Nesco American Harvest FD-61 Snackmaster Encore Dehydrator and Jerky Maker

This convenient dehydrator makes great tasting, healthy snacks & jerky! Introducing the Snackmaster?? Encore???. It's Grey top and marbled design features 500 watts of drying power, and generates maximum speed and quality for dehydrating fruits, vegetables, beef jerky, and venison jerky. Helps dry food in hours, not days like ordinary food dehydrators. The top mounted fan eliminates the worry of liquids dripping into the the heating chamber!You can make delicious beef jerky, turkey jerky, fish jerky, trail mix, homemade yogurt, apple snacks, banana chips, dried soup mixes, dried tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, mangoes, papaya and other dried fruits at a fraction of the cost. Make dried herbs and spices; also make potpourri and dried flowers for any occasion.

Cheesecakes are a heavenly dessert, but they may not always turn out just the way you want. Here are some quick cheesecake baking tips to help your next cake come out looking like they were baked by a professional.

When baking the cakes, always remember that softened cream cheese is a prerequisite and is used in most cheesecakes today. You'll need to leave the it out at least 30 minutes before using it, but it's best to let it get to room temperature. The softer the cream cheese, the easier it is to mix.

Keep in mind that the cakes can also be made from ricotta, havarti, quark and twarg cheese among others. Although most of the recipes use cream cheese, occasionally you'll find recipes that require one of the latter. Be sure to let them also warm up and to follow whatever other directions the recipe may recommend for using them. For instance, if you use ricotta cheese, you may need to drain it if it is watery.

Don't over mix. Your filling should be custard like as oppose to cake-like. This is another cause of for cracking. Add ingredients such as berries and nuts last.

When cooking, always preheat the oven 15 to 30 minutes beforehand, 30 being better. This insures the oven will have an ambient temperature which also helps to prevent cracking.

And resist the urge to peak. You want the temperature to stay as consistent as possible. If you oven doesn't have a window, wait at least 30 minutes before you take a look and do it quickly.

Never go above or below the recipes recommended cooking temperature. If the temperature is too high or if you cook too long, you'll over cook and get a crusty topping--which also leads to cracking-- as oppose to a nice creamy top with a slightly brown appearance.

Springform pans are the perfect pan for baking cheesecakes. With a release clamp on the side, the cakes can be lifted out without cracking or crumbling. I also recommend wrapping the bottom with aluminum foil before any baking. The butter used to make your crust may start to slightly leak even when using a small amount. Before taking the cheesecake out, it's best to loosen the side of the pan with a spatula. Also the pan's non-stick coatings makes clean ups a breeze.

Follow these tips and you're sure to see improvements in your next great cheesecake.

Cedrick White is an avid baker and publisher of http://www.I-Love-Cheesecake.com which offers an assortment of delicious and delightful cheesecake recipes. Be especially sure to check out the large selection of chocolate cheesecake recipes. Go ahead and find one to bake today.

dehydrator

Nesco Clean-a-Screen for Dehydrator Item# 168605, Model# LM-2-6

Screen flexes to remove sticky fruits and jerky quickly and easily. Herbs and spices wont fall through tray spokes. Includes 2 screens. Dishwasher safe. U.S.A.

You probably don't think about all the planning that goes into the displays you pass by in the grocery store. There is definitely a science to being a grocery store manager. I'm going to let you in on a few secrets and tell you how you can avoid spending more money than you want.

1. Displays - They catch your attention, but also encourage impulse buying. There is a reason they put those displays in the aisles so you have to look at them when you wheel your cart around them. The items on that display are not necessarily on sale. We assume the items are on sale when we look at the display, but most of the time that is not the case. Don't be lured into buying something on display unless it was on your list and you were planning on buying it anyways.

2. Watch the scanner - I'm not saying that grocery stores deliberately put incorrect prices in their scanners, but I am saying that mistakes do happen. You usually know about how much something costs when you put it in your cart. Make sure you watch the scanner when you check out. They say that consumers lose many millions of dollars each year to improper scanning.

3. Eye level is most expensive - Distributors pay premium price to get their products displayed at eye level. Those items tend to be the most expensive or at least have the best mark up. Look above and below eye level to purchase the products you need. They are probably what you would use to make healthier and more homemade meals that will save money in the long run.

If you stick to your list and stay aware of lures that are waiting to trap you into spending more money and time you will be able to get in and out of the store quickly and with the most amount of money still in your pocket.

Do you want to know more about saving time in the kitchen? Grab your free report "Time Saving Kitchen Tips" at http://www.hjresources.com/freeck Heidi Johnson specializes in helping families find resources to simplify and improve their lives.

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Nesco American Harvest 5-Tray FD-35 425-Watt Snackmaster Dehydrator

Drying apple slices in just five hours and beef jerky in seven, this 425-watt dehydrator is exceptionally fast for its price range. Its patented hot-air circulation system ensures not only speed but uniformity, so foods dry evenly. Each of the five trays is 13-1/2 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch deep (the plastic dehydrator stands 10 inches high), providing more than 12 square feet of tray space for drying lots of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers at one time. Available separately is a two-tray accessory pack that expands the dehydrator to seven trays. Also available separately are accessories for drying fruit rolls, soups, and sauces and for making jerky from ground meat. Accompanying the dehydrator is a detailed instruction booklet with a drying-time chart for various foods and recipes for cooking with dried foods. --Fred Brack

If you love chili as half as much as I do, you have probably wondered what goes into an award winning chili recipe. Since then International Chili Society is the one that decides the highest award, I figured they would be the best criteria to examine:

1) Consistency: The chili should be a smooth combination of meat (or meats) and gravy. It certainly should not be lumpy or have big chunks of vegetables or meat. Smooth is the key here.

2) Aroma: Right off the bat, the chili should smell appealing. Of course some smell stronger then others, which is okay as long as the smell itself is something that would invite one to come over and taste it. Now don't get me wrong, I personally have eaten chili that smelled bad and was delicious, I'm just sharing with you what the judges look at.

3) Red Color: Yep, that's right. The "official" judges look for chili to have a red color. No gray chili here folks!

4) Taste: In my opinion the most important aspect of chili Judges compare the taste against the four typical taste sensations which include sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.

5) Aftertaste: Does the chili leave a pleasant taste in the mouth, or a potential "kick" that has smoke coming out your ears? This is also an important aspect of judging chili

So remember to keep these basic principles in mind the next time you sit down to work on your next bowl of award winning chili One final suggestion, make sure you document EVERYTHING you do. I can't tell you how often I've added a pinch of something and enhanced flavor, only to forget exactly what I did.

