard has well set, and serve.
Eggs and macaroni.
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Cook a cup of macaroni in boiling water. While the macaroni is cooking, boil the yolks of four eggs until mealy. The whole egg may be used if caught so the yolks are mealy in the whites simply jellied, not hardened. When the macaroni is done, drain and put a layer of it arranged loosely in the bottom of a pudding dish. Slice the cooked egg yolks and spread a layer of them over the macaroni. Fill the dish with alternate layers of macaroni and egg, taking care to have the top layer of macaroni. Pour over the whole a cream sauce prepared as follows: Heat one and three fourths cup of rich milk to boiling, add one fourth teaspoonful of salt and one heaping spoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold milk. Cook until thickened, then turn over the macaroni. Sprinkle the top with grated bread crumbs, and brown in a hot oven for eight or ten minutes. Serve hot.
Restaurant Recipes in the Old Southwest
Restaurant Recipes in the Old Southwest
The past week has been an entirely new experience. I was enchanted by my first time driving through a desert, and so I got off the interstate to be able to drive more slowly on the state highways. The difference between the roads of New England and the roads of New Mexico are vast, and one of the main differences is the lack of traffic on these roads. There were often ten to twenty minute spans when I saw no other cars on the highway. This was not a comforting feeling when I had a flat tire, but thankfully a state trooper happened to drive by just a few minutes later, and was more helpful than I could have imagined.
The people here are gracious, calm, and kind, which partly seems the influence of the surroundings. The land stretches out miles to the horizon, and gives a feeling of peace and serenity. I stopped in Santa Fe, which has long been known as an artists’ community, and the same sense of calm is conveyed in many of the paintings that are displayed here. On the other hand, I did not feel very calm after my lonely flat tire experience, and decided I could use a drink.
There are three reasons I am including this dish in my file of restaurant recipes. First, it is very good. Second, it reminds me of the liquor of Mexico and the Southwest, tequila. The people who live here say it with a flourish, maybe to emphasize its Mexican roots. Third, the great place that served this tart is named Geronimo. Very few dishes incorporate so many different influences, and I am happy that the staff at Geronimo’s made it available for me to add to my restaurant recipes.
Tequila Lime Tart, serves 6-8
Crust: 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons sugar
Filling:
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup tequila
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon sugar
Whipped cream or sliced limes (optional)
For crust, blend all ingredients in processor until small clumps form. Press mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. (Can be made 1 day ahead; chill.)
Set oven at 325
Can Medicines Cause Yeast Infections
Can Medicines Cause Yeast Infections?
Although antibiotics do have widespread use because of their effectiveness to treat infections, they also have their drawbacks. Antibiotic treatment destroys harmful bacteria; it also destroys some helpful bacteria. The imbalance can cause irritable bowel or yeast infection.
Yogurt is a well-known aid with during yeast infection. If you eat the yogurt with the active cultures, it can help in your fight to become well again. You must look for acidophilus on the label.
Someone with a low immune system or who is known to have a history of acquiring yeast infection is at a higher risk when they are on medications that can contribute to it.
Steroids are being prescribed more often for treatment of many health issues. These can create the side effect of yeast overgrowth. It’s ironic to discover that the very same medicine that can help a person recover from one illness can create another in the process.
Prolonged use of antibiotics can cause yeast infection, although it is possible that the medicine is not solely responsible. When the immune system is in a weakened state, the body has a bigger tendency to acquire the overgrowth of yeast. It could, of course, be entirely coincidental that one contracts a yeast infection while on a medication. Yeast thrives in warm, moist environments. If one is subjected to excessive perspiration because of their job or climate, excessive yeast growth could be encouraged.
If a yeast infection is not controlled, it can inhibit the proper absorption of some medications and necessary nutrients. The yeast overgrowth will interfere with your body’s digestive system. If it causes inflammation, it could result in even bigger problems.
Chemotherapy is an unavoidable necessity for many cancer patients. It damages the normal cells while killing the cancer cells. As if the vomiting and hair loss were not enough, added to the constipation, mouth sores, and other side effects, then throw in a yeast infection, and the patient is overwhelmed.
Yeast cells are normally an aid to vaginal cleansing, but if they grow out of control, they become a nuisance. An already medicated body must endure even more medication to counteract the effects of the already stressed system.
As the medications you take for the yeast kills off the infection, it also kills off the excess yeast cells, which can in turn make you remain ill until your body gets rid of the dead yeast products. In order to get better, the patient must suffer more.
Yeast infections, even when caused by medications, are normally not something to be overly concerned about. Although they are a nuisance, they can usually be easily overcome with no serious side effects left lingering. It is only a rare occurrence that a yeast infection would become something more serious, and this is from the effects it would cause and not from the actual infection itself. That may sound contradictory, but the medical world often does. Most small complications are not a serious threat when you can recognize and treat symptoms early. As always, there will be exceptions to the rule.
