Cooking Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Oh My Heartsie Girl

May 5, 2018

How To Smoke Steak Using an Electric Smoker

⇒Are you craving for the perfect meal? Well, grab a glass of your best Rosé and get ready to cook a mouth-watering smoked steak. This is an irresistible meal for a brunch, for a date or a laid-back family get together.

If you are used to grilling your steak, you are missing out on a lot. Smoking the steak gives you a unique flavor that is hard to resist. Smoking the steak may take a longer time than grilling, but the process is very simple and worth it. Want to take your smoking to the next level? Why not get creative with the added flavor of smoked wood. You can easily achieve this by smoking your meat on an offset wood smoker

ESSENTIALS

The nitty-gritty’s of smoking are very easy: cooking at a low flame and slow pace while allowing smoke to do the magic, to alter the meat and create a new and delectable flavor you’d forget the grill.

GET IT RIGHT

You need to remember the trick is buying the correct – juicy and succulent piece of steak. This is an important step to cooking an excellent smoked steak. So, look for the freshest piece of meat you can find at your local groceries. Seasonings are an important part of making the perfect steak, but remember seasonings add accent complex flavors to the steak. For boneless rib-eye is perfect for smoked steak.

SEASONING

Before you start cooking, you need to allow the steak to come down to room temperature, about an hour or so, this imperative to cook your steak properly. You can marinade your meat, or choose to sprinkle salt and pepper on it, as per your palate preference. If you marinade the meat well, makes it acidic- making it tender.

SMOKING

Using the electric smoker is not that difficult, keep in mind that your meat is not cooked by flame. So, put the charcoal into the electric smoker, light it and give it some time until it gets covered with grey ash. Once you are done with that step, separate it into two piles. Put your steaks directly on the grate above your smoke source. Since you are using an electric smoker, you don’t have to worry about adding charcoal or keeping tabs on it. It is a hassle-free process. The electric smoker will give your steak authentic smoky flavor. If you wish to add flavors, add apple, pecan or maple, this will make it more flavourful.

STEADY TEMPERATURE

You don’t have constantly keep checking the temperature of the steak since you are using the electric smoker. Now although they make the job easier, make sure you have carefully gone through electric smoker reviews before buying one. You have to smoke your steaks till they get to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, which normally takes between around forty-five minutes. Smoking with an electric smoker significantly reduces the cooking duration. If you are not someone who smokes their steak regularly, you need to know that the steak is likely bound to have a different color hue. If you are someone who prefers the grill marks and the perfect color hue on their steak, you can use the grill to sear it on either side for one minute or two.

You can add vegetables to the electric smoker, to have a perfect side along with the delicious steak. This method of cooking brings out vivid tastes this way; you can have an appetizing entrée with that juicy steak.

SERVINGS!

While smoking the steak, ensure it is smoked appropriately. In many cases, smoking steak takes around 45 minutes, but remember the thinner the steak, the quicker it will reach a higher internal temperature.

Adding more items to the electric smoker may increase the cooking duration. Although the whole is relatively longer than grilling, it is not required for you to monitor your meat from time to time while it is cooking. Now that you have had a glimpse of how to smoke a steak, you can try to smoke your meat to perfection.

Voila! This is a hassle-free method to have yourself a delicious piece of meat that you can enjoy with your friends and family. So, get to cooking!

March 10, 2018

Baby Shower Cake Decorating 101- Unique Ideas

Baby Shower Cake Decorating 101- Unique Ideas ©

It’s just not a party without a cake – and a baby shower is a great opportunity to have a really adorable cake and eat it, too. If you are planning a shower to celebrate the baby’s arrival, then you’ll need to find the perfect cake for the party. There are lots of wonderful baby shower cake decorating ideas to choose from, and no matter your level of cake decorating expertise, there are many beautiful cakes you can easily create.

Baby Animals
Baby animals of all kinds represent some of the most popular themes in baby shower cake decorating. Animal themes are appropriate for babies of either sex. Cakes can be decorated with simple depictions of animals, or the cake itself can be cut in the shape of the animal. Chicks, lambs, elephants, and monkeys are popular choices for baby shower cakes. How can you get this kind of cake? You can either try to make it yourself or order it from a bakery. Baby shower cakes are a popular choice amongst bakeries, so you can get one at a very good price. Check out Cakes Price for more details on baby shower cakes prices from popular bakeries.

