How to Make a Baked Potato Bag

A baked potato bag will allow you to microwave your baked potato and have them turn out as if they had been cooking in the oven. The baked potatoes will be nice and flaky and delicious!

Make Your Own Baked Potato Bag

Making a Baked Potato Bag is relatively easy to do and can be done in less than an hour.  It takes only a few items and a sewing machine and you can quickly and easily make a very fun project that is useful.  The first thing you need to do is accumulate the following items:

1. 22″ x 11″ piece of Warm Tater batting

Warm Tater Batting 100% Cotton 45″x1yd Package Natural

2. 22″ x 11″ piece of decorative 100% cotton fabric

44” Wide Farmer’s Market Potatoes Brown Fabric By The Yard

3. 22″ x 11″ piece of 100% cotton lining material

(click on images for more detail)

How to Assemble a Baked Potato Bag

1. Place the batting between the 2 layers of fabric with the right side(printed side) facing out.
2. Quilt stitch(straight stitch or tic-tac-toe pattern) 2 straight lines across the 11″ side dividing it into 3 sections and 3 straight lines across the 22″ side dividing it into 4 sections.
3. Then, using a zig zag stitch, sew all 3 layers together around all the edges.
4. Create a finished hem by folding the width(11″)end in 1/2″ towards the lining(decorative part will show the 1/2″) and then straight stitch it down along the edge where the two fabrics join.
5. Fold the fabrics into a square (or rectangle – depending on the shape and size you want it to be ) by folding it inside out (that means with the decorative fabric to the inside) with the hems overlapping 1/2″.
6. Pin edges and sew 1/2″ seam allowance with a straight stitch.
7. Turn the bag right side out.
8. Machine wash in cold water and dry before using.

How to Use Your Baked Potato Bag

Did you know that you can use your baked potato bag to cook more than potatoes?  You can also bake rolls tortillas and corn on the cob.  Here is a cooking chart to help you bake your food items.   The benefit of using the potato bag is that it helps retain moisture in your food while warming/cooking it.

• 2 large potatos = 8 minutes
• Rolls = 20 seconds to warm them
• 12 Tortillas = 30 seconds
• 2 Corn on the Cob = 6 minutes

A Baked Potato Bag is good all year long!

Roasting Green Coffee Beans

How to roast your own Green Coffee Beans?

Most of the people enjoy a fresh cup of flavorful coffee everyday. Nowadays, they want to experience the satisfaction of roasting green coffee beans by themselves at home for the health benefits and drinks newly roasted coffee brings. Selection of green coffee beans is very important for roasting coffee beans. To enjoy a healthier, finer and tastier home coffee, the best beans have to choose.  There is less oxygen at higher altitudes this allows the

Methods of Home Roasting Green Coffee Beans flavors to develop more fully as well as allows the beans to grow denser to enhance the complexity of their flavors. The grade or quality of the green coffee beans is a major factor that significantly affects the taste of the coffee. There are a few different ways to roast coffee at home, and these include using of a frying pan, a pop corn maker, or a coffee bean’s roaster. However, regardless of tool or machine to use, there are just a few basic rules to follow to properly roast the beans to bring out their flavors: roast or heat the beans between 370 and 540F; continuously stir the beans to prevent uneven roasting; and most importantly, prevent over-roasting by cooling the beans quickly once the maximum temperature is achieved. Roasting green coffee may be a daunting process at first, but it’s definitely worth all the effort it requires. It does not only allow us to enjoy coffee that’s full of fresh flavors and aroma at any time of the day. It also helps keep us in the best of health. Besides, it saves a lot of money to roast your own green coffee beans.

Roasting Green Coffee Beans is a ton of fun and tastes great!

Home roasted Green Coffee Beans

If you are particular and quite wary of the expense of branded coffees, you might want to try your hand in producing it right in the convenience of your own home. With a few kitchen tools and a bit of patience, you can brew your own coffee according to the texture and taste you like.

Home Roasted Green Coffee beans

Green beans are the raw form of coffee. Unprocessed, they are acidic and bitter, therefore, cannot be drank. Quite simply, they need to be roasted to become the brown coffee beans which we know and love.

How to start with Home Roasted Green Coffee beans

The tools you will need can mostly be found in your kitchen. Namely, stove, frying pan or roaster, colander and for exact temperature settings, a roasting thermometer. The first step in roasting green coffee beans is to heat your roaster or frying pan to around 475 ◦F. Then add the green beans, stirring continuously to roast the beans evenly. Depending on how you want your coffee to taste, roast the beans to the desired color. Generally, darker the color of the roasted beans, the fuller its body and taste. Once done, the beans have to be cooled quickly to avoid being burnt. Use the colander to do this. Remove the chaff or lightweight skins to clean. Leave the beans to rest; usually a 24 hour period is all that’s needed for the roasted beans to get its full coffee flavor and aroma.

