Where To Buy Hamilton Beach Roaster Oven Discounted Read Tuck Everlasting Online
Slow cookers or crock pots are countertop electrical cooking appliances that maintain a low temperature for several hours. This enables cooking stew or pot roast without the need to check on it from time to time.
Amateur cooks will find it very easy to handle and maintain. All you need to do is to fill it up, and then turn it on. After several hours, dinner can be served. However, when using the slow cooker, there are some things you need to consider. It is best to get one that has a removable liner, making it very easy to clean. If you already have one with a non-removable liner, you can just use a cooking bag; then, use cooking spray on the inner liner.
Make sure you only fill your slow cooker ½ up to 2/3 full. The food will not be cooked properly if filled to the brim. However, if the liquid and food level is a bit lower, it will cook quickly.
You will find that the food along the bottom part of the slow cooker are moister and become cooked faster. This is because they are continuously immersed inside the simmering liquid. Since fats have a tendency to melt and cook easily when heated for a long time, resulting to an unpleasant texture, it is best to trim the excess fat formed and remove the skin from poultry.
During the last 30 minutes of cooking time, you can remove the lid and cook it on high to thicken the juices and add more flavors. It is best to cook on High during the 1st hour of cooking so that the temperature would easily reach 140 degrees, ensuring food safety. When you are almost done with your cooking, you can turn the dial to Low.
Do not place frozen foods inside your slow cooker. It should be defrosted first before cooking it. This way the temperature would easily reach 140 degrees. It also protects the appliance from being damaged.
Use cheaper cuts of meat because this requires about 8 hours of low cooking. Aside from being able to save money, they have less fat, moist and they result to more tender meats.
Ground meat should be cooked inside a skillet prior to cooking it in the slow cooker. If you will be cooking seafood in a slow cooker, this should be added in the last hour of cooking; otherwise, it will become overcooked and it will showcase a rubbery texture. Take note, 1 hour on high setting is actually equal to 2 hours on low setting.
Only use small amounts of Tabasco sauce and cayenne pepper because they become bitter when they are cooked for a long time. It is best to add them during the end of your cooking time.
Make sure you only add tender vegetables such as mushrooms, tomatoes and zucchini on the last 45 mins. of cooking time. This way, you will not overcook them.
Dairy products, on the other hand, must be added only during the last 30 minutes of cooking time.
Prior to storage, take out cooked food from the slow cooker or liner. Since the slow cooker's liner is composed of thick material, cooked food will not be able to cool down quickly so as to prevent the growth of bacteria.
Only stir in spices during the last hour of cooking time. If you cook this for a long time, it will lose its flavor.
Carefully follow the layering instructions. Since vegetables are not cooked as easily as meat, you need to place them in the bottom of your slow cooker.
If you are using low temperature, do not lift the lid when you stir. This is because the heat will escape and extend the cooking time to 30 minutes more. You can check the cooking progress by spinning the cover so that the condensation would fall off, giving you a chance to look inside your slow cooker.
Here are some of the best Roast Beef Recipes you can cook with your slow cooker:
Roast Beef a la Mushroom Soup
Ingredients are 1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup, small to medium shoulder or chuck of beef roast, 1 can of French Onion Soup, a dash of pepper and ½ can of water (for cleaning the soup can).
Procedure:
Place the first 3 ingredients inside your slow cooker. Mix the ingredients until thoroughly blended. Sprinkle a dash of pepper. Put the settings on Low and allow cooking for the entire night. The next day, remove the meat and prepare your gravy. If your gravy seems too thin, add about 1 to 2 tsp. of cornstarch with ¼ cups of cold water. Set the cooker on high. Stir in the mixture to thicken and serve.
Roast Beef with Gravy
Ingredients are olive oil, 3 to 3 ½ pounds Boneless Rump Roast, 8 garlic slivers, salt and pepper. You will also need a meat thermometer. For the gravy, you will need some beef stock or red wine and corn starch.