Not Your Usual Texas Restaurant Recipes
Not Your Usual Texas Restaurant Recipes
Traveling through Texas, I had planned for the next addition to my file of restaurant recipes to be about barbecue. This still might be a good idea, but I have come to realize that barbecue in Texas is special. Texans don’t need sauce to enjoy a good piece of barbecue. They have sauce, and use it (sometimes), but a good smoked piece of brisket, or sausage, or ribs, is tasty enough without any sauce on it. And, you know, they are entirely right. The other problem is there are so many great places I would have a hard time picking out one for my restaurant recipes.
On the other hand, Austin is not a typical Texan town in many ways. It has more trees than I would expect in Texas, and it sits right at the edge of what is known as “The Hill Country”. It looks nothing like the flat, dry expanses populated longhorn that I had in my mind. I spent the afternoon at a wonderful pool called Deep Eddy, which is fed by a natural spring, or so they tell me. It certainly is cold enough, but the temperature is welcome on one of those hot Texas days. Nearby is a little place called Magnolia Caf
Only The Sweet Stuff Guide for Making Chocolate
Only The Sweet Stuff: Guide for Making Chocolate
Chocolate has its timeless charm which hooks many a person with a sweet tooth. Then again, some of the chocolates are really expensive. In reality, given a few tips and tricks, you can actually create your own chocolate and save yourself money and increase your delight because of your self-creation.
Essentially, making chocolate begins with the conversion of cacao beans into the bars of chocolate we see in the supermarket shelves. Some other people enjoy eating the cacao beans in its raw form, since it has the basic component that we crave for in the processed chocolates.
A chocolate maker must have persistent attention to detail and dedication to constant practicing. This guide will not ensure to make a chocolate factory out of your kitchen, but it will surely give you the basic idea– just enough for you to enjoy a bar or two of chocolate at any time you wish without hurting your budget. Moreover, since you are directly involved in making your chocolate, you get to know the materials and amount of calories you are placing in every bar.
It begins with Cocoa Beans
If you are familiar with brewing coffee, it is similar to the beginning of the chocolate-making process. You need to roast the beans. But then, do not roast it too much. Initially, place it in a high temperature, then slowly diminishing the temperature afterwards. Turn the heat off right before the moment the beans hit their cracking or breaking point. You can do this either on your oven.
Or if you are planning to feed many people with your chocolate, have a larger container to accommodate the huge number of beans. From time to time, test the taste of your chocolate. The moment you start tasting chocolate from the cocoa, it is also an indicator to turn off the heat.
After roasting, the beans must be cracked open, removing the hard husks. You can do this by hand or with use of a small hammer. Depending on the size of your beans, you can use other tools for cracking, since the husks are not that useful for eating. Once the husks are removed, you can now grind the remaining portions until it liquefies. You must thoroughly liquefy the said concoction in order to help you become a home chocolatier.
Coco gets refined over time.
The process of conching involves the refinement of chocolate. It may require you to have certain equipment such as the Sancha refiner, which is a common favorite among home chocolatiers. This is where you start adding sugar and milk as part of the delicious chocolate mixture.
You will need to refine and conch for a long time, approximately 10 to 30 hours in length, until you achieve the balance of the ingredients. Excessive refining will turn your chocolate into gum, so be very careful. At this point, even when you let the mixture rest, it must not solidify yet.
Packaging Chocolates: Tempered after refinement.
When you are finished refining your chocolate, you need to make sure that it is under the right temperature before you place it in the mold. Not doing this meticulous tempering process will make your chocolate lumpy and unbalanced.
The rich, creamy quality of most chocolate bars in the market come from effective tempering of the chocolate after refinement.
The History of Coffee Makers
The History of Coffee Makers
It was love at first sip. Once man discovered the taste of coffee and the stimulating effect of caffeine on the body, he was hooked. The road to a quality coffee maker has been bumpy. Original coffee makers had a slight problem in that they occasionally blew up. Sometimes they burned the coffee.
According to some, women who ran houses of ill repute were among the first great coffee makers. In 1674, men were spending so much time drinking at local coffee houses that the women in England tried to outlaw coffee. Coffee makers in the 1600’s and 1700’s were designed in an array of styles, most featuring a fat bulge in an effort to help retain the coffee grounds when pouring out the coffee.
Some creative individual put coffee in a sock in an effort to contain the grounds in 1780. This heralded the birth of the Mr. Biggin coffee maker. The Mr. Biggin used a cloth filter. Coffee fans tried cotton, wool, burlap and other fabrics and materials to filter coffee. Cloth wasn’t working real well. In 1802, the metal coffee filter came into use.
The 1800’s were a time of rapid coffee maker development. Madame Vassieux of Lyons, developed a vacuum coffee maker. Madame Richard also created a vacuum style coffee maker. Vacuum and percolator coffee makers were widely used. In 1818, a Parisian metal smith invented the first coffee percolator. In America, the Cowboy Pot was the coffee maker of choice.