Have fun!

How would you like to recreate the most famous popular recipes at home? This famous cookbook exposes all of the most famous and most delicious secret recipes on the planet including restaurants such as Applebee's and The Outback. You can learn more about it here.

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Making Sauerkraut and Pickled Vegetables at Home: Creat

Making Sauerkraut and Pickled Vegetables at Home - Klaus Kaufman Features & Specifications Making Sauerkraut and Pickled Vegetables at Home - Klaus KaufmanThis book provides creative recipes for lactic-fermented food to improve your health.With this book, discover the simple remedies and healing agents found in lactic acid-fermented foods. Step-by-step recipes will guide you through centuries-old methods.Great addition to our crock pots!

Energy conservation is a hot topic at the moment. It is clear that energy conservation is a worldwide problem. Also, it is of interest that conserving energy is quite simple to practice as a single person.

Before we discuss some tips to help with your energy conservation, lets look at some of the ways that energy conservation has been defined:

* Energy conservation is protecting the planet.

* Energy conservation is intergenerational duty.

* Energy Conservation is frequently the quickest and most cost effective method of cutting your energy bill.

* Energy conservation is doing anything that results in the use of less energy.

* Energy conservation is mostly about adjusting habits and comprehension.

* Energy conservation is the act of improving the way you use energy so that we can achieve greater usable output for exactly the same energy consumption.

* Energy Conservation is important for lots of reasons; social, environmental and economic.

* Energy conservation is an important topic where ordinary citizens of any age or background can have an instantaneous, significant impact on our world.

* Energy conservation isnt something that need only be practiced whilst at work.

* Energy conservation is one of the most practical ways of both lowering greenhouse gas polution and reducing the cost to the consumer.

* Energy conservation is advantageous to the overall economy.

If conserving energy is so terrific, why aren't we doing more of it?.

Heads of state wish to improve our energy conservation, and the best way they may decide to achieve major energy conservation improvements is to hike the prices of electricity or gas. Currently, energy conservation is justifiably efficient, cost wise, with a quick payback time and reasonable investment. As heads of state raise purchase costs, the fairly rapid payback time gets shorter still and the cost benefits even greater.

Consumer awareness today concerning energy conservation is a hundred times greater than it was two decades ago, but it still isn't adequate. Indeed, improving awareness of energy conservation is becoming increasingly urgent because electricity consumption is developing much faster than our capacity to generate power.

What can we do to help ?

Clearly, there are many people worried about their heating bills this winter.
Remember that heating and pumping water is sometimes a big section of your electric bill. The cost of gas is at an all time high and heating oil isnt getting any cheaper either.

So, what options do you have to help save some of your hard earned cash and help the environment?

The best tip of all is to switch things off when you aren't using them. Television, music center, lights etc. Don't even leave things on 'standby', it still uses energy without need.

Most power is used by heating, so carefully adjusting the temperatures on your thermostat is the biggest energy conservation step you can take.
Another good idea is to check the air filters on your heating and cooling system monthly.
Want a hot drink? Use microwave ovens instead of hotplates or kettles for heating water.

Changing your heating system? Select energy-efficient equipment when you buy new heating and cooling equipment.

If you are considering buying a gas fire, choose an efficient flueless design. With the latest hi-tech designs, absolutely no energy is wasted and lost up the chimney as it is with a conventionally flued gas fire. As a result all the heat generated warms your room. This means better energy costs and excellent energy efficiency. They are also far kinder to the environment, as the latest catalytic gas technology means the fire actually cleans the air it uses.

In conclusion, energy conservation is the end result of a lot of small things that produce a significant impact.

If you make enough of those small changes, energy efficiency and energy conservation are a win-win combination.

Roger Wakefield is a staff writer at: DRU Gas Fires ... a manufacturer of modern high efficiency gas fires.

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Nesco American Harvest FD-75PR 700-Watt Food Dehydrator

The NESCO Professional Food & Jerky Dehydrator has more power than most dehydrators -- 700 watts -- which means faster drying time. You will have results in hours, not days. The top mounted fan with patented Converga-Flow action pressurizes air downward through the outer ring and horizontally across each individual tray, converging at the center, for fast, even drying. No need to rotate trays. The adjustable thermostat allows you to dry different foods at proper temperatures (95-155 F), providing the flexibility to produce the best drying results. As your needs grow, the Professional Food & Jerky Dehydrator can be expanded up to 12 trays.

Energy conservation is a hot topic at the moment. It is clear that energy conservation is a worldwide problem. Also, it is of interest that conserving energy is quite simple to practice as a single person.

Before we discuss some tips to help with your energy conservation, lets look at some of the ways that energy conservation has been defined:

* Energy conservation is protecting the planet.

* Energy conservation is intergenerational duty.

* Energy Conservation is frequently the quickest and most cost effective method of cutting your energy bill.

* Energy conservation is doing anything that results in the use of less energy.

* Energy conservation is mostly about adjusting habits and comprehension.

* Energy conservation is the act of improving the way you use energy so that we can achieve greater usable output for exactly the same energy consumption.

* Energy Conservation is important for lots of reasons; social, environmental and economic.

* Energy conservation is an important topic where ordinary citizens of any age or background can have an instantaneous, significant impact on our world.

* Energy conservation isnt something that need only be practiced whilst at work.

* Energy conservation is one of the most practical ways of both lowering greenhouse gas polution and reducing the cost to the consumer.

* Energy conservation is advantageous to the overall economy.

If conserving energy is so terrific, why aren't we doing more of it?.

Heads of state wish to improve our energy conservation, and the best way they may decide to achieve major energy conservation improvements is to hike the prices of electricity or gas. Currently, energy conservation is justifiably efficient, cost wise, with a quick payback time and reasonable investment. As heads of state raise purchase costs, the fairly rapid payback time gets shorter still and the cost benefits even greater.

Consumer awareness today concerning energy conservation is a hundred times greater than it was two decades ago, but it still isn't adequate. Indeed, improving awareness of energy conservation is becoming increasingly urgent because electricity consumption is developing much faster than our capacity to generate power.

What can we do to help ?

Clearly, there are many people worried about their heating bills this winter.
Remember that heating and pumping water is sometimes a big section of your electric bill. The cost of gas is at an all time high and heating oil isnt getting any cheaper either.