Procedure:
One hour prior to cooking remove the roast from the refrigerator at put it in room temperature.
Using a sharp knife, you need to cut about eight small incisions around your roast. You will place one sliver of garlic on each incision. Place one tablespoon of olive oil around your roast and then sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Put your roast on the oven rack with the fatty side up and a drip pan over a rack under the roasting rack. This way, you will not be required to turn the roast.
Brown your roast at 375oF for 30 minutes. Then, put it on 225oF. It would still 2 to 3 hours to cook but if it starts to drip and is already brown externally, use your meat thermometer to check its temperature. After this, pull your roast from the oven once the temperature reaches 135 to 140oF. Place it on an aluminum foil for about 15 minutes and carve to serve.
For the gravy:
Take out the dripping pan from the oven. Place it on the stove top while it is on medium heat. Collect the drippings, add water, beef stock or red wine. This will loosen the drippings off the pan. Then, dissolve one tablespon of cornstarch with water and add this on the drip pan. Stir it quickly as the gravy thickens. You can also add some butter, salt and pepper. Aside from this, you can also add some fresh thyme.
Perhaps you've just started trying to conceive a baby, or maybe you've been trying to conceive for a long time. Either way, the following tips will help increase your chances of getting pregnant.
First, you must do all you can to ensure that if you do conceive, your body will be able to provide all that the baby needs to grow healthy and strong.
Drugs and Alcohol
Drugs must be avoided, including alcohol. Yes, alcohol is a drug. Ingesting drugs could cause your baby problems such as addiction, growth deformities, retardation, and brain damage. Any amount is potentially harmful. It is not worth the risk!
Smoking and Tobacco
The same goes for smoking and other forms of tobacco. The risks include premature birth, placenta previa, placental abruption, breathing problems for your baby, and various illnesses.
Caffeine
Caffeine should not be overlooked, either, as it is a strong stimulant, and some studies have shown that the risk of miscarriage is increased by too much caffeine. Caffeine can be found in coffee, soda, and chocolate.
Chemicals
Also beware of chemicals. All chemicals you come in contact with may be potentially hazardous. Learn what the risks are and how to avoid them. If your house was built before 1978, lead paint may be a problem. Have your paint tested, because lead is harmful to a baby's growing brain. Reassess any chemical cleaners you use at home or in the workplace, and at the very least, wear rubber gloves when using them.
Now that the negatives are out of the way, let's focus on the positives!
Food
Eat a healthy diet to ensure that you are getting the nutrients that your body, and your baby, will need to ensure a healthy pregnancy. This means a varied diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, and protein. Don't overdo the high-sugar, fatty treats.
Water
Drink at least six to eight glasses of water a day. This keeps you hydrated and helps remove toxins from your body.
Don't wait until you're thirsty to fill your glass. By then you are already dehydrated!
Vitamins
It is important to have a sufficient intake of vitamins, but it is best to get these from your food. A good prenatal vitamin is a wise "safety net" that can be taken if okayed by your doctor. Folic acid (folate) is vital for a woman trying to conceive. Make sure you have four milligrams (4,000 micrograms)of folic acid every day to prevent neural tube defects in your baby-to-be. Overloading on vitamins can be bad, however, as too much A or D can cause birth defects.
Exercise
Regular exercise is important for a healthy lifestyle and pregnancy. Establish a reasonable routine of exercise now, and you will be able to keep this up while pregnant, meaning you will feel and look better.
Your Weight Affects Fertility
This is more true than many women realize. Being overweight or underweight can negatively affect your fertility. Learn what your healthy weight is for your age and height, and try to reach that weight before becoming pregnant, because pregnancy is no time for dieting!
Know Your Cycle Length
Before you can pinpoint the best time to try to conceive, you must be familiar with the length of your menstrual cycle.
