Backpacking Simple Food Ideas
Here are some very simple ideas for dehydrated and light-weight
foods.
1) Any packaged dinner mix from the grocery and packed in ziploc
baggies ie, Macaroni & Cheese, Rice-a-Roni, Broccoli and Cheese, etc
There are tons of these things available today. If they call for milk,
then the boys can carry powdered milk in baggies. Margarine will
travel well, and since they will be working hard, the extra fat might be
desirable.
2) Instant oatmeal and instant grits and bagels are great for breakfast.
Again, powdered milk can be used with these. Get some of the new
Fantastic Foods hot cereal mixes–they are warm and filling.
3) Dehydrated vegetables and full meals can be found in camping
stores. Add dried peas to a box of mac & cheese, for instance
4) Try Ramen noodle soups, or any of those “soup in a cup”s (that can
be packaged in baggies so they take up less room).
5) Dehydrated bean flakes that mix up almost instantly with water are
available in HFS. Mix these with some cooked minute rice and put in a
tortilla. Yum! Flavor them with onion, garlic, cumin powders.
6) Cheese backpacks well. Again, the fat may not be so bad if they are
hiking all day. And if it’s cold, then the fat is almost necessary to
help them stay warm. (You need a lot more calories when it’s cold.)
Add a hunk to any soup, pasta, rice, or dehydrated veggies you’re
cooking.
7) Pasta, pasta, pasta. Top it with sauces made from the dry package
mixes. A lot of these are tasty. High in sodium and preservatives
sometimes, but for a couple of meals they won’t hurt you.
Instant mashed potatoes that can be mixed with the powdered milk
or water only. Make up an instant gravy to go top.
9) Dried fruit can be cooked in some water and put on top of a piece of
angel food cake for dessert. (Hey, the cake might get crushed a little,
but it is lightweight!) Add some cinnamon and Tang (in lieu of orange
juice)and you approximate a Cooking Light recipe.
10) The dry veggie burger mixes would make a great meal. Most of
them make up with water only and many are quite tasty.
11) Bulgar and couscous cook up in only a few minutes with boiling
water.

General Cooking Tips
1. Add a little zest. When a recipe calls for a “zest” of a citrus fruit, it’s referring to the
colorful outer part of the skin, not the inner white part, which is known as the pith.
The zest contains all of the aromatic citrus oils and provides a hint of citrus tang to the
recipe. A simple method of obtaining a fine zest is by rubbing the fruit against the
smallest holes of a cheese grater.
2. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Good cooks are never afraid to deviate from a recipe
and add their own flair. Whenever you make a substitution or addition be sure to
make a note on the recipe so you remember next time whether you liked the change or not