Mommy Had a Little Lamb

The little lamb cake is very cute and very easy to create. Frost a round cake with white icing. Add a single ring of marshmallows all around the circumference of the cake, and two or three extra rows of marshmallows around the top half of the circle for the lamb’s fleece. For the ears, color two marshmallows pink with icing or colored sugar and pinch to a point. Place a pink jellybean in the center of the cake for a nose. A few simple semi-circles in black icing represent the eyes and the mouth.

Toys
Traditional baby toys are great inspirations for cake decorations. Teddy bears, rattles, alphabet blocks, Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, sock puppets, and any other childhood favorites would make a great cake. Here are a few ideas for alphabet block cakes.

Baby’ First Blocks

It’s very easy to cut out block shapes with cake and decorate with a single letter per block. If you aren’t handy with writing in icing, most places that sell cake decorating supplies will have pre-made edible letters. You can use a different color for each block or stick to a single color theme. Use the blocks to spell out “Baby”, the sentence “It’s a boy/girl” or the baby’s name.

Baby Things
All the things we associate with babies are fodder for cake decorating ideas. Baby booties, baby buggies, onesies, and baby blankets have all appeared in cake form.

Beautiful Baby Buggy

The baby buggy cake is elegant but easy to make and looks great in any color. Take a round cake and cut out the upper right quadrant. Pipe a line of icing straight across the middle, then add three or four more angled lines from the center of the cake to the edge of the upper left quadrant to create the buggy’s canopy. For wheels, use doughnuts, cookies, or cut circles from the quadrant you removed and draw spokes with piped icing.

Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales

Beloved Mother Goose poems and fairy tale classics provide dozens of charming ideas that can be turned into a cake. If you don’t know whether it is a boy or a girl on the way, you might want a cake with stars and moon (or a star-shaped cake) inscribed with an inspiring message.

There are hundreds of baby shower cake decorating ideas – the possibilities are endless. Let your imagination soar and get creative. Use the suggestions in this article as a starting point and personalize a special cake for one of the most important days in your life.

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January 5, 2018

7 Nutritious Sources of Plant-Based Milk Products

Milk Made With Nuts- Rice Or Soy….what are your thoughts, have you tried any of these for your family?

If you haven’t been living under a rock, you’re sure to have heard about plant-based milk products as an alternative to traditional dairy milk derived from cows and other mammals. Plant-based milks are becoming popular, especially among lactose-intolerant individuals, who suffer from the unpleasant effects of consuming animal milk. Moreover, they are also gaining favor among the growing population of vegans or people who choose to eat, wear, and use only products that are not derived from animal sources. Vegans love plant-based milk because it conforms to their ethical and lifestyle choices.

Also important is the fact that plant-based milks are naturally nutritious, much like their dairy counterparts. This is a good reason for you to consider going with plant-based milk products in general, apart from them being low in calories and gluten-free. Moreover, there is a variety of plant-based milk options that provide particular health benefits depending on their source plants.

More Than Just Soy

You may be most familiar with soy milk as one of the most common types of plant-based milk products, but these days, among the most popular and preferred plant milks are those derived from nuts and grains. A New York-based company called Elmhurst specializes in producing nutritious milk from plants using a proprietary cold milling process that extracts milk from the source nuts and grains. Because heat is not used in the process, the plant milks come out naturally creamy, allowing the company to avoid using industrial stabilizers and emulsifiers in their products.

High-quality products such as these are revolutionizing the way people enjoy plant-based milk because the customers are able to enjoy the texture of traditional milk in the most natural way possible. Moreover, they enjoy the different flavors and nutritional benefits that are naturally available from the source grains and nuts.

Choosing Your Plant-Based Milk

The variety of plant-based milk available in the market today may surprise you. You may not have given nuts and grains a second thought apart from being a handy snack or a cooking ingredient, but these vegetal sources are also used as a main ingredient in some of the most enjoyable and most nutritious milk products out there. Here are some of them.

Almond Nuts

Almond milk is high in magnesium, iron, calcium, and vitamin E, as well as the mineral potassium, which is good for the brain and muscles. It also has a high fiber content, which is good for preventing constipation and promoting regular bowel movement.

Oats

Oat milk is also similarly high in fiber, which helps lower cholesterol. It is also rich in essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid, as well as antioxidants and vitamin E. Oat milk is ideal for those seeking to lose weight and those hoping to improve their digestive health.

