Think cake will cure your crabbiness? Or baked goods will beat the blues? Probably not.

Whether you’re suffering from an irritable mood, a case of the blues, or even full-blown depression, you may benefit from incorporating certain foods into your diet while avoiding others. More information is available at www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/blog.

Studies have shown that food affects the chemical composition of the brain by altering the production or release of neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers that carry information from one cell to another. Neurotransmitters are the brain chemicals that motivate or sedate, focus or frustrate.

Similarly, blood sugar levels directly impact our moods. We feel good after we eat, because our blood sugar increases. However, when blood sugar levels sink, we get hungry and our mood takes a dive as well. Classic symptoms of low blood sugar are feeling impatient, irritable, angry and aggressive until we can eat again.

Despite the complexity of the relationship between food and the brain, following a few simple rules will help to provide your body with stable blood sugar and mood mellowing nutrients.

Five Tips to Avoid the Blues:

1. Eat fruit and vegetables that are high in fiber and low in sugar/starch. Fiber provides stable blood sugar and consistent energy by slowing the rate at which nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. Choose apples, blueberries, cantaloupe, carrots, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, dark green lettuce, and red bell peppers. Limit sugary food and alcohol since both are low in nutrients and cause rapid blood sugar swings.

2. Eat lean protein at each meal. Protein stabilizes blood sugar and provides the brain with the amino acids essential to feeling alert. Choose fish, lean beef, pork, chicken, turkey, eggs, cheese, nuts and legumes (beans and peas).

3. Drink water. Choosing water over sugar-laden soft drinks and fruit juices will keep you hydrated and stave off food cravings. Drink eight to ten glasses of clean water daily. Replace soda and fruit juice with herbal tea and sparkling water.

4. Consume “good” fats, like olive oil and those containing omega 3’s. Studies have shown that a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids may contribute to depression and mood swings. Restoring the body’s natural balance of omega-3s may help alleviate (and prevent) many types of depression, even for those who don’t respond to traditional antidepressants. Consuming healthy fats also reduces the release of leptins, hormones produced by fat cells that signal hunger, thereby reducing food cravings. Choose avocados, nuts, olives, olive oil, fish, grass-fed beef, nut butters, and omega-3 enriched eggs.

5. Avoid fast food and chain restaurants. These are stocked with highly processed, sugary foods containing “bad” fats that can wreak havoc on your blood sugar and mood. When you do eat out, try to make the healthiest choices available. Choose greens and proteins, a turkey burger wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun, lemon juice and olive oil over commercial sauces and dressings, a fruit plate instead of a sugary desert. Avoid white bread, potatoes, rice and pasta.

Sample mood-balancing menu from Insulite Laboratories:

(http://www.insulitelabs.com)

Breakfast: Bowl of sweetness. Mix together 1/3 cup of chopped mixed nuts (pecans, cashews, macadamia and almonds), 1 tbsp. melted butter, cinnamon, ginger, 1 cup blueberries (and/ or sliced strawberries), 1-2 tsp. cream.

Snack: California style. Half an avocado with salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar.

Lunch: Lamb chop special. Grilled lamb chop, 2 cups shredded green or red cabbage, with olive oil and 1 tbsp. cider vinegar. (OR one bunch steamed kale with soy ginger sauce).

Snack: Mediterranean evening. Olive puree: 1 cup Kalamata olives, 2 tbsp. feta, and 2 tbsp. olive oil. Blend all ingredients in food processor. Serve with celery or cucumber slices.

Dinner: Super shrimp salad. Grilled shrimp on a romaine lettuce salad with bell peppers, avocados, cashews, and dressing.
Dr. DeLuca does research in the fields of nutrition, diet and nutrient therapies. At her practice, the Naturopathic Wellness Center, in Kingston, Pennsylvania, Dr. DeLuca specializes in counseling as well as nutritional, botanical, orthomolecular and physical medicines. Through her Blog, ?Ask Dr. Heather?, she provides advice and coaching on PCOS, weight loss, and fertility: http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/blog/index.php/?cat=23