3. Salted butter vs. unsalted butter. Butter is available both with and without salt. The
salt is added for extra flavor and to help preserve it so it has a longer shelf life. The
problem is that sometimes the salt in butter can be more than a recipe needs. Choosing
unsalted butter gives you more control over how much salt your dish contains. If you
only have salted butter, the best thing to do is omit approximately ¼ teaspoon of salt
per ½ cup (one stick) of butter used in the recipe.
4. Use your kitchen scissors. Right now you probably only use your kitchen scissors
for opening packaging and bags of milk. But next time you’re trimming fat from a
roast, opening pitas or cutting chicken into strips, consider using your scissors! Chefs
use them all the time for cutting meats and other food items. It’s probably best to have
a pair that are designated as food scissors only. And be sure you clean them very well
after each use because they do have crevices where bacteria can hide.
5. Keep your recipes organized. Nothing is more frustrating when you’re ready to start
cooking then not being able to find your recipe. Keep things organized by finding a
system for filing your recipes that you can keep close at hand in the kitchen. A great
option is to buy one of those photo albums where you peel back a plastic sheet and
underneath is a sticky surface. This makes recipes easy to find and at any time you
can remove or replace them!
6. Stop foods from sticking to the pan. To keep food from sticking to the bottom of
your pans, try to avoid ever putting cold foods into a hot pan. Also, don’t put food
into a pan that is not perfectly clean, otherwise the resulting build up could lead to
burned food.
7. Stop water from boiling over. To keep pans from boiling over when cooking, add a
thin layer of butter around the rim of the pan. This works well for rice, pasta and
potatoes.
8. Avoid oozing egg whites. Do your eggs ooze out some of their whites when you boil
them? This is because every egg contains an air pocket at the larger, rounded end.
When placed in simmering water the air pocket expands and creates a higher
atmospheric pressure within the egg than in the water. The fragile shell cracks from
the built-up pressure. Avoid this problem in the future by removing eggs from the
refrigerator and piercing the larger end with a pin. This will give the air a hole to
escape through!
9. Cut breads and cakes perfectly every time. It may sound strange but dental floss
can be used to slice bread and cakes for a perfect slice every time. This is also the
easiest way to cut a layer cake in half so you can add a filling. For perfect results
freeze the cake before cutting it.
10. Get more juice from citrus fruits. When a recipe calls for the juice of lemons, limes
or oranges, make sure you get every last drop by first rolling the fruit under your palm
on a hard surface. Press down as hard as you can as you roll. Then simply slice it in
half and squeeze. You’ll find you get significantly more juice to add lots of flavor to
your dish.
11. Peel garlic easily. Peeling garlic can be frustrating unless you know this little tip that
the pros use. Lay a clove flat on a hard surface and then pressing down hard on it with
the flat side of a large knife. Once you’ve pressed hard enough you’ll hear a “pop”
that tells you the peel has separated. Even with this trick your fingers will
undoubtedly smell like garlic. Get rid of that odor by washing them well with salt.
12. Repair cracked eggs. If you have an egg that cracks while boiling, just add a capful
of vinegar to the water and watch as the eggshell seals itself. Unfortunately though, if
the whites have begun to ooze out this trick won’t work.
13. Make sure the oil is hot before frying foods. Although they’re not the healthiest
option, fried foods sure do taste good. The key to perfect frying is to get the oil hot
before you put the food in. (Not so hot that it is smoking though – be careful!) If you
don’t get the oil hot, your food will absorb too much oil and taste greasy. To test
whether the oil is hot enough for frying, throw in a drop of water or even a small
piece of what you’re cooking. If it bubbles rapidly then you know it’s ready.
14. Get the right temperature for deep frying. Does your oil always seem to be the
wrong temperature? A simple way to find out if your oil is hot enough is to use a
bread cube. If the bread browns in a minute, the oil is between 350 and 365 degrees,
40 seconds – 365 and 382 degrees, 20 seconds – 382 and 390 degrees. Or, if you have
one, you can use a thermometer. Just be sure that it is a metal thermometer designed
for deep fryers.
15. A substitution for eggs. Need an egg for a recipe but you’re all out? You can
substitute two tablespoons of real mayonnaise for a large egg in any recipe. Be sure
not to use whipped salad dressing though unless you want the extra salt that it
contains.
16. Interesting uses for apples. You may have heard before that it’s best to keep apples
stored separately from other fruits and vegetables because they give off gases that
speed up ripening. Well those same gases are actually useful for some things. An
apple wedge in the bag will soften clumped brown sugar over night. It will also keep
your potatoes from sprouting.
17. Remove the fat from soups. Remove the fat from homemade soups by tossing in
four ice cubes. The fat will congeal around the ice, which can then be removed. This
will cool the soup, so you may need to reheat after completing the process.
18. Serve a perfect punch. When serving punch it is usually left on a buffet table for
everyone to help themselves to. So it’s important to keep it cold. However, instead of
ice, which will dilute the punch, freeze some of the punch itself beforehand and use
that.
19. Stop pre-made sandwiches from going soggy. To prevent lunchtime sandwiches
from becoming soggy, spread both pieces of bread to the edges with butter, mustard
or mayonnaise. Then wrap the sandwich in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Or is
possible, assemble the sandwich just before eating. Just pack the bread and filling
separately.
20. Always marinate foods in a glass or ceramic dish. Most marinades contain an
acidic ingredient such as lemon juice, vinegar or wine that can react with metal and
cause off-flavors in your food. To save on cleanup, try marinating your fish or meat in
a large plastic bag with a zip closure. Set the bag on a plate or in a shallow bowl and
refrigerate, turning the bowl occasionally to distribute the marinade.
21. Reduce grease splatters. Few things are messier than splattering grease. And if it
gets on your skin it can be painful. Reduce grease splatters by sprinkling hot grease
with salt prior to adding the food to be fried. If this is not completely effective, you
can buy grease splatter shields at kitchen stores.
22. Easily grate cheese. Make grating cheese a snap by tossing your cheese into the
freezer for an hour before shredding. This will make the cheese hard enough to grate
without compromising the taste or texture