So, what options do you have to help save some of your hard earned cash and help the environment?

The best tip of all is to switch things off when you aren't using them. Television, music center, lights etc. Don't even leave things on 'standby', it still uses energy without need.

Most power is used by heating, so carefully adjusting the temperatures on your thermostat is the biggest energy conservation step you can take.
Another good idea is to check the air filters on your heating and cooling system monthly.
Want a hot drink? Use microwave ovens instead of hotplates or kettles for heating water.

Changing your heating system? Select energy-efficient equipment when you buy new heating and cooling equipment.

If you are considering buying a gas fire, choose an efficient flueless design. With the latest hi-tech designs, absolutely no energy is wasted and lost up the chimney as it is with a conventionally flued gas fire. As a result all the heat generated warms your room. This means better energy costs and excellent energy efficiency. They are also far kinder to the environment, as the latest catalytic gas technology means the fire actually cleans the air it uses.

In conclusion, energy conservation is the end result of a lot of small things that produce a significant impact.

If you make enough of those small changes, energy efficiency and energy conservation are a win-win combination.

Roger Wakefield is a staff writer at: DRU Gas Fires ... a manufacturer of modern high efficiency gas fires.

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Just Jerky : The Complete Guide to Making It

Here's the do-it-yourself guide to making your own jerky in an oven, smoker, or food dehydrator with strips or ground beef, venison, poultry, fish and even soy protein.

Gas grilling or barbecuing? The debate rumbles on about which is best. The barbecue fans will claim that their food has more flavor because of the smoke flavors. You know, they may just be right! But it is not impossible to create the authentic wood cooked flavour with the convenience of the gas grill. Grab yourself some hickory, mesquite, apple wood or cedar and you will soon be producing beautifully smoked meat or fish.

Now, to the wood to use for smoking. There is a bewildering variety of different types, beech, hickory and oak are generally readily available and will complement most foods, meat, fish, game, poultry. For a strong flavor use hickory or for more subtle flavorings use oak or beech. Maple imparts a sweet and mild smoky taste and is reputed to be good for smoking vegetables. Mesquite is popular in the southwest states of the US and gives a strong flavor. It burns hot and is usually used for beef dishes. For sweet flavors, use pear, peach and apple wood chips, these work well with white meats and small game birds.

Smoking on a grill or barbecue can be disappointing at first, the problem usually lies with the type of food used. If the food is likely to be in contact with the smoke for under half an hour - forget it, the smoke will smell nice while you cook but that's about all! Large pieces of fish or meat that will take a good while to cook are the best.

The wood chips will not produce any smoke if they are added to the barbecue or grill as they are. They need to be well soaked before hand. Put them in a container of water for several hours before you intend to cook and let them really soak it in. Take them out of the water and leave them to drain for a while, they should not be dripping when you add them. This will prevent them from setting fire and they will smolder - smoldering wood gives the all-important smoke.

The chips can be added to the barbecue when the coals have settled and immediately before the food is to be cooked. Adding them earlier is a waste of good smoke! For a gas grill, you will need to purchase a smoker box which prevents the ash from damaging the burners (or make one from foil, remembering to pierce holes the top of the foil to release the smoke. In order to get the wood to produce smoke, it must be close to the heat source, which itself must be high. Smoking foods using a gas grill can work well if you can cook the food with the lid down.

So there you have it, how to enhance your cooking in the great outdoors using the power of wood!

Want the best grilling tips and advice? Want to impress friends and family with your beef grilling recipes? Then visit the Grilling Coach now.

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Nesco American Harvest 5-Tray FD-35 425-Watt Snackmaster Dehydrator

This unit features Nesco/American Harvest's innovative Top Mounted Powerhead that dries food quickly and evenly with superior results. Detaches to make dehydrator dishwasher safe for easy clean up. Fan-Flow Technology means faster, more even drying with no tray rotation necessary. Perfect for the beginner.

Raw foodism (also called rawism) is based on eating un-cooked, un-processed, and often organic food. Believers feel the higher the percentage of raw food in the diet, the greater the health benefits. Many raw food eaters are vegan, and don't eat any meat, fish, or dairy products but others eat raw meat and fish. By the way, when these people say raw they means food that hasn't been cooked higher than 115 F (46 C), some put the limit at 104 F (40 C).

Raw food followers believe that eating uncooked foods encourages weight loss and prevents or heals many illnesses and chronic diseases. The medical evidence is mixed. To inject a personal note, as a college student I breakfasted on raw eggs which I downed with a glass of water. My objective was to save time, I don't even know if the movement existed in those days. I wouldn't eat raw eggs today because I think they are filthy and might transmit illnesses. By the way, I am not a doctor or other health-care professional.

Some raw food vegans are fruitarians, juicearians, or sproutarians. Fruitarians eat primarily or exclusively fruits. Juicearians process their raw plant foods into juice. Sproutarians eat primarily or exclusively sprouted food, such as bean sprouts. Alleged benefits of a raw vegan diet include weight loss, increased energy, clear skin, and general health improvement.

Raw animal food includes meat, cheese, and fish. Raw meat eaters should seek out grass-fed animals which according to many studies have a greatly reduced risk of bacteria than do grain-fed animals. Furthermore grass-fed meat contains more nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and Omega-3 fatty acids than does grain-fed meat.

If you are going to get involved in raw food you may want to invest in the following equipment: blender, food processor, juicer, and dehydrator. Some people will eat frozen food, others will not. Some of them will eat smoked food, others will not. And some distinguish between cold-smoked and hot-smoked food. Be careful, there are clear dangers in eating some raw foods such as kidney beans and unpeeled potatoes.

Here are some of the alleged benefits of raw foods. Raw foods contain digestive enzymes that are destroyed when food is heated beyond the temperature range listed above. Destroying these enzymes is said to be a cause of obesity. Raw foods contain useful bacteria and other microorganisms that aid the immune system and digestion. Raw foods have higher nutrient values than cooked food. Processed food contains all kinds of chemicals that are bad for us. (I certainly agree with that.) Cooked foods may contain toxins and can lead to acidosis. On the other hand, food poisoning from eating raw or undercooked food is a definite possibility. Believe it or not, even jalapeno peppers can host dangerous microorganisms. Many raw food eaters are underweight, while this may sound tempting to those who are trying to lose weight but being underweight can be a health problem.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian, French, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and spend time with his wife and family. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his site devoted to the weight-management, nutritional, and health aspects of wine at http://www.wineinyourdiet.com. Check out his global wine website at http://www.theworldwidewine.com with his new weekly column reviewing $10 wines.