Let’s take a look at one of the most basic forms of cooking – immersing food in hot water. Yes, I know. That includes simmering as well. But I want to look at boiling, some of the different foods involved and the ways in which they are treated. Boiling is really divided into two separate methods. One is to place the food in cold water and gradually heat it to boiling point, the other is to bring the water to the boil first before adding the food. The first method might be used for potatoes, for example, and the second for green vegetables. A variation on both methods is whether or not the food should be covered while cooking. Let’s deal with that right now. Green vegetables should never be covered while boiling – they will lose their color and turn an unattractive shade of gray. Vegetables such as potatoes should be partially covered to preserve vitamins and reduce evaporation. Remember that water will come to the boil much quicker if the pan is covered to start with, as will any other liquid. Let’s take an example Eggs. This may seem too simple, but the truth is you can tell more about a cook by the way they handle eggs and potatoes than just about anything else. I have lost count of the number of times a chef has tested my skills by asking me to boil potatoes or make a simple omelet. So, how do we boil eggs? One way is to bring a pan of water to the boil, put the eggs in and then time them for two, three or five minutes depending on the result you want. But there is a better method. Put the eggs in cold, salted water and bring to the boil on fierce heat. The salt will not flavor the eggs. It’s there simply to make the water boil at a slightly higher temperature. Turn off the heat and prepare your toast. The eggs will be ready when you are and can either be turned out on to the toast or served in their shells. Simple, huh? Very. But there is one thing you have to have to make it work – fresh eggs! If you’re one of the countless millions who don’t live right next to a chicken farm, then you’re just going to have to check your use-by date. If it’s any less than four weeks away, don’t buy the eggs! I mean it. Eggs, like vegetables and fruit, need to be as fresh as you can get them. Green vegetables Broadly speaking, we’re talking about things like green beans, brussel sprouts, snow peas and so on. Not cabbage, which should never be boiled, and not some of the more delicate greens like spinach and buk choy. Beans and sprouts are best cooked in uncovered, rapidly boiling salted water until they are just cooked – which means they are still firm and cut cleanly. Drain them in a colander and then plunge them immediately into icy water. You can leave them there until you need them. This is the ‘magic’ step chefs use to keep greens truly green. Yes, I know they’ll go cold. That’s not a problem. You see, by using this method you can prepare your green vegetables well ahead of time and not have to worry about them until just before you serve the meal. When everything else is ready, have a pan of boiling water on the stove. Drop the greens in, count to ten and drain them. They’re ready to serve as is, or you can glaze them with melted butter, add nutmeg, pepper or toss them in a little balsamic. Easy? You betcha. And a foolproof way of ensuring that the greens are ready at the same time as the rest of the meal. About potatoes and rice Wait a minute! What’s this? You cook potatoes and rice the same way? Yes! Well – almost. And it’s foolproof. First potatoes. Which are the more difficult of the two to cook. You don’t think so? Wait and see. Add your potatoes to cold salted water, bring to the boil and cook until a wooden skewer will pass easily through them without undue pressure. Drain into a colander. Now put about an inch or so of water in the pan, balance the colander (with potatoes) on top of that, return to a low heat and cover. You can either use the saucepan lid or some silver foil. Personally I use a tea-towel (by far the best) but if you do that you need to make very sure that it goes nowhere near the heat – especially if you’re cooking with gas! Now the point is this. The potatoes will keep beautifully in the gently steaming atmosphere while you get on with everything else. They will even improve in texture and be ready to serve whenever you need them. Okay. What about the rice? Easy. Bring plenty of salted water to the boil. Then add the rice – roughly one cup for every two people – stir once, bring back to the boil and cook for exactly 15 minutes. You will have to reduce the heat slightly to prevent the mixture boiling over and you also need to partially cover the pot to reduce evaporation. Now drain and follow exactly the same procedure as you did for the potatoes. No panic, no undercooked grains, no expensive electric cooker. Just perfectly separated fluffy rice which is ready to be used when you need it. Can you see what a powerful system this is? It means you can prepare your rice before you even begin to worry about your stir-fry or whatever else it is that you’re going to prepare. Incidentally, don’t be afraid to add a little color to your rice by dropping some chopped up red or yellow bell pepper into the water about five minutes before you finish cooking it. Or serve yellow rice by adding saffron or turmeric to the cooking water. Once you know this technique, the results are limited only by your imagination. Pasta Cooking pasta couldn’t be simpler. You boil it in salted water for however long it says on the packet. Then you drain it and it all sticks together in one inedible lump! Well not any more. Here’s the solution (and it’s not adding oil during cooking) Just before cooking ends, remove about half a cup of the cooking liquid and reserve it. Drain the pasta in a colander, return it to the pan in which it was cooked and add back in the reserved cooking liquid. Stir it, and add about a tablespoon of olive oil. That’s it. Done. The oil and liquid will combine to give your pasta a smooth, creamy finish. No more stuck together lumps. No more dried out bits. And you can add any sauce you like. If you’re serving it plain and it seems a little sloppy, adding some grated parmesan or pecorino cheese will quickly solve that problem for you, as well as injecting some welcome flavor. Boiled Beef The expression ‘boiled beef’ probably arises from the fact that it’s easier to say than ’simmered beef’ – which is what it really is. Salted, pickled and corned beef (or pork) amount to the same thing and are cooked by immersing in a bouillon (posh name for stock) which is kept just below boiling point. Cooking time varies with the size of the piece but it’s going to take at least an hour and more likely two or more. The great thing is that it’s pretty hard to overcook it, so making it the center of your main dish saves hugely on stress. It’s also delicious. You can serve it to anyone with confidence. Nobody that I know pickles their own meat these days. Buy it from your butcher or supermarket, allowing around six ounces of meat per person. Trim the fat off. Unlike roasting you don’t need any fat to keep the meat moist. Put it in a pot only slightly larger than the joint, cover with water (no salt) and bring to the boil. Then drain the meat and discard the water. Add fresh, some salt, a peeled onion into which you’ve stuck a couple of cloves, three or four carrots and a tablespoon of vinegar. Bring this mix to the boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Give it about 20 minutes to the pound and serve it with your favorite mash and greens. Oh yes, and don’t forget to reduce the liquor you cooked it in to make a moistener for the meat. Easy caramel If you boil condensed milk, in its tin, for around 45-50 minutes, it will turn to caramel which you can then use as a base for desserts. Just stick the tin in boiling water and wait. Of course you may have to add extra water from time to time to prevent drying out. To easily get the caramel out after allowing it to cool down, open the tin at both ends and push it through with a wooden spoon or similar kitchen item. Here’s a simple method of using it: Crush some cookies into crumbs, either by putting them between sheets of cling-film and beating the living daylights out of them with a rolling pin, or in a food processor. Mix the crumbs with melted butter and press this mix into the base of a spring-form cake tin. then chill it in the fridge for around an hour. Spread your caramel on top of the cookie base (warming it slightly will make this easier); pile sliced fruit on top of that (banana is perfect); then pile on whipped cream to which you have added some vanilla essence and a little fine sugar. Grate a little dark chocolate onto the finished tart. Chill, remove the spring form case and serve from the base. Now is that easy or what? And you can make it the day before if you want. Do you need a recipe for that? Of course you don’t. The way your version turns out is just the way it should be – and it will taste every bit as good as mine, if not better. Parboiling I’ve included this as a cooking method because it’s a useful way for the savvy cook to remove excess fat from various meats in order to get a crisp finish when barbecuing or grilling. The sort of things I’m talking about are spare ribs, chicken wings, and even duck prior to roasting. All you do is plunge whatever you’re cooking into boiling water (no salt needed) and leave it there to partially cook. You’ll see the fat floating to the surface as scum, which needs to be skimmed off. If you are going to parboil you need to do it in good time, because you want the surface of the meat to dry out before you go on to the next step, which will be a marinade (to put back lost flavor) followed by your barbecue, the broiler or an oven. The amount of time the meat needs to spend in the water depends on the thickness of the fat, but think in terms of around 15 minutes for most things. Will nutrients be lost? Yes, there’s no escaping that, but the trade-off is that you will have seriously reduced the fat content as well, which will in turn have reduced your cholesterol intake. For most people, the second part far outweighs the first and of course the protein content will be more digestible – so you even get an added bonus.
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Because dog foods are bought by people, dog food suppliers market to the ideas dog owners have about their dogs likes. This explains why dog foods come in different shapes and colors, with or without gravy, dry or moist, etc. Dogs do not need any of these things for the best all natural dog foods. Isn’t it interesting that pet owners spend around $13 billion annually for pet food which the majority of these dog foods are not all natural dog foods that give your dog optimum health. Consumers Digest reported several years ago, “Few foods are so liberally laced with artificial flavors as pet foods” they also quoted sources that basically said that the only way they can get pets to eat the poor quality food is by adding phony flavors. Would you choose artificial, poor quality for ingredients in your dog foods or would you rather choose dog foods that are all natural dog foods for your dog? A carnivore’s system is designed to eat raw meat, one animal at a time. Your dog should digest its meal and be eliminated before any putrefaction begins. A dog’s digestive system is highly acidic, or at least it should be. Only raw meat stimulates a highly acidic system that is designed to kill unfriendly bacteria. Ingredients in the Best All Natural Dog Foods You will find the best all natural dog foods consist of approximately 75% organic, all natural raw meat. This can consist of beef, whole chicken or turkey wings, necks and backs as long as they are raw and fresh. When bones are old or cooked they become brittle and splinter. The best all natural dog foods are also around 25% vegetables. This does not mean give your dog a whole, raw carrot. In the wild your dog would get these vegetable requirements from the predigested vegetables in the animal’s stomach and intestines. You can add organic vegetables to your all natural dog foods by grating them, chopping finely (like what you would find in a rabbit’s stomach) or run through a blender, food chopper or food processor. In the wild a dog would get the water they needed from their prey, so the all natural dog foods you give your dog should be the consistency of a thick stew. The moisture content of dog foods also has an effect on maintaining healthy kidneys and bladder in your dog. Many pet owners report their dog cutting down on water consumption when being fed these types of all natural dog foods. Most of the minerals must come in the form of supplementation today. Calcium is very important in the best all natural dog foods. Bone meal is not an acceptable source of calcium for your all natural dog foods because bones store toxins and heavy metals like lead or even mad cow disease. The other reason is the calcium to phosphorous ratio. Pets need a 2:1 ratio between calcium and phosphorus. That is, for every 2 parts of calcium in the food, there should be 1 part phosphorus. As an example, if the food contains 2 grams of calcium, the food should contain 1 gram of phosphorus. Meat is naturally low in calcium and high in phosphorus. Bone meal is not only a source of calcium, but bone meal is also a source of phosphorus, so using bone meal reverses the 2:1 ratio so that perhaps your dog’s body has a 1:3 ratio or 1 part calcium to 3 parts phosphorus. This imbalance could cause your dog health problems. Finely ground raw egg shells are the best choice for calcium supplementation in the best all natural dog foods. They contain virtually no phosphorus and are extremely high in calcium plus they are affordable and lightweight. The best all natural dog foods will use approximately 1 tsp. finely ground raw egg shells or about 8 large eggs for every pound of meat. Raw eggs are an excellent source of meat and affordable. Digestive enzyme supplementation are also a good ingredient in the best all natural dog foods. The four most commonly used enzymes in the best all natural dog foods are amylase that helps with the digestion of carbohydrates, protease which helps with the digestion of protein, lipase that helps with the digestion of fats and cellulase for the digestion of vegetables. Nutritive herbs provide a blend of vital nutrients that are essential in the best all natural dog foods. Alfalfa which is an Arabic word meaning “mother of all foods, dandelion leaf, nettle, and kelp are ingredients in the best all natural dog foods. These herbs can be found in various green food powder supplements from health food stores. The combination of these herbs in the best all natural dog foods provide such nutrients as biotin, bioflavanoids, calcium, magnesium, folic acid, iodine, iron, potassium, linolenic acid, niacin, potash, sulfur, zinc, vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C and E. These herbs also aid in the assimilation of protein, fats and carbohydrates plus are an excellent blood purifier. They also aid the body to help detoxify the liver, clean the colon and keep the thyroid working. Using these simple guidelines you can choose which are the best all natural dog foods to buy or how to make the best all natural dog foods available so your dog can enjoy optimum health.
Sherrie Chastain Health and Beauty Consultant Best All Natural Dog Foods Helping People Find Health and Happiness in their Lives for 25 years