Normal cycle lengths can be anywhere from about 21 days to 35. Day 1 of your cycle begins on the day you start your period. Cycles can be thrown out of whack by working long shifts, night shifts, frequent travel, unhealthy dietary habits, and stress. This in turn can affect ovulation.
Tracking Ovulation:
The key to conceiving is knowing when you ovulate. It is a common misconception that women ovulate on day 14. This number comes from an average, for women who have 28-day cycles, and may not be correct for you. Ovulation usually occurs about 14 days before your next cycle begins. So if you have a 35 day cycle, you more likely ovulate on day 21.
But there is more you can do than merely make an educated guess. There are several different ways to figure out when you ovulate. You can watch for your body's natural signs, or take things a step further and use an ovulation prediction test of some kind.
1. Mittelschmerz
Some women can tell when they ovulate. They feel a pain on the side of their pelvis area, and this is called "mittelschmerz," a German word for "middle pain". This can be a confusing method of detecting ovulation, however, and cannot be relied upon for most women.
2. Cervical Mucous
By keeping track of the changes in your cervical mucous throughout your cycle, you can roughly estimate your time of ovulation. When the cervical mucous changes from a thick, sticky discharge to a more plentiful liquid of egg white consistency (that can be stretched about three inches between your fingers), you are in your fertile period.
3. Cervix Consistency
As you near ovulation, the tissues of your cervix become softer. How do you check for this? Wash your hands thoroughly and use your index finger. When the cervix feels soft as an ear lobe or like the inside of your cheek, then you are close to ovulating.
4. Basal Body Temperature
When a woman ovulates, her body's temperature rises ever-so-slightly. This method has been used for decades, but can be confusing and tricky. First, you will need a basil body thermometer, which measures minute temperature changes of .1 degree. A digital basal body thermometer is easier to read and it registers faster. You must take your temperature the same time and way every morning before getting out of bed or even speaking, so as not to affect your temperature. Each movement you make decreases your chances of an accurate reading. Then you chart this information, looking for at least a .4 degree rise from your average temperature to indicate ovulation. You may detect a drop in temperature right before ovulation. By now you can see there is a large margin for error with this method, and you could end up detecting ovulation too late.
The following is more reliable than the above four methods:
5. Ovulation Prediction with the Help of Technology
Ovulation Prediction Kits
Always follow the instructions precisely. These kits are fairly easy to use, but the cost varies greatly. You begin testing several days before you would expect to ovulate. You test each day using urine, much like a pregnancy test (do not use first morning urine, though, as this is too concentrated). The test detects LH (luteinizing hormone), and the test line darkens when it is time to start trying to conceive.
Fertility Monitors
A fertility monitor is a little computer that tells you when you should test you urine. Then it tests it for you and produces a result of low, high, or fertile, based on the levels of LH and estrogen detected. This monitor is costly, however, and you do need to keep buying urine test sticks.
Ovulation Microscopes
Also known as saliva testers or ferning testers, ovulation microscopes are one of the easiest and cheapest ways to test for your fertile period. They are simple to use but highly accurate-over 90% so. Another plus is that you test your saliva instead of urine.
To use an ovulation microscope, you place a saliva drop on the glass, let it dry, then observe the results, twisting the lens to focus. When your first see a ferning, crystal-like pattern (like frost on glass), you know that ovulation will be occurring soon, within about four days. This gives you ample time to attempt conception. As you continue to test each day, the ferning becomes more distinct as you reach your time of ovulation.
The microscopes resemble a lipstick tube, so you can carry it easily in your purse wherever you go. You can use it any time of day or night. Best of all, you can use it over and over again-perfect for those women who love to test. At less than , an ovulation microscope is a great value!
Timing and Frequency:
Once you know when you ovulate, you can use this knowledge to time intercourse. Some couples simply have intercourse every day in an attempt to get pregnant. This is not the best way, however, because this can cause a lower sperm count. Instead, it is wiser to have sex every other day. However, "saving" up sperm for a long time will not increase your chances, and can result in less effective sperm. Once you have figured out when you expect to ovulate, time intercourse for a few days before, during, and after ovulation.