Happy Cooking!

Robert

Chocolates Health Benefits Make it Easy to Indulge!
By Colleen Maguire

Until a few years ago, coffee was said to be bad for health. It has now been proven that a cup of coffee a day goes a long way! The same can be said of chocolate. Chocolate was once lauded as a get-fat scheme, with chocoholics trying their hardest to quit their chocolate addiction!

With research, these traditional beliefs of chocolate being harmful to the health have become obsolete. In fact, chocolate is now regarded as a heaven-sent gift to preserve good health! So don’t be too surprised if you’re given a compulsory order to eat some chocolate some day soon!

There is an Indian tribe called Kuna living in the Panama Islands that has one thing to say for itself: Good Health. These people of the Kuna tribe take up to five glasses of chocolate every day. And guess what? They have no history of high blood pressure, lung cancer, or heart diseases. So what does this tell us about chocolate?

Experts have mentioned that the good qualities of chocolate depend on the percentage of cocoa content in it. Basically, the darker, the better!

The benefits of chocolate are vast, and some were actually discovered more than two thousand years ago. The first to discover the fact that chocolate is a healthy substance was Montezuma, the Emperor of the ancient Aztec civilization. Montezuma reputedly drank chocolate fifty times a day, to “build up resistance and fight fatigue”.

One advantage of cocoa-rich chocolate is the presence of polyphenols. Dark chocolate is known to be full of polyphenols, such as flavonoids and tannins, which are basically chemical compounds that provide good health benefits to the body.

Chocolate contains flavonoids which are purported to be the main ingredients in keeping us healthy. Unfortunately, as the cocoa beans are roasted and processed into eating chocolate, some of the flavonoids are lost. This is why having chocolate with a richer cocoa content is more beneficial. Flavonoids have been shown to reduce the probability of getting lung cancer, heart disease, type II diabetes, as well as prostate cancer.

One of the major flavonoids found in dark chocolate is epicatechin, which is used in widening and relaxing of blood vessels. While theobromine helps, epitachin is the main reason as to why people who eat dark chocolate daily rarely suffer from high blood pressure. Some tests done on two groups of people suffering from hypertension have proved that dark chocolate really does reduce blood pressure by widening arteries and other blood vessels.

Another benefit of chocolate lies in the theobromine it contains. Generally, dark chocolate with a higher percentage of cocoa contains more theobromine, which actively lowers blood pressure by dilating blood vessels. Since theobromine can also relax your bronchial muscles, eating chocolate containing it really helps when you’ve got a cough.

Dark chocolate also prevents aging effects. Yes, you read that right! In today’s world, many people (especially women) try to look younger with cosmetic surgery, plenty of exercise, Botox injections and the like. When one square of chocolate a day helps you keep those wrinkles off your face, why go for such excessive measures?

Another benefit of chocolate is that it is a natural antidepressant. Have you ever wondered as to why most of us use chocolate to cheer us up? There, you’ve figured it out! Chocolate contains tryptophan, and tryptophan induces the production of serotonin in your body, which is a hormone that is your body’s own natural antidepressant.