The kitchen is where you prepare meals for your friends, family and yourself and it is vital that your kitchen represents a hygienic and healthy environment in which to cook and consume food. Keeping you kitchen spotless at all times, is important to keep away food-borne diseases and other health risks. Read on for a few helpful kitchen cleaning tips that will have your kitchen sparkling in no time.Another reason to keep your kitchen neat at all times, is those pesky surprise guests who pop in without warning. We would all like our kitchen to look and smell fabulous for guests. Here are some kitchen cleaning tips that are effective as well as easy to follow. These kitchen cleaning tips will have your house guests complimenting your kitchen in no time!General kitchen cleaning tipsTidy up your kitchen counter frequently. A cluttered counter gives a very messy and disorganized look to your kitchen. The fewer things you keep on your counter top, the neater your kitchen looks. Keep only the most frequently required items on the counter top All other items must be stored in the cupboard. Not only does this reduce clutter, but it also makes things easier to find.The best kitchen cleaning tips are usually the ones that are most overlooked. In this respect, the bet tip I can give you is to take the trash out without fail everyday. Piled up trash is unsightly and foul odor in no friend to good hygiene. Sprinkle the bottom of your garbage bag or pail liberally with baking soda. This will suppress foul odors and keep your kitchen smelling fresh.Kitchen cleaning tips to clean dishesWhen baking, keep a tub or sink of hot water handy. As soon as you are done with baking dishes, drop them in the hot water to prevent them from drying up. Dried up dishes are so much harder to clean. This is another great time saver while you are doing chores around the kitchen.Dishes that have burnt food stuck on the inside can be a nightmare to clean. But there are some invaluable kitchen cleaning tips to make it easy to clean pots and pans with burnt food. For example, add a some dish washing liquid to the pot or pan and pour in some water. Bring it to a boil and then remove from the stove. When the water has cooled off to a lukewarm temperature, empty the dish and scrub well with a coarse scrubber.Stainless steel cutlery is easy to clean. After all, they are not supposed to stain. But rubbing vinegar on stainless steal cutlery with a micro-fiber cloth is a great way to polish them and give them a shiny, brand new look.Kitchen cleaning tips to clean appliancesWe have all heard many kitchen cleaning tips to clean the refrigerator, but it is a task that most of us put off, probably because the mess in the refrigerator is hidden behind doors. But it is a good idea to clean it at least once a week. Remove all food items from the refrigerator and use some warm water and soap to wipe the shelves clean. This serves a dual purpose, as you can also toss out expired food products as you replace then in the refrigerator. Blenders and food processors are usually designed to be easy to clean, so cleaning them is quite straightforward. If your blender or food processor has detachable parts, remove as many of them as you can, before cleaning. Simply fill the blender or food processor partly with warm soapy water and let it soak for a few minutes. Pour the water out and scrub.The microwave is another appliance that can accumulate some very hard to clean burnt stains. In a microwave proof glass bowl, add equal parts of water, vinegar and lime juice. Place this in the microwave and cook for a few minutes at a high temperature. Remove the bowl and wipe the inside of the microwave clean with a paper towel. Follow these kitchen cleaning tips to keep a fresh, hygienic and healthy kitchen. There are also many more kitchen cleaning tips to be found on the internet. If you have kitchen cleaning tips of your own, please share it online and with your friends.
Ana A. Tide is a cleaning expert. For some terrific tips on
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If you are into cooking, you probably have a kitchen that is loaded up with all kinds of gadgets. They are great to use and making cooking a breeze these days, but sometimes to release the true flavors of food, you need to use something like a food mill. It brings you back to basics and makes certain items the only way that they should be made.When you look back in time, cooking really changed about 20 years ago when food processors started to become very popular. All of a sudden people weren’t chopping onions anymore, they were just throwing them in to the food processor. No more dicing peppers or crushing garlic because we had machines to do everything now.Well there comes a time when you need to get back to cooking the old fashioned way and when you do, there is nothing better than a food mill. These were food processors before there were food processors, however, they don’t destroy food they way a processor will. They merely blend the flavors together and make things the way they are supposed to be made.When you buy your food mill, you are best to try and get good stainless steel food mills that can be put right into the dishwasher. This will ensure that it gets cleaned properly and little presents are not left behind from a previous meal. Products like the Foley Food Mill and the Mouli Food Mill are both great machines that are reasonably priced and of a very high quality.When you want to use a kitchen appliance that won’t murder the food, but will create very unique flavors and give you an old fashioned flavor, a food mill is the only way to go. Your sauces will be better as the flavors get released instead of getting crushed to death. Try it once and you will never let it leave your kitchen.A food mill is a very good way to add a home cooking touch to any meal. By taking the food processor out of the equation you are preparing food like they have for years and allowing the true flavors to come out. Using a Baby Food Mill instead of processed food for your newborn child can be very useful.
find complete review for foley food mill at foleyfoodmill.com