For example, if you expect to ovulate on day 16, you ideally want to have sex on 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20. Remember, sperm can live for three days or longer once inside you, but the egg is only viable for twelve to twenty-four hours.
After:
After intercourse, it is recommended that you lie on your back and elevate your hips by placing a pillow under them. This makes it easier for the sperm to reach its destination. Staying like this for about a half an hour should be sufficient. Now you just need to wait two weeks till you can take a pregnancy test and try for that big fat positive!
The Angelcare Baby Monitor Deluxe AC401 by Graco combines a quality sound monitor and a movement monitor in a single system. The under-the-mattress movement sensor pad detects your baby's slightest movements, even when sleeping, and sounds an alarm only if no movement whatsoever is detected for 20 seconds.
The Angelcare baby monitor also transmits all other nursery sounds and has a movement indicator light showing if movement is being detected.The Angelcare baby monitor offers an optional tic feature, it will tick if movement is detected.
The Angelcare movement and sound monitor deluxe offers parents peace of mind and a good nights sleep knowing that your precious baby's breathing patterns are being monitored around the clock. If you have any concerns about sleep apnoea or SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) then this high quality sound and movement baby monitor should ease your worries. It is the only baby monitor available (outside of the hospital system) that every parent rates it an impressive 5 out of 5.
Additional features:
The nursery unit has a soft nightlight and room thermometer, it's temperature is displayed on the parents units, which can alert you when the temperature falls out of your pre-set range. The high-tech monitor enables all the units to share data and communicate with each other, if you change a setting on one parent unit that setting will automatically be changed on the other unit.
The Angelcare Baby Monitor comes with an out of range indicator, a parent's unit locator, optional voice activation and a color LCD on each Parent's unit which displays all of the data. The new Deluxe Angelcare model AC401 operates on both 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz frequencies. Its sound monitor operates on the 900 MHz frequency so there is no interference from 2.4 GHz equipment. The monitor has 8 channels to avoid interference and an 820' range.
Important Installation Requirements:
Sensor Pad: Place a 1/2" (6mm) masonite or plywood board measuring at least 16"x24" under the crib mattress for stability, this is essential for a spring base. The sensor pads are placed on top of the board below the crib mattress. The sensor pads work under any standard crib mattress.
Nursery Unit: The nursery unit should be at least 38cm from the crib at all times.
Parent Unit Settings: Only 1 parent unit needs to be programmed as the 2nd unit automatically picks up the same settings of the 1st unit.
Tic, Movement and Sound Features:
The 'tic' feature is represented by a pendulum on the parent unit which monitors movement on the sensor pads, it makes an audible ticking noise.
The 'face' represents sound being monitored from the baby's room.
The 'Waves' display are for movement. The sensor pads a very sensitive to movement.
There are 5 different combinations to choose from, sound only, movement only, sound and movement, movement and tic, also tic, sound and movement.
There is also an option of continuous sound reception or voice activation.
Alarm and Vibration:
The movement sensor pads that are placed under the mattress, have adjustable sensitivity, a dial at the back of the nursery unit adjusts the sensitivity of the sensor pads. A loud alarm sounds on the parents unit and the nursery unit if NO movement is detected after 20 seconds. The alarm is loud enough to wake even a heavy sleeper since the situation could be life threatening for the infant. Often the baby is also awoken from the alarm too, potentially avoiding a critical situation.
The movement monitor is used on average for 14 months, however the sound monitor can be used for as long as you find necessary.
There are 3 alarm settings: Alarm only, Vibration only or Alarm and Vibration.
Room Temperature Monitoring: The room temperature in the baby's room is monitored on the parent unit, it's represented by a 'sun and snowflake' icon. It can be programmed as a temperature range - lowest temperature setting to highest, the alarm will sound if the temperature moves outside of your pre-set conditions.