Magnesium and Iron are two major compounds found in adequate supply in one bar of chocolate. Having a chocolate bar over a week supplements the magnesium and iron levels in your body. Also, chocolate can be extremely healthy if you like the pecan and almond types, which provide your body with additional nutrients.

As healthy as chocolate is for you, it still isn’t something that you should overindulge. A little goes a long way - If you have a serving of high quality, rich, creamy delicious chocolate you can get both the health benefits and the delicious taste sensations without any worries of weight gain. So the next time that niggling craving for chocolate rises, just say that you are having some for your health and enjoy each bite!

Colleen Maguire -

Writer, Traveler and Chocolate Lover

For More Delicious Chocolate Ideas and Tastes:

http://www.UltimateChocolateShoppe.com

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Is There More to Life Than Chocolate?
By Sharon Cacho

I have, in past articles, given you a history of chocolate. I have since then uncovered some more fun information about other of our confectionery delights. It isn’t just limited to chocolate, you know!

Upon some research, I uncovered something really interesting about jelly beans. I know that (regardless of age) we all grew up with them. In fact, they are so old that jelly beans were reportedly advertised as early as the 1860’s when William Shraft claims to have sent them to Union soldiers as treats during the Civil War!

Licorice, a favorite among movie- goers, was found (in licorice root form) in King Tut’s tomb. It was used as a cure-all for everything from

curing “thirst and hunger” to curing kidney disorders. And just about everything in between, including stomach problems and coughs. Licorice in root form, was used during the middle ages to help with food poisoning, and was so popular in 1305 that it was taxed in England to help repair the London Bridge!

Another one that had an interesting background were candy cigarettes, also referred to as candy sticks. You could blow the powdered sugar so that it looked like you were exhaling smoke and then, of course, you would wrap the cigarettes under the sleeve of your T-shirt

Among the “tough, cool” kids of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, it was definitely a fun thing to do, with it’s red tip (did you know that on the bubble gum version the wax paper wrapping simulates a filtered cigarette?) They are still available with brands being sold in Spiderman, Popeye and Tom and Jerry varieties. What a way to go for those who didn’t really want to smoke (mostly due to parents wrath!), but wanted to look cool anyway!

Straight from that into really smoking? Had to cover your breath somehow…so enter Sen-Sen mints. Still available today, they were marketed as a breath perfume, created by T.B. Dunn company literally to mask the breath of smokers.

Okay, so I would be re-miss not to add one chocolate fact, since that remains far and above most peoples favorite. Let’s take 3 Musketeers.

In 1932, 3 Musketeers was packaged with three (hence the first part of the name) chocolate bars: one vanilla, one strawberry, and one chocolate (hence, the musketeers.)

Contact us for more confectionery delights and information at http://www.nostalgic-candy.net

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Are you Thinking of cutting down your expenses on food? Then you need to read the following tips. They will definitely help you on reducing your food expenses. They are by no means comprehensive but they will be very helpful and in today’s economy we all need help with the skyrocketing prices.

For coffee drinkers

It is a good idea to re-use the grounded coffee once. Using coffee grounds two times or more will not greatly affect the taste of the coffee. It is highly encouraged to do this using a filter that is permanent and avoid the paper variety. Keep the grounds refrigerated until using it the following day.

For bread lovers

Grocery stores sell bread that was made the day before at a much lower price. There is nothing wrong with eating bread that was made the day before since it still is good to eat. If you have a lot of space in your refrigerator, store a lot for bigger savings. If you will eat the bread, you can defrost it using your microwave oven. Re-heat it every 30 seconds to prevent the edges of the bread from getting too hard.

When buying your groceries

Before going to the grocery, you should have already made a list of all the things that you really need. Prioritize basic goods and avoid buying things that you do not really need. Observe the prices indicated on the displays. Remember, branded products cost considerably more than store brands. It is also a good idea to keep the receipt of your previous trip to the grocery and make it as a basis for your purchases on your next trip. To have higher savings, buy more of the product. You can always store it in your refrigerator or in the house to minimize your trips to the grocery store.