Good food and drinks take time, energy and love to prepare. This can be achieved with a good kitchen partner called a blender. It comes in handy for most cooking needs. Oster and Cuisinart are two of the most trusted brands. Choosing the best blender means it has to be tough, long-lasting and convenient to use. Oster and Cuisinart are brand names that guaranty first class performance every time. They dedicate their time, energy and research to provide customers with what they are exactly looking for. Oster blenders are known for its quality and durability. It has millions of loyal users and followers because their products last for years. It is an excellent appliance for food preparation. They have produced so many models already but we mention here a few. You can get the Oster Contemporary Classic Beehive Blender at $75. It has two speed settings to better control precision in grinding. The classic Beehive is resistant to scratch with a jar that can be cleaned in a dishwasher. It can serve up to five cups and has a stainless steel ice-crushing blade. Oster also takes pride in another product, the Oster 14 Speed Blender with Food Processor. It has a first-rate mincing and chopping performance from its chopper blade or the reversible disc blade. This type of blender is convenient to use that can fill five cups. It has a scratch resistant and dishwasher-safe glass jar. The food processor has a three-cup capacity. You can pour in liquids as you use it with its food pusher and cover. This fine blender with food processor can also be put away conveniently with its cord storage. You can purchase this for only $46.38. Oster offers another product, the Oster 14 Speed Blender minus the food processor. This costs $47.37. Having the same capacity and quality, this model includes a five-cup scratch resistant and dishwasher-safe glass jar. It also has a stainless steel ice crusher. It is designed with 14 possible speed options and brushed with chrome to look good on top of your counter. It also has cord storage so you can neatly put it away. Cuisinart Blenders is another leading brand that equates to quality. Its PowerBlend 600 Blender features a 500-watt motor. It has a large capacity with a 56 oz glass blender jar where you can also pour in liquids through its clear 2 oz measure pour lid. Use its 7-speed touchpad controls to adjust its blending performance. You can pulse, stir, chop, mix, pureé, liquefy and crush ice with it. Simply pack it away without the tangle of cords with its brilliant push-in cord storage. Buy this product for $59.95 with a limited 3-year warranty. Food processors and blenders are good together with the Cuisinart SmartPower Duet blender/food processor. Its large capacity of 40 oz glass blender jar can prepare ice and frozen drinks for several people. The work bowl can handle a volume of 3 cups. This model is so easy to use with its electronic touchpad and 7-speed controls that has separate buttons for ice crushing and food processing. You can pulse, too, at any speed rate. The stainless steel chopping blade, reversible slicing/shredding disc and any removable parts are scratch resistant and dishwasher-safe. At $99.95, it comes with an Instruction and recipe book. Enjoy Cuisinart’s 3-year warranty. For quality and style, Cuisinart presents the SmartPower Premier 600-Watt Blender. You can buy this for $99.95 and enjoy its durability and flair from the cast metal and stainless case that has an embossed Cuisinart logo. Its special feature is the count-up timer that helps you keep up with the time indicated in recipes. The powerful 600-watt motor can crush ice with no hassle and can handle the roughest blending jobs with ease. You can serve your recipe to as many people as you want with its 50 oz glass jar capacity. This particular model also features the Cuisinart easy-to-use push-button controls and an easy push-on cover with a removable measured pour lid. Enjoy Cuisinart’s 3-year warranty service and explore new food ideas with the instruction/recipe book that comes with it.
For more information on Mini Blender and Juicer Blender.Please visit our website.