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food pantrie dehydrator and seed sprouter

SPROUT SEEDS FOR MAKING WHEATGRASS OR HIGH ENERGY FOOD FROM SPROUTS. DEHYDRATE FOODS NATURALLY WITHOUT ELECTRICITY. DRY JERKY - APPLES - APRICOTS - ONIONS - MUSHROOMS. CHOCKING HAZARD - CONTAINS SMALL PARTS - NOT FOR CHILDREN UNDER 3

There are times when you just have to have that rack of barbecue ribs. Maybe they have been sitting in your freezer since fall and you just cant wait any longer, you just have to have those ribs. But with the cold of winter set in getting out to the grill is more of an exercise in survival making it hard to truly enjoy the barbecue experience. Throw in some snow and wind and the idea of cooking barbecue ribs on the grill goes out the door.

Now if your are truly hardcore you can put on your snow boots, bundle up in hat, coat and gloves, shovel a path out to the grill, get it lit and hope the wind doesnt blow it out. The next part may be even trickier; actually grilling the ribs. While barbecue ribs arent all that hard to make they do need constant attention. Standing outside in the cold and wind can make this difficult not to mention that its either getting dark out or the sun has already gone down. Grilling in the dark, even with a flashlight, is not easy because its hard to tell if and when the ribs are done.

Now this doesnt mean it cant be done because many a hard core griller has endured the elements to fix their favorite barbecue dish. But if this isnt youre idea of barbecue fun then there is an alternative. If you have a large crock pot or pot you can put on the stove you can be enjoying tender barbecue ribs in a few hours.

Heres how you do it.

Get your crock pot or large pot set up. Pour in some barbecue sauce then set your ribs in the sauce. You may have to cut your ribs into sections if you are doing a rack of baby back ribs. Pour the rest of the sauce over the ribs making sure to cover them well. You want to cook them slowly so dont turn the stove up to high. With a crock pot set them to high to get the temperature up and then turn them down to low and let them simmer. By cooking slow you are looking at letting them cook for two to three hours, or even longer. The flavors of the sauce will work deep into the meat leaving it moist and tender. It will also fill your house with the smell of barbecue, which is good if you like that kind of thing.

While this isnt exactly the same as cooking barbecue ribs on a grill it is a great way to enjoy the taste of barbecue even on the coldest of winter nights.

Andrew Bicknell is a barbeque aficionado with a website about barbequing. For more tips for a successful barbeque visit his web site Backyard Barbeque.

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Quick Minute Microwave Food Dehydrator

Product includes 3 non-stick sheets 3 QuickMinute Racks 1 Kitchen Multi-Grater 1 Instruction/Recipe Booklet

When you think Hawaii, you may think of tropical. And when you think tropical, you think of pineapple. But that is just one of the many tastes associated with the Pacific Island state. Hawaii is really a melting pot of a state and a melting pot of cultures; much of their food has a blend of flavors.

When it comes to a beef jerky recipe with a Hawaiian flair, it's no wonder then that there are a variety of flavors that will create a luau inside anyone's mouth!

Below is a recipe for Hawaiian beef jerky. This recipe, as mentioned above contains several different flavor bursts. There is some ginger for spice. Some brown sugar for sweetness. Some pepper and Cayenne pepper for a little fire. Some soy sauce for saltiness. And we can't forget that pineapple.

Ingredients:

1 lb lean meat, thinly sliced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 crushed garlic clove

1/4 c pineapple juice

1/4 c soy sauce

Directions:

1. Slice meat in thin strips.

2. In a bowl, combine all ingredients of marinade and mix well.

3. Place meat 3-4 layers deep in a container, spooning sauce mixture over each layer.

4. Cover tightly and marinate 6-12 hours in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally.

5. Layout on trays, 24 to 36 hours in dehydrator (or follow directions for oven).

Now all you need is a grass skirt and some coconut milk!

REVIEW: Not sure if you can make your own?

Analei V. of Salem always wanted to go to Hawaii. At least she got a taste of Hawaiian beef jerky when she tried a piece of her friend's Holston Mountain Hawaiian Beef Jerky. The website said that the jerky is sweeter than its other flavors. Analei agreed saying, "There was a real hint of pineapple, which was an interesting combination for beef. I am so used to pineapple being on ham. This was a very unique jerky. I didn't even know you could have fruity jerky! The piece of jerky was huge, too. I am used to thin sticks, but this was an enormous piece. A little hard to chew." The Holston Mountain Hawaiian Jerky is available on their website in three sizes from $8-$21.

If you found this information on hawaiian beef jerky useful, you'll want to read this article about beef jerky seasoning salt.

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Nesco FD-80 American Harvest Square-Shaped Dehydrator

Easy-to-use dehydrator for drying fruit, vegetables, herbs and jerky. Lay out jerky strips with ease. Includes spices and cure packets.

When your friends and family think your a good cook, chances are you will be asked to cook for them. Most times that will be for a larger audience then you normally cook for. Most times that means a lot of stress and sometimes these things end up in a nervous breakdown for the cook. It doesn't have to be that way, cooking for a large group of people, if planned correctly can be a lot of fun for every one in the dinning room. You need to plan ahead and stick to that plan the whole evening. The larger the group the larger the dishes and pots and pans but that is not a thing you should start worrying about. Making stuffing still is making stuffing even for a large group. If the group is double then your used to doesn't mean cooking and preparation time doubles as well.

Time flies, when you should be having fun

Often, time is wasted when you, the cook, start to worry about everything that could go wrong. Instead that time worrying should be spend on preparing for dinner. Involve those friends and family members that asked you to cook for them by asking them to do things for you. When a person asks if he or she can do anything to help you. don't be polite and say you have everything under control. Even if you really have it all under control, take accept their help so you have more time on your hands for later. Let that person serve the drinks or set the table.

Don't be afraid to ask for help

Cooking for a large group of people is not a small task. When you start planning don't be afraid to include the help of people who are coming to dinner. Maybe you trust one or two of them to help you prepare the food or even help you cook. Not the whole dinner but little things like dressing the salad or preparing the side dishes. Small things so you can keep your mind on the main courses and grand deserts you have planned for the evening. The people who join you for your dinner are not coming to see you fail but to enjoy a lovely meal. If you make them part of the creative part of the evening they may just take pleasure out of it.