When eating out

If you are going to eat in a pricey restaurant, the best time for you to go there would be during lunch. Food during lunch usually costs less and this will be to your advantage. When staying at the hotel on your trips, it is a good idea to check if they also include breakfast in your total room charge. You should also find out where the locals eat. Chances are, they will eat where the food is great and the price is even better. When walking around, carry snacks. A chocolate bar, chips, and cookies will go a long way while strolling around.

Eating cheaply does not necessarily mean eating bad food. Look around and you will be suprised at the options you can choose from. Take time and consider your choices so that you will save some money while eating out.

Papa John’s Coupons
By Hugh Haughm

There’s a reason why Papa John’s Pizza is one of the most popular pizza joints in the country, and it’s all starts with their essential serving — the pizza. As with every other pan pizza in the market, Papa John’s Pizza actually has that undeniably distinct taste rich with generous mozzarella cheese and tasty tomato sauce that has made people come back for more! Not to mention, the restaurant also has its signature flavors to choose, all of which render a different and pleasurable dining experience that every pan pizza enthusiast will enjoy!

One of the most popular topping for every order of pizza from the place is the Works, which has every topping that you could ask for from your pizza (pepperoni, sausage, ham, green peppers, mushrooms, olives). Also, Papa John’s Pizza caters to veal lovers will the Meats (bacon, pepperoni, ham, and sausage) while vegetarians can observe their diet while chomping away with the distict pizza taste of the restaurant with Garden Fresh (tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, olives, and peppers). There are a lot more where people can sink their teeth in with the Tuscan Six Cheese, Spicy Italian, BBQ Chicken and Bacon, and Hawaiian BBQ Chicken.

However, before indulging yourself with arguably the best pan pizzas in town, Papa John’s Pizza allows you to train your stomach with some tasty side order dishes just for you! There are a variety of bread sticks that people can choose from, ranging from the regular sticks, Garlic Parmesan, and the Cheese sticks, all of which are available for your pleasure. Chicken dishes are made to order for poultry lovers with their tasty Chicken strips and Wings. Also, customers are treated with a hearty serving of dessert with the Cinna Swirl Sweet treats for your confection.

Of course, everybody knows that the food won’t be any good if the service and staff members aren’t doing their job to provide the pizzas to your liking. Thankfully, the attendants of Papa John’s Pizza do their way in giving customers their orders with minimal fuzz. At times, the guys at the cashiers may have screwed up my order on few occasions, but it wasn’t much of a big deal because their excellent and accommodating service more than makes up for it. Not to mention, their delivery service is unbeatable, bringing the best things of the restaurant right at your doorsteps.

Get your free Papa John’s coupons here

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100 Degrees, For a Romantic Dinner - Restaurants in Hyderabad
By Pranay Rupani

What you see - 100 Degrees comes across as another winner from Ohri’s. What works in its favor is its location on Necklace road with a magnificent view of Tank Bund. The restaurant’s interiors are done with muted lights, water fountains in the center and a dome-like-structure that gives positive energy and appeal to the ambiance.

You can decide to dine inside or alfresco. The terrace area overlooking the Hussainsagar Lake with beach umbrellas is nothing short of a seaside experience especially during the evenings. The area is open for dinner and offers perfect setting for a romantic time out. But make your reservations if you want to enjoy the open roof as the seats there are limited and seldom available. The other side of the restaurant has a very secluded feel to it and is modeled like a lounge with soft pop music playing in the background.

What you get - 100 Degrees is a complete treat of global cuisines - Continental, Mediterranean, Tex-Mex and Indian.

The sizzlers are varied - Japanese Yakitori, Indian Kadai Paneer, Moroccan Chicken, Olive crusted Pomfret and more. Indian and Chinese noodle sizzlers are the unique selling points. You can also make your own sizzler choosing the bread, sauces and accompaniments, wash it down with some wine and end with Baklava (Greek and Middle eastern dessert made of thin pastry and nuts) served with ice cream.