I like to cook, but I’m not that wild about cleaning up the mess, a common cooking dilemma that I imagine many people face. I finally took the plunge this summer and bought my first food processor. Well, actually I ended up buying two food processors. Yea, I know, bad planning. When you first start looking at the different brands and models (and there are literally 100s) there is a tendency to start adding features that you must have. And when you do that, the price goes up and so does the size and cleaning chores. In the beginning you don’t mind the cleaning since you are entering a whole new world of cooking. But as time goes on, and the newness and adventurous spirit fade, the reality of cleaning that monster for a small chore becomes a real drag. Many recipes call for items that need to be cut, diced, sliced, or whatever. The problem is I can hand chop pretty fast and there’s little if any clean up. When you have to drag out a 15 lb appliance that you need to hand wash 3-4 parts that are a challenge, it’s much faster to chop it by hand. And no, I don’t use the dishwasher for either of my food processors. I also never put my cast iron pots and pans in the dishwasher. Blame it on my Grandmother who talk me how to cook. Some items are not meant for a dishwasher due to the nature of the beast, end of story. So I was at one of the popular kitchen and home stores and saw a little mini food processor that would do 80% of the most common processor tasks. It was only $30 (not like my big bad boy at $225) and what attracted me the most is it broke down in 2 seconds and looked easy and quick to clean. No choice, I needed that mini food processor. As it turns out it was a good decision for a couple of reasons. When I’m preparing a big meal for lots of folks and making things like bread or rolls from scratch, the big boy comes in real handy and is worth the time to clean. When I’m doing a quick small meal my mini is great since it’s fast and easy to clean. Another thing I learned fairly quickly is the blades on any size food processor are sharp. Not just kind of sharp, I mean if you look at it to long it will cut you sharp. Great care should always be used when handling any cutting blade. Whether you are cleaning out the contents into a bowl or washing, keep your eye on the blade and never forget how quickly they will cut you. I leave my mini food processor out on the counter for quick access. I use it almost everyday for some small chore. When a blender is too much, and I just need to chop a few vegetables it’s faster than the knife and cutting board. Every salad I make now has vegetables, breadcrumbs are always available, and chives are in everything. Cheese is quickly grated or cheese sauces are quick to make and kick up any vegetable dish a notch. Creating a quick mix of your own variety of granola is only limited by items on hand. You will be amazed at how many uses you can find for your food processor when it’s out and ready to go. Fresh vegetables are used more and rarely go bad since you didn’t want to take the time to add them to a dish of any kind. If you have your own herb and spice garden, you can spice up any meal with fresher flavor. The difference in creating your own spices from fresh raw herbs and spices is amazing and adds a unique touch to any meal. And don’t forget the snazzy deserts that you can make with a food processor. We keep dark unsweetened chocolate in the fridge for toppings for ice cream and other deserts. So if you have a big monster food processor that you rarely use, you might want to consider getting a mini model that you can keep handy and is easy to clean. Keep the big guy for big meals that require the heavy-duty capabilities but get the small one for everyday cooking.
Learn more about Mini Food Processors here: Mini Food Processors. A Small Food Processor might be the right size, more info here: Small Food Processor.