When the time has come that everyone is enjoying the meal you have prepared for them you should enjoy it as well. Enjoy the look on the faces of the people who are eating what you created in the kitchen. Start to relax and enjoy it with them. And when the evening comes to an end, again don't be afraid to ask for help picking up and cleaning the dishes. You removed the stress of preparing the dinner, now you should avoid the stress of ending the dinner. The sooner everything gets cleaned up the quicker everyone, including you, can enjoy the after dinner drinks and conversations.

After a while you will get the hang of cooking for a large group of people. And don't forget to thank the people who helped you out before, during and after the dinner. Then when the next one comes around they will be more then willing to help you again.

Kenny Vanderburen is the main blogger at http://www.kitchencookings.com. The kitchen might as well be his living room, that's how much time he spends there.

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The most popular fuel for backyard grilling is charcoal. Charcoal is made by heating wood in the absence of oxygen. The original method of making charcoal was to set fire to a pile of wood and then cover it with dirt and allowing it to simmer.

Today's grilling fuel is processed charcoal briquettes. These little molded pieces of fuel are made with wood and a clay binder. Many purists dislike artificial binder charcoal. Pure wood charcoal is also available. It comes in chunks rather being molded into briquettes.

The great thing in cooking in barbecue charcoal is cooking low and slow. The meat cooked in barbecue charcoal is so tender that it falls apart and the taste drives people crazy. The secret is that one should keep a close eye on the fire and have some patience.

Barbecue aficionados prefer charcoal over gas (propane) for the authentic flavor that coal provides. Barbecuing with charcoal is the best way for cooking burgers, steak, chicken or anything over open fire. It adds flavor to the dish.

Careful attention should be paid while lighting the coals. There are a number of ways to start the fire. A charcoal chimney starter is a traditional method for getting a consistent heat from the coals.

Another common method is to soak the charcoal with aliphatic petroleum solvent or pretreated briquettes and light them in a pyramid formation.

The most popular method is to stack the charcoal in a neat pile and saturate it with charcoal lighting fluid, allowing it to settle for a couple of minutes and then applying the match. Charcoal lighting fluid is naphtha, a fairly clean burning fuel. It has a petroleum taste when burnt.

Another method is to use an electric iron to heat the coals. There are electrical charcoal lighting devices, with containers that stack charcoal on top of a sheet of crumpled newspaper and use the newspaper to start the coals glowing. A small propane torch can also be used to fire the coals. Whatever the methods may be, still one can enjoy the smoky taste afforded by the hot coals.

After the coals are ashed, they can be spread around the perimeter of the grill with the meat placed in the center for indirect cooking, or piled together for direct cooking. Water-soaked wood chips of mesquite, cherry, hickory or fruit trees can be added to the coals for flavor. In wood barbecuing, the temperature of the grill is controlled by the amount and distribution of coal within the grill and through careful venting.

Charcoal is inexpensive to buy and is more convenient to use in portable barbecues that can be carried along in any holiday excursions.

Barbecue charcoal grills can be problematic in two ways. First, the charcoal can produce hydrocarbons and tiny soot particles that pollute the air which can aggravate heart and lung problems. Second, when the fat from the meat drips onto the charcoal, polycyclic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines form which are carcinogenic compounds that produce cancer.

It is safer to buy charcoals certified by the Rainforest Alliances SmartWood program which are 100 percent oak hardwood that are sustainably harvested and contains no coal, oil, limestone, starch, sawdust or petroleum products. Get the best charcoal and make your charcoal grilling fun.

Former International Hotel General Manager and culinary expert, Peter Finch, hosts a site dedicated to one of his favorite forms of cookery - barbecue. If you are looking for information on barbecue food or advice on barbecue recipes or barbecue grills, visit us now. BestBarbecues.co.uk is a goldmine for information on everything related to barbecues.

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Excalibur 5 - Tray Dehydrator

Excalibur 5-Tray Dehydrator for great tasting and long lasting fruits, veggies and jerky! Save the flavor, save the nutrition, SAVE BIG BUCKS! Eating healthy can get expensive... especially fresh produce that seems to go bad the moment you get it home. The Excalibur is a compact Food Dehydrator with plenty of room to make jerky or dry your favorite fruits and vegetables so you can keep them edible longer while still maintaining almost all the taste and nutritional value! Excalibur! Holds 5 to 6 lbs. of meat; 5 trays with 8 square feet of drying area... means BIG CAPACITY; Easy to clean with removable doors and trays; Trays roll out easy so you can check on drying process; 8 1/2"h. x 17"w. x 19"d. with 5" fan. Order Now! Excalibur 5-Tray Dehydrator

The most popular form of entertaining a gathering seems to be outdoor barbecue. Basically there are two types of grill for the choice of a barbecue chef. This includes gas barbecue grill and charcoal barbecue grill. The gas barbecue grill is quite expensive but it is convenient to use. Most of the gas grills are easy to assemble and also simple to operate and easy to clean.

The taste of the food prepared using the charcoal grills will be better than that prepared using gas grills. The reason is that the gas grill can not give the smoky flavor to the food which is produced by the charcoal grills. If you want to cook in a bulk the gas grill will be convenient.

The charcoal grills will be a better option for cooking less quantity of food and it is easy to transfer too. The charcoal grills are less expensive as well. There are some disadvantages for charcoal grills. In a rainy day it will be difficult to light the grills and also to keep it lit till the end of cooking. After igniting the grills one has to wait till the flames die out and the coals are hot.

The food may get burnt easily soon since it is difficult to control the heat. The charcoal has to get cooled down completely before cleaning the grills. This may take hours and one will have to wait till that. When charcoal grill is used grease, ash and charcoal will be formed. Removal of these ashes for cleaning the grill can be messy. After each use the coal has to be disposed.

Gas grills are easy to ignite. The heat of the grill can be controlled easily, so there is no need of worrying about burning of the food. The gas grills may have more than one burner which can be operated independently. This helps in simultaneous cooking of different food stuffs which require different cooking temperatures. Another main advantage is of cleaning with less toil.

The selection of gas grills can be done based on the size and shape of the grill. The main drawback of the gas grill is that the smoky flavor is not obtained in this. Comparatively the gas grill is costly. It requires more space also since it is bigger than the charcoal grills.

