tips in using chicken

We all know that when improperly handled and cooked, chicken dishes can give us a bad case of food poisoning. Often the culprit is Salmonella, which is also prevalent in improperly cooked dairy products and eggs. To prevent food poisoning from chicken, simply follow the tips below PRIOR to cooking. Learn it, don't forget it, always SAFE FOOD first!

- Refrigerate raw chicken promptly. Never leave it on countertop at room temperature.

- Freeze uncooked chicken if it is not to be used within 2 days.

- If properly packaged, frozen chicken will maintain top quality in a home freezer for up to 1 year.

- Thaw chicken in the refrigerator -- not on the countertop -- or in cold water. It takes about 24 hours to thaw a 4-pound chicken in the refrigerator. Cut-up parts, 3 to 9 hours.

- Always wash hands, countertops, cutting boards, knives and other utensils used in preparing raw chicken with soapy water before they come in contact with other raw or cooked foods.

- When shopping, buy groceries last. Never leave chicken in a hot car. Refrigerate immediately on reaching home.

make pancakes with a twist! =)

Bob Evans Stuffed Caramel Banana Pecan Cream Pancakes

Pancakes with pecans and sliced fresh bananas, covered in a warm, caramel sauce.

Ingredients:
prepared pancake batter for 2 pancakes

2 cups prepared vanilla pudding
2 cups cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons honey roasted pecans
1 banana sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 tablespoon powdered sugar whipped topping

Caramel sauce

Make Vanilla Cream Cheese mixture:

Mix vanilla pudding with cream cheese until well blended and creamy (no lumps). Cover and refrigerate immediately. This mixture will store (covered) in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Procedure: (serves 1)

Prepare pancake batter and preheat griddle. Ladle batter onto hot griddle and sprinkle evenly with pecans and banana slices. When they bubble and edges are dry, flip to cook second side.

When done, place pancake on plate, top with 4 tablespoons Vanilla Cream Cheese mixture and top with second pancake. Ladle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Garnish with whipped topping.

Tips:

- Be sure to let the pecans and bananas show for a nice presentation.

- For a more intense flavor, use a banana-flavored pudding in lace of vanilla.

- For a completely different variation, add chocolate chips and serve with chocolate or fudge topping.

Source: "America's Secret Recipes" by Ron Douglas

Aphrodisiacs for Valentines Day ;-)

Valentines Day is fast approaching and if you haven't had any plans yet, why not have an aphrodisiac picnic somewhere dark? Hehe! Here's some yummy foods that will put love and romance in the air.. ;-)

Avocado: The Aztecs called the avocado tree Ahuacuatl, which translated means "testicle tree." The ancients thought the fruit hanging in pairs on the tree resembled the male's testicles. This is a delicious fruit with a sensuous texture.

Chocolate: "Love," someone said, "is like swallowing hot chocolate before it has cooled off. It takes you by surprise at first, but keeps you warm for a long time." The Aztecs referred to chocolate "nourishment of the gods." Chocolate contains chemicals thought to effect neurotransmitters in the brain and a related substance to caffeine called theobromine. It was actually banned from some monasteries centuries ago.

Honey: Many medicines in Egyptian times were based on honey including cures for sterility and impotence. Medieval seducers plied their partners with Mead, a fermented drink made from honey. Lovers on their "honeymoon" drank mead and it was thought to "sweeten" the marriage.

 

Durian: It smells like hell but tastes like heaven. In Indonesia, the Javanese impose a strict set of rules on what may or may not be consumed with it or shortly thereafter. A saying "Durian jatuh sarung naik" ("The durians fall and the sarungs come up) refers to this belief. The warnings against the supposed lecherous quality of this fruit soon spread to the West, the Swedenborgian philosopher Herman Vetterling commented on so-called "erotic properties" of the durian in the early 20th century.

Garlic: The "heat" in garlic is said to stir sexual desires. Make sure you and your partner share it together. Garlic has been used for centuries to cure everything from the common cold to heart ailments. This is a good time for moderation.

Oyster: Oysters were documented as an aphrodisiac food by the Romans in the second century A.D as mentioned in a satire by Juvenal. He described the wanton ways of women after ingesting wine and eating "giant oysters." An additional theory is that the oyster resembles the "female" genitals. In reality, oysters are a very nutritious and high in protein. Raw oysters are very high in zinc which raises sperm and testosterone production.

More of the aphrodisiacs HERE --> it's my source article actually. Hehe! What I listed above are just my fave aphrodisiacs =) For Valentines gift ideas and gift tips, click HERE. Good luck! =)

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