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.

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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.

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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