During the years of 1835 to 1850, many, many coffee makers are invented. Glass balloon coffee makers, vacuum system coffee makers, piston system coffee makers, pressure steamer coffee makers, a Naperian balancing siphon coffee maker and other coffee makers, roasters and grinders are invented.
The birth of the Manning-Bowman Percolator ocurred in 1890. House Furnishings Review magazine promoted the Cafetiere double blown-glass coffee maker. The Raparlier coffee maker featured a filter made of hemp. This style of Hydropneumatic coffee maker was used as late as the 1960’s.
Vacuum and percolator coffee makers continued to be created in different syles. Plunger filters were first introduced in the 1900’s. The principle is still applied to coffee makers today. Some say that it is virtually impossible to make a bitter cup of coffee with a plunger style coffee maker.
As the 1900’s progressed, Willy Brandl invented one of the first ever electric coffee makers. The major development in this case was the switch that automatically turned the coffee maker off when the liquid level was low.
Coffee filters as we know them today were born in 1912. Frau Benz invented Melitta coffee filter paper. Goodbye linen and cloth coffee filters. Hello paper. Easy to use and easy to get rid of.
The first true espresso machine arrived in 1946 when Achille Gaggia designed the first espresso machine that didn’t involve using steam. Within fifteen years, modern coffee makers using paper filters began to be used commercially. Bunn introduced the paper filter as it’s known today in 1957. The first ‘pourover’ coffee maker was introduced by Bunn in 1963.
Mr. Coffee was born in 1972. The automatic drip coffee maker hits store shelves and start showing up in homes and businesses everywhere. After Mr. Coffee signed Joe DiMaggio to be the company spokesman in 1974, Mr. Coffee became a household name.
When the price of coffee beans skyrocketed in 1977, Mr. Coffee created a coffee saver coffee maker that used less coffee. The first thermal coffee carafe is born around this time, giving coffee drinkers the ability to easily keep coffee hot for long periods. By 1979, timers appeared on coffee makers and have come a long way from the Cowboy Coffee Pot. It will be interesting to see how the machines evolve over the next hundred years.
Dealing With Hangovers
Dealing With Hangovers
A hangover is something that just about all of us have experienced at some point in time. After spending a night out drinking, you may wake up in the morning with your head feeling heavy and your stomach in knots. At that moment, you probably decided that you would quit drinking, to prevent this awful feeling from happening again. No matter how hard you may have tried though, chances are that it happened again.
Even though we all know that alcohol can lead to hangovers, the cause of a hangover is something we don’t know. Alcohol does have some positive effects on the body, although it can also lead to negative effects such as hangovers. Some doctors will actually recommend it, while others will tell you never to drink it. Even though drinking is good, moderation is the key. The easiest way to avoid hangovers is to drink in moderation - and never get drunk.
As many of us already know, whisky, bourbon, and wine can result in a much harder hangover than vodka or beer. For many people, chemicals in wines or yeast found in unfiltered beers can result in headaches. Beer, wine, and liquor can be fun and relaxing to drink, although if you aren’t careful you can easily get a headache or a hangover.
Even though the cause for hangovers is unknown, it has been proven that the headaches associated with hangovers stem from dehydration. With alcohol being a diuretic, it will make you urinate quite often. Therefore, if you drink alcohol or beer on a daily basis, your body will remain dehydrated. When you wake up in the morning with a bad headache and turn to coffee, which is also a diuretic, the process of dehydration actually gets worse.
You’ll also need to do something with the alcohol that has been left in your body. Even though a hangover can make you want to stay in bed, the secret to getting yourself back on track is movement. To rid your body of the alcohol, you’ll need sweat. Sweating gets the toxins out of your body, and helps you feel better. You can exercise or have sex to get over a hangover, as the heat your body emits will be too much for alcohol toxins to handle.
Although a hangover can be a bit of a pain, it can be prevented. The first rule of drinking any type of alcoholic beverage is to never drink on an empty stomach. If you eat a good meal before you start drinking, you’ll find that the food can help you digest the alcohol much better. When the alcohol starts to attack your stomach, you should consider eating foods that are high in fat, such as cheese. You can also sip some olive oil or drink some water. The secret to making sure that you don’t get a hangover when drinking is to drink in moderation and never let yourself get too drunk.
Beer is digested very fast by your body, which is why you should always drink beer first if you plan to mix drinks. Beer is digested the fastest, and will also help your body to absorb any other drinks you have faster. You should always keep in mind that when you drink alcohol, your body will get dehydrated. Any type of alcohol that you consume is a diuretic, therefore you should always drink water with your alcohol. Alcohol can dehydrate your body very fast - which is why you’ll need water to ensure that you stay hydrated.
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