The restaurant also offers finest coffees from all over the world. Be it coffee from Coorg, Hawaii, Jamaica, Yemen, Columbia or special teas like Earl Grey and Lemon Tea, the choice is wide.

The 100 Degrees Sizzler and the scrumptious Chicken Sizzler are must-tries. There is nothing like sipping your favorite drink, taking in the cool breeze blowing past and biting into a piping hot sizzler.

Our verdict - The Yakitori is not as authentic as promised but the Middle Eastern fare is par excellence. This is not a restaurant which is modestly priced but the ambiance makes it worth every penny. The kebabs are to die for as well. A glass of fine wine would go really well with the ambiance and is the recommended drink of choice.

The service is satisfactory though the knowledge of the staff on the dishes being served is at best limited but nonetheless satisfactory. We would have liked more tables for two outside as well. There is valet parking facility available. All in all, one of the best places for a romantic dinner in Hyderabad.

Restaurants in Hyderabad has been written by Pranay who writes for MetroMela

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2 1/2 to 3 lb. chicken, cut up
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/2 c. boiling water
1/2 c. apple juice
2 c. sliced fresh green beans, French style
1 c. diced peeled apples
1 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 oz. bread
Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken on
a rack in a shallow open roasting pan. Bake in hot oven (450 degrees)
until browned, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350
degrees. Remove chicken and rack; pour off any fat from pan. Return
chicken to pan. Dissolve bouillon in boiling water. Pour over chicken
along with apple juice. Stir in green beans. Cover and bake 25
minutes. Stir in apple. Cover and bake 10 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, in small saucepan mix flour with cinnamon. Blend with 1
tablespoon of cold water. Stir in hot pan liquid. Cook and stir until
mixture boils and thickens slightly. Serve with chicken and
vegetables.

1 3/4 c. cake flour, sifted
1/43 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
4 eggs, separated
1/2 c. melted butter or oil
3/4 c. Fruit Sweet
3/4 c. Fudge Sweet
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. milk
Sift dry ingredients together and set aside. Combine the butter or oil,
Fruit Sweet, Fudge Sweet and vanilla. Add the yolks to the liquid
mixture, blending one at a time. Add the flour mixture to the liquid
mixture alternately with the milk. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks
and fold in gently but thoroughly. Bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour in
2 (9″) round greased and floured tins. Test. Cake will spring back
when lightly touched. For a drier cake, bake until the cake draws
away from the edge of the pan. Cool.
–FILLING–
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
3 tbsp. Fruit Sweet
1 tsp. vanilla
Blend together. Cream cheese may be warmed slightly to soften for
blending. Fill cake, then frost with whipped cream sweetened to taste
with Fruit Sweet, flavored with vanilla or your favorite flavoring.
Drizzle melted Fruit Sweet around edge of cake. *optional - put thinly
sliced strawberries on top.

So, you have got a great Chinese recipe you want to try out but you realize you are not prepared at all for the demands of Chinese cooking.

Well, there are many ways you can recreate what you should have with what you might have on hand. This goes for cookware as well as actual food ingredients.

An important part of cooking any Chinese recipe to perfection is to use the right cookware. Many people don’t own a wok or rice cooker however and will have to use what they have in the kitchen.

A normal frying pan can work as a wok but it’s best to use a very deep frying pan that is at least 1 and a half inches deep.

Woks rely on oil and high heat to cook meat and vegetables and if you use a shallow pan, grease will get all over and might even spill out and start on fire. That’s no good at all.

For rice, a normal saucepan will work but you need to make sure you have a tight fitting lid. Tin foil over the top will work in an emergency but can burn you and is not recommended.

Many Chinese recipes call for a meat or seafood to be breaded and deep fried. Without a deep fryer, you are going to have a mess no matter what.

The deepest cooking pot or saucepan you have will work but will probably splash all over no matter how you try to contain it.

These are basic solutions but having the proper equipment can really make a difference. An electric wok is very easy to clean and can also be used to deep fry.

A rice cooker really isn’t necessary unless you truly can’t cook rice. Buy what you need and have fun with your new recipes.