Hold Feature: To avoid the alarm going off when you pick up your baby, you must either remember to turn off the monitor or use the 'Hold' feature. The hold feature doesn't seem to be used as much as turning off the monitor, but I would suggest it's a safer alternative as it's easy to forget things as a sleep deprived new mother, like turning the monitor back on. The Hold feature can be activated by holding down the 'hold button' until a flashing 'H' appears, this allows you to pick up your baby without turning off the monitor. The parents unit will beep every minute as a reminder that the monitor is on hold.
Extra Settings:
Mute:The monitor can be muted temporarily for 2 minutes.
Reception: There are 8 different channels available to avoid static and interference. To avoid feed-back keep both the parents unit and nursery unit at least 3m (10feet) apart, however static may occur if the 2 units are too far apart, they must also be set to the same channel to avoid distortion/interference.
Paging: To locate the parents unit press the clear button on the front of the nursery unit. This is useful when you have been walking around with a parent unit and left it somewhere.
How to avoid false alarms:
Turn off nursery unit or put parent unit on-hold before picking up your baby from the crib.
Don't tuck any bedding under the mattress between the sensor pad and mattress.
Sensor pad must rest on a completely rigid surface.
The Angelcare Baby Movement and Sound Monitor Deluxe AC401 provides crisp, clear audio monitoring and very sensitive movement monitoring of your baby, you can rest easily knowing that your baby's breathing motions are being closely watched when you aren't able too, giving you that long awaited good nights rest.
The Angelcare Baby Monitor is of exceptional high quality, the next step up in quality to monitor a baby's breathing, are the hospital grade monitors found in neonatal intensive care units. If you have been considering using an 'audio only' baby monitor, I would highly recommend upgrading to the Angelcare Baby Movement and Sound Monitor Deluxe, you wont regret the extra cost for the peace of mind it will give you when it comes to the health and safety of your precious baby.
Promotional Rice Krispies Cakes Mitsubishi Lamp Cartridge Replacement Ideas
Are you a first time expectant mum wandering around the shops wondering do I really need that, or what is all this used for? If you answer yes to this question then you may find the following article useful.
I can remember during my first pregnancy looking at items in the baby section wondering if all these bits and pieces were really necessary, and wondered what half of them were used for. I was often confused and would buy things ‘just in case’. After the birth of my daughter I soon found that some of these items I definitely didn’t need, and then there were others I just couldn’t live without. I have put together a list of items that I personally feel are baby essentials and try to give you some insight into what and why you may be in need of them.
Essentials for baby
Bunny rugs/ muslin wraps – These are used to wrap your baby in. Newborn babies usually like to be wrapped snugly as it gives them the secure feeling they had in the womb. The difference is that Bunny rugs are for cool weather and muslin wraps are for warm weather, so the time of year your baby is due will determine which you will require. Recommend 8-12 of which ever you require.
Baby towels - You can just use normal ones but baby towels are often smaller, lighter and softer. Recommend at least 3.
Cot sheets - Fitted are best to prevent loosening as baby will move around a lot as it gets older. Recommend 3 sets.
If you are using a cradle or bassinet to start with you will need special sheets to fit these. You can get away with just 2 sets as babies are only in them for a short time (6-10weeks) and if you run into trouble you can always use a bunny rug!
Mattress protectors – Recommend 2-3.
Baby blankets - I don't use any baby bedding (blankets, top sheet ect) in the cot. Initially I wrapped baby in their bunny rug/muslin wrap and once they got to big I used baby sleeping bags or sleepsuits. Babies tend to kick blankets off , I found myself worrying they would wiggle under the loosened blankets, at the same time I worried baby would be too cold. Once I discovered baby sleeping bag/suits I never looked back. These types of suits go over the top of their normal sleeping outfits and allow baby freedom to kick and move about. SIDS bedding guidelines state that sleeping bags/suits are a safe bedding alternative as long as individual bags/suits meet the following safety standards – neck and armholes should be fitted so that there is no chance of baby slipping inside the bag and it should not contain a hood. Baby sleeping conditions are not something to be taken lightly. I highly recommend that prior to making any decision in relation to how you will sleep your baby that you visit safe sleeping at the sids and kids website. This way you can make an informed decision on what will best suit your individual situation.
