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How Long Is Food in the Fridge Safe to Eat?

October 18, 2013 by

How many times have you stood in front of your fridge wondering if those leftovers were still safe to eat? If you're like most people, this has happened more times than you can count. It can be upsetting to have to throw away food that has spoiled. Keep that from happening by eating or freezing food before it passes its prime.

Cooked meat and pizza only stays good for three to four days in the fridge. Raw ground meat only stays good in the fridge for a day or two, but you can keep it in the freezer for up to four months. Refrigerated chicken or turkey is only is safe to eat for one or two days but freezes well for about a year.

While food will remain safe to eat for longer periods when frozen, it may not taste as good after a while, so it's important to keep track of how long you've had certain items in the freezer. Don't let leftovers go bad again! For more information visit this website. 

· Storage Times for the Refrigerator and Freezer [Foodsafety.gov]

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Safety Tips For International Travel

October 11, 2013 by

Traveling abroad sometime soon? Planning a vacation can be exciting, but it also encompasses lots of little details. Making a list can help! Along with booking airlines, trains, and hotels and creating a list of essential items to pack, check out this list of Tips for Traveling Abroad from the State Department's Travel.State.gov website. Here are some of the site's most useful tips:

  • Register for the State Department's "Smart Traveler Enrollment Program" for assistance in case of emergency. The confidential online service helps get in touch if you've got a stateside family emergency, or if you need assistance when abroad.
  • Learn about local laws. While visiting a foreign country, you're subject to its laws. You can find info on specific countries by visiting this State Department site.
  • Check medical coverage. Ask your insurance provider if your policy's applicable overseas. If it isn't, consider purchasing supplemental medical insurance.

Want to see more tips for safe international travel? Click here to visit Travel.State.gov.

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Cook Food to Its Safe Minimum Temperature

October 3, 2013 by

It's important to cook items to the proper temperature to prevent food borne illness, but it gets confusing keeping all those numbers straight. Check out this guide for the correct temperatures! 

  • Using a food thermometer is the best way to verify the correct temperature. You can't always tell if meat is done just by looking at it, even ground meat.
  • Some meats, like steaks, chops, roasts, fresh pork, and fresh ham, need extra resting time after they have been cooked, so that the temperature can continue to rise and kill harmful bacteria.
  • It's also important you cook to eggs to the proper temperature, but using a thermometer in scrambled eggs doesn't work. Just make sure the whites and yolks are firm before enjoying.
  • With some seafood, you can tell if it is fully cooked by looking. Clams and oysters should be cooked until the shell opens up. Shrimp, lobster, and crab need to be cooked until the skin is opaque. 

· Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures [Foodsafety.gov]

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5 Veggie Burger Recipes That Won’t Have You Missing Meat

September 27, 2013 by

Whether you're a diehard vegetarian or just want to add meat-free dishes to your recipe box, these five veggie burger recipes will deliver a patty you can really sink your teeth into. 

Black Bean Veggie Burgers [Allrecipes]

Open-Faced Falafel Burgers [CookingLight]

Best Ever Beet and Bean Burgers [TheKitchn]

Our Perfect Veggie Burger [OhSheGlows]

The World's Most Versatile Veggie Burger Recipe [No Meat Athlete]

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Trip Idea: San Diego, California

September 19, 2013 by

San Diego is one of America's most popular vacation spots. Make sure you check out these great spots.

The Beach
San Diego is full of great beaches, all of which are free to the public. Swim, surf, or sun bath on one of the beaches. Some beaches like Pacific Beach and Mission Beach even have a boardwalk so you can bike, roller skate, or just check out some great shops during your beach day. 

San Diego Zoo
Located in Balboa Park you will find one of the countries most famous zoos. 4,000 animals call this 100-acre zoo home. See animals up close like pandas, monkeys, elephants, and colorful birds. Guided bus tours are available or you can just walk the zoo by yourself.

Old Town
If you like history head over to Old Town. This is the spot of the Mission San Diego de Alcala which was founded in 1769 basically creating the town of San Diego. Tour the original mission and the Old Town State Historic Park. Check out the shops and restaurants. If you're feeling brave tour the haunted Whaley House! 

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Cookbooks Every Cook Should Own

September 16, 2013 by

It's no secret that having a good selection of cookbooks on hand will greatly broaden your meal repertoire. But with so many available today, how do you know which ones are worth investing in? Below are a few books that any cook must have within arm's reach.

How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
Popular food writer Bittman is one of the best recipe developers alive today, and his cookbooks are easily readable and simple to follow. His massive collection covers the wide world of Western cooking with panache, and almost every recipe has a number of variations that allow you to spread your wings and make it your own.

The Silver Palate Cookbook by Sheila Lukins and Julie Rosso
This book is a classic, and was a must-have in all kitchens in the 1990s. And, luckily, it’s aged beautifully. The team of Lukins and Rosso present impressive, innovative dishes that draw from many different cultures, and all their directions are both clear and concise.

Complete Techniques by Jacques Pepin
This master of French food lays out the most vital skills a chef can acquire in this magnificently illustrated book. Although the recipes in this work are not the main selling point, they are still quite good. More importantly, this cookbook will help you learn how to handle yourself like a chef in your kitchen.

Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook by Martha Stewart
Baking can confuse even the best of chefs, as it asks you to be both a cook and a chemist. In Martha's encyclopedic volume, she presents a vast assortment of breads and sweets in intense detail (true to Martha Stewart form).

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Five Essential Contemporary Documentary Filmmakers

August 29, 2013 by
You can learn a lot about the world by watching a great documentary film. Interested in learning more about this fascinating film genre? Here are five skilled practitioners of the art of documentary filmmaking whose work you should know.
 
Ken Burns
Ken Burns is a filmmaker with a range of interests, having produced engaging films on topics ranging from the Civil War, the history of baseball, jazz, and America's national parks. Burns uses photographs and other archival footage to bring the past to life. His work has won multiple Emmy awards and garnered two Oscar nominations.
 
Steve James
Steve James is known best for his ambitious and important documentary Hoop Dreams. That film chronicles the lives of two Chicago-area high school students with basketball ambitions. James followed that award-winning film with several other projects, including documentaries like Stevie and The Interrupters.
 
Michael Apted
An acclaimed filmmaker, Michael Apted has created a variety of award-winning documentary work. Most impressive is his Up Series, a project following the lives of several British children from different backgrounds. The first installment of the series was made when the children were seven years old; Apted has revisited them every seven years since, producing in the process a catalogue of films that chronicle how people change — or don't — across the years.
 
Kavery Kaul
Born in India, Kavery Kaul is a documentary filmmaker who has received a variety of honors, including fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. Kaul's best known films include Long Way From Home, One Hand Don't Clap, Back Walking Forward, and Wild at Art.
 
Errol Morris
Best known for his ambitious engagements with difficult subjects, Errol Morris is a documentary filmmaker who also occasionally writes for the New York Times. Morris's best-known works are The Fog of War, a sustained interview with former Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, and The Thin Blue Line.
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Interesting Facts About Warren Buffet

August 22, 2013 by

Perhaps you've heard of Warren Buffet? Nicknamed the Oracle of Omaha, Buffet is a celebrated American business magnate consistently ranked among the world's wealthiest people. Here are five fascinating facts about this American success story:

He's a Regular Guy
Sure, he's enormously wealthy. But Buffet still inhabits the same three-bedroom Omaha, Nebraska house he purchased over fifty years ago. He drives his own car and doesn't employ private driver or security team.

He Likes Simplicity
Buffet has only two rules for his managers: First, don't lose your shareholders' money. Secondly, don't forget the first rule.

He's Always Been Talented
Buffet's gift for finance was apparent when he was a young man. He purchased his first share when he was just eleven years old, later expressing regret that he hadn't begun even sooner! At fourteen, he bought a small farm with money earned on a paper-delivery route.

Harvard Wouldn't Accept Him
After graduating a year early from the University of Nebraska, Buffet applied to Harvard Business School. Harvard rejected him as "too young." Buffet matriculated to Columbia instead. There he met an important mentor: investor Ben Graham.

He's Generous
Most of Buffet's fortune has been donated to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, an organization that advances health and education initiatives around the world.

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Suspense Films That Will Keep You Up At Night

August 15, 2013 by

One of the most-loved, and most-enduring film genres is suspense. People are drawn to the twisty, dark mysteries that leave you guessing and gasping until the very end. From masters like Alfred Hitchcock to modern marvels, here are a few suspense movies you need to see on a dark and stormy night.

1.     Psycho. Hitchcock’s most well-known film, tells the tale of a disturbed motel owner. This psychological horror has one of the most iconic murder scenes of all time, and the unexpected twist at the end is well-worth the wait.

2.     The Silence Of The Lambs. Young FBI Agent Clarice Starling works with the startling Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lecter to hunt down a serial killer who is on the loose. This movie is one of the few films to win all five major Oscars.

3.     Cape Fear. The original version of this is great too, but Martin Scorsese's remake very well may exceed it. Robert De Niro stars as a revenge-motivated psycho out to ruin Nick Nolte and his family.

4.     Blow-Up. This twisted British suspense film is a true modern classic. It follows a photographer who accidentally captures a murder on film, and then discovers that even in pictures, nothing is really what it seems.

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Trip Idea: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

August 8, 2013 by

Looking to take a trip? Consider Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. There's plenty to see and do. Make sure you visit these top attractions during your stay!

Museum of Osteology
This fun little museum is America's only skeleton museum. It's definitely worth a visit during your stay. Almost 300 skeletons are on display. Tons of different animals are represented with informative signs posted throughout the building. Entertain children with the fun scavenger hunt throughout the museum and the hands on exhibit on the second floor. Admission is just $7 for adults and $6 for children. Visit the website for hours before you go. 

Oklahoma City Zoo
After learning about the science of animals at the skeleton museum, see animals at the Oklahoma City Zoo. There are so many animals to see like lions, tigers, zebras, hippos, peacocks, and turtles. There is even an aquarium! Wear comfortable shoes as you will be doing a lot of walking. The zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for kids. 

Nic's Grill
Traditional American eats are on the menu at Nic's Grill. Regulars say these are some of the best burgers in Oklahoma. The restaurant may not be that big but the burgers are huge. Don't be intimated by the line. Nic keeps everything running smoothly so you never have to wait that long for your burger. Ask for your burger loaded. In addition to the regular toppings you'll get bacon, mushrooms, and jalapeños. 

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