Points to be considered to make effective use of out door barbecue are:

1) Check whether there is adequate fuel.

2) Charcoal should be stored in a dry place.

3) The cooking time and fuel used will be more when outdoor barbecue will be in cold or gusty weather.

4) Place barbecue in a direction of the wind away from the crowd.

5) Spray some vegetable oil over the grill before lighting it.

6) Small pieces can be placed in skewers.

7) All the things needed for grilling should be assembled in a tray before starting. This includes the tools, utensils and raw ingredients.

8) If the outdoor barbecue is lit once, do not leave it unattended.

Former International Hotel General Manager and culinary expert, Peter Finch, hosts a site dedicated to one of his favorite forms of cookery - barbecue. If you are looking for information on barbecue food or advice on barbecue recipes or barbecue grills, visit us now. BestBarbecues.co.uk is a goldmine for information on everything related to barbecues.

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Nesco Clean-a-Screen for Dehydrator Item# 168605, Model# LM-2-6

Screen flexes to remove sticky fruits and jerky quickly and easily. Herbs and spices wont fall through tray spokes. Includes 2 screens. Dishwasher safe. U.S.A.

Cheesecakes are a heavenly dessert, but they may not always turn out just the way you want. Here are some quick cheesecake baking tips to help your next cake come out looking like they were baked by a professional.

When baking the cakes, always remember that softened cream cheese is a prerequisite and is used in most cheesecakes today. You'll need to leave the it out at least 30 minutes before using it, but it's best to let it get to room temperature. The softer the cream cheese, the easier it is to mix.

Keep in mind that the cakes can also be made from ricotta, havarti, quark and twarg cheese among others. Although most of the recipes use cream cheese, occasionally you'll find recipes that require one of the latter. Be sure to let them also warm up and to follow whatever other directions the recipe may recommend for using them. For instance, if you use ricotta cheese, you may need to drain it if it is watery.

Don't over mix. Your filling should be custard like as oppose to cake-like. This is another cause of for cracking. Add ingredients such as berries and nuts last.

When cooking, always preheat the oven 15 to 30 minutes beforehand, 30 being better. This insures the oven will have an ambient temperature which also helps to prevent cracking.

And resist the urge to peak. You want the temperature to stay as consistent as possible. If you oven doesn't have a window, wait at least 30 minutes before you take a look and do it quickly.

Never go above or below the recipes recommended cooking temperature. If the temperature is too high or if you cook too long, you'll over cook and get a crusty topping--which also leads to cracking-- as oppose to a nice creamy top with a slightly brown appearance.

Springform pans are the perfect pan for baking cheesecakes. With a release clamp on the side, the cakes can be lifted out without cracking or crumbling. I also recommend wrapping the bottom with aluminum foil before any baking. The butter used to make your crust may start to slightly leak even when using a small amount. Before taking the cheesecake out, it's best to loosen the side of the pan with a spatula. Also the pan's non-stick coatings makes clean ups a breeze.

Follow these tips and you're sure to see improvements in your next great cheesecake.

Cedrick White is an avid baker and publisher of http://www.I-Love-Cheesecake.com which offers an assortment of delicious and delightful cheesecake recipes. Be especially sure to check out the large selection of chocolate cheesecake recipes. Go ahead and find one to bake today.

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Trail Food: Drying and Cooking Food for Backpacking and Paddling

PCKT GD WILDRNESS MED & 1STAID

There's nothing like a nice, ripe, delicious apple freshly picked from the tree, although the same might be said of garden fresh peas or a crisp, healthy carrot newly plucked from its earthen home.

But why, then, do we allow those apples to fall from the tree and rot upon the ground? Why do we go to the trouble of picking all of those great looking, red, ripe tomatoes only to allow them to slowly spoil as they sit in baskets and pails carefully placed in kitchen or pantry? The standard answer is "too much crop and too little time."

"When we can't even give them away to family and friends," we ask ourselves, "what else can we do?"

Food storage might be an answer to that. Unfortunately, it takes a long, long time to cut, peel and prepare fruits and vegetables for canning, freezing or dehydrating; and that can be time that we don't have.

The thing is, that time can be lessened. The old, wringer washers probably got clothes just as clean as do the new automatic washers, but who would willingly trade an automatic washer for those old, labor intensive machines even if those old appliances involved some initial cost savings? Similarly, cutting, dicing and peeling doesn't all have to be done by hand. There is a wide choice of tools and appliances to make those jobs much, much easier, and considerably quicker.

Pressure canners cut down on time, and are environmentally friendly. The right juicer, used when needed, can end the rotting of apples upon the ground. The combination of a good blender and the right food dehydrator can have you making your own fruit leather and other snacks. It may be just a matter of doing some checking, choosing appropriately, and investing wisely in order for you to "waste not" and "want not" without crashing into that wall of "too little time."

Even though you may have to open the pocketbook a little to get started, food storage really is a way of saving money by cutting down on grocery bills, and who would not want to do that in times of tight money and uncertain jobs? Food storage done wisely can also be much easier than what many envision.

The author of this article is the webmaster for http://www.storeitfoods.com, a site providing tools and tips for those interested in a home, food storage program.

dehydrator

Nesco American Harvest FD-75PR 700-Watt Food Dehydrator

The NESCO Professional Food & Jerky Dehydrator has more power than most dehydrators -- 700 watts -- which means faster drying time. You will have results in hours, not days. The top mounted fan with patented Converga-Flow action pressurizes air downward through the outer ring and horizontally across each individual tray, converging at the center, for fast, even drying. No need to rotate trays. The adjustable thermostat allows you to dry different foods at proper temperatures (95-155 F), providing the flexibility to produce the best drying results. As your needs grow, the Professional Food & Jerky Dehydrator can be expanded up to 12 trays.

It is no secret that many people in our society are overweight. It is also no secret that eating out is one of the favorite pastimes. As the owner of a restaurant, one issue you will need to address is the size of the portions of the food you offer. If you are part of a chain restaurant then this will already be decided for you. As an independent though you will need to come up with something reasonable.

You want to be able to offer enough food for the customers to be full when they leave. In fact, most will say that portions are so big that they either over eat or the end up wasting a great deal of food. Some will ask for a box to take it home but not everyone is going home so they can't benefit from eating the leftovers at another meal.

The price that you charge for the meals needs to be comparative to the size of the portions as well. Each customer should leave there feeling like they got enough food for what it cost them. I know I have left some restaurants astonished by the total bill and I won't be going back. A tip to understand is that you are better off giving smaller portions and lower prices then too much food and a high price for it.