Baby nail clippers/scissors - Baby nails grow really quick and are sharp, often causing them to scratch themselves.
Baby cotton buds – Used for cleaning outer ear, nose and belly buttons!! Look for the ones that are specially designed to prevent you from accidentally going in too far.
Baby moisturiser - Babies often get a bit scaly in their first few weeks while their skin is adjusting to the outside world.
Nappy bag – A good quality nappy bag will have separate compartments to put your different bits and pieces in such as bottles, wipes, clothes ect.Look for one with a change mat attached as you will find this useful.
A gentle baby soap - I recommend Johnson's milk bath you just squirt it in the water, no need to juggle baby and soap.
Baby wipes - excellent for cleaning face, hands and bottoms, I'd be lost with out them. I recommend Huggies, you can get a refillable travel pack for the nappy bag and a clip top container for home. You can get cheaper brands but they are often thinner and harder to dispense.
Nappy rash cream - I use one called Sudocrem. I found it very effective and although it is a little more expensive then some of the others creams you will see, you tend to use less.
Bibs – Bibs aren’t really necessary unless you are bottle feeding, or until baby starts on solids. Look for bibs that either slip straight over baby’s head or have velcro fasteners. I found soft plastic back bibs protected clothing better. Try to avoid bibs that require you to tie them, these can be difficult to manage when you have one hand holding the baby. Once baby is older using full plastic bibs while they are eating can save you a lot of washing.
Cloth nappies - whether or not your are going to use disposable nappies you will still need some cloth nappies, they come in handy for cleaning up and protecting yourself from baby vomit and placing under baby when you have nappy leaks! 12 should suffice if you are going to use disposables. Of course if you are not using disposables you are going to need a lot more, approximately 24-36 in total. Please note that I didn't use cloth nappies, I used disposables so if you intend on using cloth nappies then their maybe some extra things you need in relation to them - snappies or pins, nappy liners and possibly plastic pants or fluffies.
Nappy bucket – If you are using cloth nappies you will probably need 2, one for the nappies, another for clothes/bibs ect. For those that are using disposables one will suffice (or some sort of bucket) for soaking clothes ect. For soaking the clothes you will need something like napisan. Lux flakes are also good for general washing of baby clothes as initially their skin can be sensitive.
The following items you may not want straight away but are something to think about:
A thermometer - If you think baby might be a bit ‘off colour’ it can help put your mind at rest. I eventually bought a tympanic one as I grew tired of trying to keep baby still while the thermometer was under their arm. The advantage of a tympanic thermometer is you use their ear and it only takes a couple of seconds to register, the problem is they are expensive.
Bottles – It does pay to have one or two bottles even if you plan to breastfeed, just in case you need to be away from baby for some reason or you just need a break. You will also need a couple of newborn teats, a bottle brush and some sterilising equipment. Microwave sterilisers are very effective and are not expensive. If for some reason you are unable to breastfeed or you plan to wean baby in the first year you will need more bottles, approximately 8.
Breast pump – This will totally depend on your situation. If you are going back to work early but want to continue to breast feed an electric pump would be of benefit. You can hire these from some hospitals and pharmacies if your budget is tight. If you only want to express milk for the rare occasion then a hand pump will be sufficient.
I hope that this article has enlightened you on what products you may require for the upcoming birth of your child. If you feel that there are any items that are definite essentials that are missing from this list feel free to contact me through our website and I will add them.
Please note that I have mentioned brand names throughout the article but I am in no way affiliated with these companies, nor are they products that I sell on my site, I genuinely found them to be worth the money you pay for them.
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