8 Essential Tips For Food and Food ProcessorsHere are 8 tips about food.It always fascinates me that you can always find something new about a topic if you look hard enough, and these 8 tips are useful reminders.I struggled to find a reliable source myself – epecially for food processors, so I decided to collate some tips for you. I hope that you find them both useful and interesting.Tip #1Most all food processors come with a slicing disc. The Cuisinart slicing disc makes lovely, even, precise slices.This allows you to make beautiful appetizer trays, because the slices are not torn or jagged. Cuisinart has very little waste because the discs are so precise. This is a very important factor, as we are all trying to save money and groceries are so expensive. Tip #2It’s quick and easy to make salsa, pesto, shred cheeses, shred carrots, make purees. You can puree some pinto beans for refried beans to go on nachos. Just shred the cheese first, then do the beans and spread over the tortilla chips. Sprinkle the cheese over the nachos. Homemade salsa over this, perhaps? Or shred lettuce for tacos, then make your tacos with the beans, lettuce, salsa, whatever you like. A very fun, quick meal at home with minimal clean up.Tip #3Do you want to save money and time in the kitchen? Well, of course! Since we are all looking for ways to save money these days, it seems that the only place left to cut back is at the grocery store. There are some products with a store label that we can save money on, instead of paying for the more popular brand. We all have to take a closer look at how we spend our grocery money.Tip #4These days food processors have so many different attachments that you don’t even need to buy the most expensive one to get all the benefits. The one thing that you do need to decide on is the size of the processor you want to purchase.Tip #5Be sure to size your new food processor to the task. If you overwork the processor by constantly pushing its capacity, you could shorten its lifespan and effectiveness. Manufacturers usually list this information for each model.  Some units have more than one bowl size, allowing you to change the capacity according to what you are processing.  This is especially useful if you have medium and small size processing tasks. Tip #6Another thing that you may want to keep in mind when selecting your food processor is the amount of power it has. Any one you find should have sufficient power to perform routine tasks but if you need it for more demanding food processing there are professional models that have over 600 watts of power, which should get the job done.Tip #7If you have decided to buy a food processor for yourself or for giving away as a gift then it’s a nice thing to buy the best one in the market. It is necessary understand first that, “best” is a relative term and changes from person to person.Tip #8Food Processors are complex pieces of technology that have been so ingeniously created for the comfort of the modern day cook. They come with numerous attachments to perform a range of food processing tasks. For example research has shown that a small kitchens’ food processor performs more than 22 functions. In order to cater to the multifarious cuisine of a diverse group of people and make their cooking seem like a work of art, the modern food processor has to perform more tasks than any demanding cook could possibly dream of.Well…that’s enough tips for now. I’m sure 8 is enough to be getting along with!I hope that you found these food and food processors resources useful, they certainly helped me!