Portion sizes are also a concern for customers. I took a friend to a Mexican food place once and she ordered two burritos. I had to laugh and then told her not to get two as one would be more than enough. They were huge and covered the entire plate. Yet she didn't know this from looking at the menu.

I like to eat at a local restaurant that serves chicken fried steak. It is so big it is one plate. The side dishes are on another so it is definitely more food that one person can reasonably eat. Yet at another place I frequent the chicken fried steak is about 1/3 that size. So knowing what the portions will be like before you order is important.

Customers who frequent certain locations will learn what the portions look like. It will vary significantly from one restaurant to the next. This can make it difficult to eat at someplace new though. It is a prime reason why so many travelers look for chain restaurants. They know exactly what they will be given and the portions they can expect as well.

With more people paying attention to their health and their weight, portion sizes in restaurants have become more of a concern. Make sure you are offering plenty of food for your guests. Keep in mind though it can be a turn off when they are getting too much. It can lead to customers feeling like they paid too much for a meal and that doesn't make them happy.

More isn't always what customers are looking for though. Many who like to eat out want to be healthy as well. They want a well balanced meal that is satisfying so the quality is the most important thing to consider. You can help keep your prices down for food items too if there isn't a great deal of it being wasted.

Amazingly Patricia Farnham actually knows what whe is talking about when it comes to the restaurant industry. Read her insight on starting a restaurant.

dehydrator

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

The FD-61WHC Snackmaster Express All-In-One kit has a top mounted fan. Easily dries fruit, vegetables and jerky quickly and evenly. Dries food in hours not days. Comes with 5 trays and jerky gun. Unit disassembles easily and all parts are dishwasher safe except the power head. The Opaque Vita-Save exterior helps block harmful lights which destroys nutritional content of food being dehydrated. The Patented fan flow radial air action forces air down the center of the unit and horizontally across each tray for fast, even-drying. No need to rotate

After you have harvested your vegetables you might not be sure what you should do with them. Even a large family will have a hard time eating a steady supply of fresh organic vegetables. The way to avoid wastage is to store your vegetables in your home.

It is true that some vegetables are easier to store than others but most organic vegetables can be stored and saved in some way or another.

There are actually many ways to store your harvest so do not get frustrated if you feel that you have grown more than you can eat. Many grocery stores sell mason jars and supplies needed for making preserves and canning vegetables along with instructions on how to do this. The same stores sell cheesecloth which is great for placing vegetables on when drying if they are air drying.
Food dehydrators can also be used for drying your vegetables along with your oven. When using an oven to dry vegetables set it for the lowest setting, usually 140 degrees, and watch carefully to make sure the vegetables are drying out and not roasting.

Lettuce

Once you have harvested all of your lettuce you can wash it, remove the core, and pat it dry with a towel. When you have finished store it in a plastic bag and put it in your refrigerators crisping section. This will help your lettuce remain crisp for up to a week.

Since it is harder to store vegetables for a long period of time it is recommended that you harvest your lettuce and start using it even before it has reached full growth. When it has reached full growth use what you can, store what you can use, and offer the rest to friends and family members. They will appreciate some fresh organic salad to use in their salads or to place on their sandwiches.

Root Vegetables

Root vegetables can often store longer than the other vegetables you harvest as long as they are harvested on time and correctly. Make sure your vegetables have not been bruised or damaged during the harvest. If they have been damaged throw them away since the spoilage can spread if you are not careful.

Many root vegetables such potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, and more can be stored in a cool, dark, dry place such as a root cellar or some pantries. Other root vegetables (carrots) can be dried with a food dehydrator or even in an oven set to a very low heat setting. Some vegetables such as turnips can even be stored in a refrigerator crisper, especially if they are going to be used soon.

Tomatoes

There are many ways to store tomatoes and that is a great thing since tomatoes are popular with many organic gardeners. Tomatoes can be stored well on a counter top or in a window sill if they are still a bit green. They can also be stored in the refrigerator.

Some people will dry tomatoes for later use in sauces or even preserve them. Tomatoes preserves either sweet preserves with ripened tomatoes or pickle preserves with green tomatoes can be a winter time treat.

Onions

Onions will store wonderfully in any dry, dark place. As long as the onions have not been bruised and have no sign of moisture they can be stored in a pantry or attic for a long time.

Beans and Peas

Beans and peas can often be harvested as needed but once it is time to store them there are several methods that can be used. Peas and beans can both be stored in bags in the refrigerator for several days. They also can be canned with the proper equipment. Beans can also be dried which is a popular way to store them. Once beans are dried and bagged they can later be soaked and cooked.

Corn

Corn can be stored in the refrigerator or, once the husk is removed, frozen for a long time. The kernels can also be dried, stored, and creamed at a later date.

Learn about the redbud tree and the weeping cherry tree at the Tree Facts site.

dehydrator

Nesco American Harvest 5-Tray FD-35 425-Watt Snackmaster Dehydrator

This unit features Nesco/American Harvest's innovative Top Mounted Powerhead that dries food quickly and evenly with superior results. Detaches to make dehydrator dishwasher safe for easy clean up. Fan-Flow Technology means faster, more even drying with no tray rotation necessary. Perfect for the beginner.

If you live anywhere near a hunter or hunting area, then chances are you are going to get some deer meat. There are some great, easy recipes besides the old, tried and true-deer chili, deer stew, deer roast with vegetables, deer stroganoff, grilled venison tenderloins or chicken fried deer steaks with gravy and mashed potatoes.

Deer Jerky

You aren't a true deer connoisseur unless you have tried to make your own deer jerky. You don't have to have a dehydrator; you can use your oven, set on 200-250, with a hot pad stuck in the oven door to let the moist air out. It can take anywhere from 5-10 hours, depending on how chewy you want it. You can use the meat from the ribs, the flank steaks and the scrap meat that doesn't end up ground in hamburger or sausage for this. Keep in mind that the meat you start with, ends up about a half or two thirds less after drying. Marinate inch strips and pieces overnight, in some liquid smoke, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, a little seasoning salt, garlic powder and onion powder. Next day, spread meat on wire rack, foil underneath and put in oven until done, 5-10 hours.

An easy appetizer is Venison Cherry Spread

1 pkg. of softened cream cheese, to cup of dried or fresh crushed cherries or pie filing and leftover cooked venison, roast or ground, (and a few red pepper flakes if desired for heat) and spread on crackers.