It will take a bit of practice to perfect your green coffee bean roasting skills. But a cup of your own flavored coffee right in your home, will be your own sweet reward for the effort of Home roasted Green Coffee Beans.

How to Roast Green Coffee Beans at Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roasting green coffee beans is an easy process. Provide enough heat with the proper equipment and anyone can follow these simple steps to roast green coffee beans at home.

Steps for Roasting Green Coffee Beans.

 

 

Place a standard skillet over a medium setting and allow the pan to preheat before proceeding. Add one cup of green coffee beans; begin stirring and continue constant movement to ensure an even roast. After 4-7 minutes, the beans will emit crackling sounds and begin to smoke so use a range hood to maintain a well-ventilated area. Once the beans have cracked, color will start to develop and the roasting is in full swing. Continue to stir and monitor color; the roasting process is complete when the desired color has been achieved. Immediately remove from heat and place in a metal sieve.

 

 

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Finishing Roasting Green Coffee Beans.

 

Keep stirring to aid the cooling process and to remove any remaining coffee casings. Place the cool no longer green coffee beans in an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place or freeze until ready to use.

Roast your own Green Coffee Beans

Coffee Bean Direct Green Coffee Bean Sampler

Options for Roasting Green Coffee Beans

There are several ways on how to roast your own green coffee beans. You may choose to work with a skillet, try a popcorn popper or go for a coffee roasting machine. Regardless of which method you choose, here are the things to remember for a successful roast.

Steps for Roasting Green Coffee Beans

 

Roast at a temperature of about 300 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Move green coffee beans constantly to roast evenly.

Cool beans quickly to avoid over roasting or burning.

Expect smoke and messy chaff, the beans’ outer coating that shed during roasting.

Practice different methods and eventually you will get the roast that is right for you and enjoy the thrill of turning green coffee beans into the best cup of coffee you have ever tasted.

Russian Caviar  Imperial, Osetra or Sevruge?

Russian Caviar Gift Set in Wooden Gift Box (Free Overnight Shipping!)Russian Caviar is superior to any other types of Caviar. And you know you’ll love this fine delicate food. Buy how do you know which you prefer? Do you live Imperial Caviar or Osetra Caviar? How about the Russian Sevruge you’ve heard so much about? With this fine gift set set you can experience them all – with a full 1 ounce of each of the 3 different types.

Truely an extravagant gift, our Russian Caviar Gift Set is the best of the best, all perfectly packaged in our elegant Russian Wooden Gift Box. This Gift Set includes: ~ 1 oz Imperial Caviar ~ 1 oz Osetra Caviar ~ 1 oz Sevruga Caviar ~ 36 Blinis ~ 7.5 oz Creme Fraiche ~ 5 inch Mother of Pearl Spoon ~ 8×8 inch Wood Gift Box.

Russian Caviar Gift Set in Wooden Gift Box (Free Overnight Shipping!)

 

Odori-don

Japanese restaurants serve this dead squid in a large blue and white glass soup bowl and call it Odori-don.  The squid is served as seen on top of roe and chili paste with a side of wassabi and ginger.  After the waiter serves the dish he uses a small tea pot to pour soy sauce on the squid tentacles. This is where the crazy stuff starts happening. When the soy sauce touches the tentacles the neurons fire and cause the squid to dance in an animated fashion.

It seems similar to the “chicken with its head cut off” saying. Not so sure if I’d be entertained, disgusted, or be so busy pouring soy-sauce all over it that it wouldn’t be any good to eat by the time you’re done.

Are You Playing With Your Food?

Besides, I don’t know if this is a good idea, because doesn’t this violate the “don’t play with your food” rule Mom always had?

 

Squid: The Definitive Guide

Wel-Pac – Saki Ika Regular (dried squid) 2.0 Oz.

Did you know that aside from water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world? Sweet, warm, and soothing, each cup of tea is unique and has its own advantages. For centuries the people of Japan, China, India, Thailand, and many other countries have been drinking green tea, but why? What is so special about a cup full of leaves and water? Well, aside from tasting delicious (when made properly) Green tea has many health benefits, and is very inexpensive. I have been drinking green tea for several years, and I love how healthy it makes me feel. But I’m sure you’re wondering, what exactly is green tea? What makes it different from other teas? Where did it come from? How does it benefit you? Well, let me start with what it is.