Brown Rice

Milk derived from brown rice is typically light and naturally sweet. It is gluten-free, making it ideal for those who are on such a diet. It also has less calories even compared to other plant-based milks. Rice also contains vitamin B, which helps provide energy and contributes to a healthy nervous system.

Walnuts

Walnut milk has been observed in many studies to possess antioxidants comparable or even superior to healthy fruits and vegetables such as spinach, carrots, and tomatoes. Walnuts are also naturally rich in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, including vitamin E, omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, copper, zinc, and magnesium.

Cashew

Cashew milk is naturally thick and sweet and close in creamy consistency to dairy milk. Thus, it is ideal to use as an ingredient in cooking, in cereals, and in drinks.

Hazelnuts

Hazelnut milk is more nutty in flavor, quite similar to almond milk. It is particularly rich in folic acid, which is a key substance that promotes human growth. It is also a good source of protein, as well as B-group vitamins needed by the bloodstream and the nervous system.

Peanut Milk

Peanut milk is a great source of vitamin E and is rich in magnesium and vitamin B6 as well. Peanuts likewise contain an abundance of unsaturated fats, which are good for the heart.

Now that you have discovered the wonderful world of plant-based milks, won’t you give one or a couple of them a try? We bet you won’t be disappointed!
Related:
5 Ways to Boost Your Health Through a Straw
Boundless Nutrition~Gluten-Free Products {Review}
The Power of Red: Health Benefits of Eating Red Foods

January 3, 2018

5 Secrets to Creating Beautiful Meals at Home

Kitchen Charisma

So, you’ve mastered the art of cooking the perfect egg and defining “al dente” with your pasta dishes, but what are some other tricks you can learn and put up your chef’s sleeve? With these five secrets, you can take your cooking game to a new level that will have the guests at your next dinner party raving.

The Right Equipment

Is your ancient cookware slowing you down? It may be time to retire those pots you were gifted on your way to college and invest in the finest cookware. Some nonstick pans are susceptible to scratches, which can expose the good to potentially harmful chemicals below the cooking surface, so be on the lookout for imperfections before preparing any meal. Whether it be a new set of pans or the latest technology you seek, any upgrade can bring the excitement back to cooking. With the latest tools in your kitchen, you can be sure you will always have the right piece for the job, resulting in perfectly delicious, home-cooked meals every time.

Sous Vide

Take a step into the kitchen of the future with Sous Vide. This method of cooking is performed by placing your ingredients and herbs in a plastic bag and dropping them into a water bath heated by an immersion circulator you can control with an app on your phone. Your meats, vegetables, or eggs evenly cook to perfection without losing any of the natural tastes and aromas in the process. It can even simplify Thanksgiving dinner with a turkey that will never come out too dry.

Freeze Commonly Used Ingredients

How many times have you opened a bottle of wine to use in a recipe only to need a few tablespoons and having to discard the rest once it’s turned to vinegar? Try freezing it instead in an ice tray. One ice cube is equivalent to about two tablespoons that you can easily throw into soups, stews, or other dishes straight from the freezer. Even bread dough and homemade pasta can be frozen, so you always have readily prepared ingredients to complete delectable dishes without wait time on a weeknight.

Explore Your Spices

One Saturday afternoon, open your spice cabinet and explore what is there. Take each jar out and smell the aromas they offer. Try mixing different smells and tastes to see what new combinations you may want to experiment with. Take notes of what works to use later in your meals. By mastering the art of seasoning and spicing, you can confidently prepare homemade meals at home that will dazzle your family and friends. Need to shop, try ebates for great discounts

Don’t Be Afraid of Salt

Speaking of seasoning, one kitchen cabinet dweller that gets a seriously bad rap is salt. We have been trained to fear it because it can lead to issues such as high blood pressure and heart failure. It is important to note that 65% of our sodium intake comes from pre-prepared items purchased at supermarkets and convenience stores and 25% from restaurants. If you are cooking all your meals at home and know what ingredients are in the foods you eat regularly, you shouldn’t fear overconsumption of sodium. In fact, salt is essential in the kitchen and helps enhance the taste of food by reducing bitterness, highlighting sweet and savory flavors, and increases the aromas already present in the ingredients. Just like everything in life, use it in moderation.

If you are ready to spice up your food life, go ahead and give these tricks a try. They may just offer the secret that brings the improvement you’ve been seeking on the plate.