Venison Roll-ups are another easy appetizer

Simply slice steaks with the grain to make thin breakfast steaks. Roll around two or three asparagus or green onions, or one of each and secure with a moistened toothpick and throw on the grill until the meat turns brown.

Venison Roast Pizza is an easy leftover meal

Get a cooked, prepared pizza dough, or use a loaf of flatbread or French bread, split. Mix 1 pkg. of softened cream cheese with a tablespoon each of: horseradish sauce, ranch dressing, Italian dressing and spread on pizza dough or bread. Top with leftover venison roast or cooked ground venison, onions, pepper, olives or mushrooms, as desired, top with Italian blend or mozzarella cheese, bake at 350 until golden brown and cheese melts.

Crescent roll Venison Lasagna pie

Take 2 rolls of crescents and open on a pizza pan or (large round baking pan), spread with tips outward, like a sun shape. Mix together: pound of venison, pound sausage, tomato sauce, onions, peppers and green and black olives, and one pack of dry ranch dressing, prepared as instructions. Once mixed, place in the center of the "Sun", top with shredded cheese, fold all the points towards the middle, and bake at 375 until golden and inside is bubbly.

Venison Cottage Cheese Pie

Mix 1 pound of ground venison, mushrooms and onions together and put in a 9" frozen pie shell. In a separate bowl, beat 2 eggs and add 1 cup of cottage cheese and pour over the top of the meat mixture. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until set, or top mixture turns golden brown.

Whether you're an avid hunter or just someone who enjoys the offerings of a hunter you are sure to impress somebody with these easy venison recipes.

You'll find lots of single men and women to share your deer cooking with at RedneckAndSingle.com Over 18,000 single rednecks are waiting to meet you for dating, friendship and adventure. Check out http://www.redneckandsingle.com today.

dehydrator

Hiking Light - Pack Lighter by Reducing the Weight of Food in Your Backpack

Hiking light helps you have more fun. You feel less burdened, more invigorated, and closer to nature. To lighten your pack as much as possible, you need to become an expert at choosing light food. You can lighten the weight of the food you carry and maintain great nutrition and taste.

The most important food you carry is water. It's more important than other foods for survival and many bodily functions such as staying cool or warm. And since food is heavy, you need to carry enough without carrying too much. Reading your map and learning from others about water sources before you hike will reduce your water weight. In some areas you need to carry large amounts of water between sources. In other areas, you can drink large amounts when you're at water sources and not carry much in between.

The main thing to remember when you're planning your food is you'll need more than normal. Lots more. If you're hiking full days, you can plan for almost twice your normal calories. But don't fall into the trap of filling in the extra calories with packaged junk food. You don't need empty calories. You need nutritious calories.

For weekend trips, you can get away with less nutritious meals. You might even use the trip as a bit of a diet, within reason. But if you're through hiking on the long trails, you'll quickly burn up your reserves and your body won't function well without good nutrition.

When you're hiking, good nutrition is much the same as it is anytime. You should stay well hydrated, get lots of protein, complex carbohydrates, and good fats. Eat fruits and vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts, and fiber. Veggies might be the biggest challenge on long trips, although you can find them in freeze dried form. They won't be as nutritious as fresh, but you'll still benefit from them.

When thru hikers reach main roads and civilization, they're often ready to gorge on all the wrong things like sugar-filled ice cream. It would be better to overload on vegetables that you've been missing.

Fruits are a little easier to pack than vegetables, because you can readily find fruit leather and things like dried apricots, banana chips, and apple chips.

Freeze dried meals are light, but are expensive and not always dense in nutritious calories. Become more of a label reader when you buy any processed food. On nutrition labels for freeze dried food you'll notice the meals are high in sodium, sugar, and fats. Your body can handle some of those negatives since you're burning so many calories, but they're not the highest quality calories. In recent years, there have been improvements to nutrition and taste in freeze dried foods. Experiment before your hikes to see what's healthiest and what you like.

To reduce the weight and bulk of freeze dried meals, always repackage them in lighter bags, and remember to keep the label and cooking instructions.

Many backpackers use energy bars as part of their diet, even substituting them for regular meals so they can hike without stopping. Energy bars are best used short term because they're nutritional value is questionable. This is another time to read the nutrition label. You'll usually find energy bars are high in sugar which translates to empty calories. Energy bars are often expensive and short on taste. Like many other foods, you may find better choices in the health food aisle of your supermarket. But shopping of the health food aisle doesn't mean it's all nutritious. And organic doesn't mean it's always healthy food.

Processed foods always lose some food value. Many processed foods, like instant noodles, are of questionable value anytime. For the first day or two of your hike you can take a lot of fresh food if you plan ahead. With practice, you can locate the foods that give the most nutrition for their weight.

For breakfast, granola and fruit meals work great. Oatmeal is a good starter. Whole grain dry cereals with powdered milk work well. Some hikers like instant puddings to get started.

Throughout the day you can snack on things like nuts or sunflower seeds which are high in calories and protein. Whole grain crackers or pretzels are good choices. I like organic blue corn tortilla chips. Trail mixes are great because the varied content is tasty and you need to sustain energy between meals. There are a wide variety of ingredients you can experiment with at your local supermarket.

Whole grain tortillas are becoming more available. Quick cook whole grain brown rice is easy to find. Dry soup mixes can be found in any store. I mix them with about 2/3 of the water recommended so it's quicker to heat the water and the soup is thicker. Dried soup mixes are a convenient extra meal to carry in case of an emergency.

String cheese is a good snack. Beef and turkey jerky are old favorites. Dried, refried black beans are nutritious and flavorful. Peanut butter is a favorite staple of many lightweight backpackers, and it's becoming available in small, individual packages. Tuna is now offered in small, foil pouches.

A food dehydrator can be a great investment for lightweight backpackers. You can experiment and find foods you really like. You can also package the perfect amounts.

Powdered sports drinks are a convenient way to replace electrolytes, and you can use them to flavor treated water.

Remember to take your vitamin pill. It can't replace a meal, but it supplements your efforts.

Food is a memorable part of any backpacking trip. You can trim the food weight in your backpack, increase your energy, and enjoy your meals and snacks.

About the author: Steve Green of http://www.hikelight.com is an avid hiker who has enjoyed trimming his backpack weight for over 40 years.

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