Ito En (Oi Ocha) Japanese Green Tea, 16.9-Ounce Bottles (Pack of 12)

Green Tea is simply tea leaves that are not processed the same way that other teas are. Tea comes from the leaves of a plant called Camellia Sinensis (kah-MEAL-e-a sy-NEN-sis) The leaves are harvested and dried, with a different drying process for each kind of tea. Green tea, is not fermented the way Black and Oolong teas are. Instead, the leaves are simply steamed. This process allows the leaves to retain more of their healthy properties than the fermenting process would.

Though no one is sure where green tea originally came from, it has been used medicinally for thousands of years. Some people believe Green Tea was first discovered in India. Some people believe it was first found in China. The Japanese legend, according to Yukihiko Hara, author of the book “Green Tea Health Benefits and Applications (Food Science and Technology)” is that in 2737 B.C. Emperor Sheng Nung discovered the plant and taught his people how to brew it into a medicinal drink.

So why should you drink green tea? Green Tea is Beneficial to your body and your mind. Green tea protects and strengthens your body in several ways. Green Tea contains powerful antioxidants called polyphenols that protect against potentially damaging free radical compounds that naturally occur in the body. Green Tea can also aid digestion, assist weight loss by boosting metabolism, protect against heart disease, reduce the risk of cancer.
Though there is not much clinical research on the medicinal properties of green tea, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports that in population based clinical studies green tea seems to prevent coronary artery disease and protect against cancer. Another study by the University of Maryland showed that men who drink green tea are more likely to have lower total cholesterol than men who do not.
Harvard Medical School reports that green tea is the best food source of a group called catechins, which are more powerful than vitamins C and E in stopping oxidative damage to cells
The U.S. National Library of Medicine states that green tea is even possibly effective for reducing the risk or slowing the onset of Parkinson’s disease, and preventing bladder, ovarian and pancreatic cancers.
Green Tea is also good for your mind. Though it does contain caffeine, Green Tea has a smaller amount than most other caffeinated beverages. The small amount of caffeine can reduce headaches and improve mental alertness. Also, because the caffeine content is not high, Green Tea does not have the side effects of other highly caffeinated beverages such as jitters, withdrawal headaches, dizziness, or nausea.

Green Tea is a readily available and inexpensive way to protect against many potentially expensive health problems. A box of green tea at Wal-mart is about 2 dollars for 20 tea bags; that is only 10 cents for each cup of tea. Making a cup of tea takes less than ten minutes. To make a cup of green tea you simply heat boil water and let it cool for about 4 minutes, and pour it over a tea bag. Let the teabag sit in the hot water for three minutes, then take it out and add sweetener if you like. Our health is one of the most important things we have, and drinking one cup of green tea a day is an easy way to preserve such a valuable asset.
Kirkland Signature Ito En Matcha Blend (Green Tea), 100% Japanese Green Tea Leaves, 100 Tea Bags

Feeding your children a healthy low fat snack can be a challenge but to be honest most adults have trouble finding a healthy low fat snack that they like. There are so many options from the pre-packaged food that are full of chemicals and high in fat but they are quick and easy and store for a long time.

Many of the healthy low fat snacks are very expensive if you are buying them from a grocery or even through a food co-op.

So the best thing you can do is make your own healthy low fat snacks and store them in convenient sized containers for quick easy use.

Take all your extra fruit and vegetable depending on the time of the year and put them in the dehydrator. (I bought 40 pounds of ripe bananas that were on clearance at the grocery and dehydrated them into banana chips that our family loves) You can do apples, pears, peaches, plums, many other fruits even strawberries.

The extra vegetables from your garden can make a tremendously healthy low fat snack. We make a vegetarian lasagne and we take the extra eggplant or zucchini as well as peppers, peppers, tomatoes and spray them with a light coat of olive oil and then sprinkle season salt on them. As a variation I sprinkled some eggplant with curry powder which my wife really loves.

All of these can be done in just a few hours.

A few tips for this great healthy low fat snack:
1. Make consistent cuts so all of your fruit or vegetable on a tray is one size.
2. Make a small batch of each item to see what you like.
3. Try things you don’t like fresh (my children don’t like eggplant but dried and seasoned its like a chip)
4. Store things sealed well and if you have a lot extra freeze it. Without the chemical preservatives they won’t last as long as the store items.

Nesco American Harvest FD-61WHC Snackmaster Express Food Dehydrator All-In-One Kit with Jerky Gun