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Why purchase 2 separate appliances when you can get the benefit of both a blender and a mixer in the one appliance? In a point in time when most people are looking to economize and make smarter investments, opting for a dual-purpose appliance is a smart choice. Not only will you economize; you will save space. And, you will likely use this product more than if you purchased them individually.
The base features a seven-speed touchpad control for turning the machine on and off, pulsing, stirring, chopping, mixing, pureeing, food processing and crushing ice. The base also includes convenient push-in rope storage capability. The appliance is easy to scrub also because all the removable parts are dishwasher safe.
A combo food processor/blender is so versatile that you could use it to prepare a whole meal. To show this, we will use recipes courtesy of Cuisinart.com. For a dinner, you could prepare Butternut squish Soup with Leeks, Asian Slaw with Peanut Dressing and a Go Green Smoothie. And, with a name like Cuisinart you know that this appliance will be a part of your kitchen arms depot for years to come.
Ingredients :
Add the leeks and heartbeat to chop, about ten pulses.
When the olive oil is hot, mix in the chopped leeks and garlic. Sweat the plants over medium low heat in order that they become soft. Stir occasionally in order that they don’t pick up any color.
While the leeks are cooking, replace the slicing blade with the slicing disc assembly. Cut the crush.
Add the pepper and salt. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Add the chicken broth and nutmeg. Bring soup to a low boil. Reduce heat and let cook until squash is terribly soft and is easily pierced with a knife, about twenty minutes.
Strain the solids from the cooking liquid, reserving the cooking liquid. Transfer 1/2 the cooking liquid to a clean pot and reserve. Insert the metal blade. In 2 batches, add the solids to the mixer and process to pure, 2 to three mins. Scrape the work bowl to insure the mixture is homogenous. Return the pured solids to the cooking liquid and stir to incorporate. Add the lemon juice. Mix in reserved cooking liquid to get desired consistency.
Asian Slaw with Peanut Dressing
Instructions Insert the metal blade. Heartbeat to slash the peanuts, about 10 times. With the machine running, drop the garlic and ginger down the feed tube to chop. Add the peanut butter, sugar, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and tamari. Process till smooth, about ten seconds. Scrape the work bowl. With the machine running, add the oil in a regular flow through the small feed tube. Process till emulsified, about 10 to 15 seconds. Remove and reserve. The dressing may be made up to a few days ahead. Cover well and cool. Permit to sit for 30 minutes at 70 degrees before using.
Clean the work bowl. Insert the shredding disc. Organize the radishes in the large feed tube, cut side down, and shred. Prepare the carrots horizontally in the large feed tube and shred. Insert the trimmed and broccoli stem in the small feed tube and shred. Transfer the shredded veggies to a big bowl.
Insert the slicing disc. Prepare the green onions in the little feed tube and slice. Arrange the bok choy in the feed tube and slice. Transfer the cut veggies to the bowl with the other veggies. Add the snow peas and toss the plants to combine. Pour the dressing over the veg and toss to cover well. Move to a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved cut peanuts.
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If you’re serious about making cooking fast and fun again, you have to investigate the . It’s a great tool. I highly recommend it and you can get it for a great price online.
If you need more information about cuisinart food processors or the cuisinart duet in particular, check out these other articles:

We have a fall tradition that fills in the void between summer and winter holidays. We have a pasta party, or sometimes even two during September and October. The weather cools down and we can open up the house and invite friends over to make pasta from scratch. We start out with a light brunch and planning our pasta ingredients and break up into groups for each flavor. Each couple or individual brings a salad or meat to go with the finished pasta. If you’ve never had homemade pasta, you need to give a try. The basic recipe is very simple, here is a quick list of ingredients for making one pound of homemade pasta: ·2&1/4 Cups of unbleached flour ·3 large eggs ·Pinch of salt ·Water, or Oil, or milk (3 to 4 tablespoons) ·A minced vegetable for flavor (optional) We prefer to use oil since it keeps the dough from dying out and adds a good flavor but some people like water. We also use spinach, broccoli, zucchini, or other vegetable for flavor but plain is good too. This is where the party really starts since many people bring their own special vegetable to create whatever flavor they like. And we have had some real unusual ingredients since anything goes. We use a food processor but you could also mix this by hand. Use the plastic dough blade if you have one but the metal chopping blade will work. You combine the dry ingredients in the bowl and pulse a few time to mix well. Beat the three eggs to combine the whites and yolks. Turn the food processor on and slowly pour the eggs in and continue to process until the dough becomes a ball and works away from the edge of the bowl. This part only takes about 5 minutes. Now the kneading begins and continues until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Be sure to powder the working surface with flour and work quickly if you used water rather than oil since it will dry out quicker. Depending on your ingredients and effort, this part can take about 10 to 15 minutes. We roll the dough back into a ball and cover with plastic wrap to “rest” for about an hour at room temperature. At our parties we spend this time making our sauces for each of the different pasta flavors. Pesto is always a standard but many fresh vegetable flavors are popular, some cooked and some not. We use hand crank pasta machines (they cost about $10-$13) since they are quick and easy. Always make sure you run some test dough through any new pasta machine to clean out any residue of manufacturing (every single one I’ve ever bought had grease, oil, or even metal filings). Either make or buy several pasta-drying racks since the pasta will need to hang dry for about 2-3 hours before cooking (some people don’t dry very long but we’ve found it to really enhance the flavor). The first process with the pasta machine is to flatten portions of the dough into about 1/16 inch thick, 4 inch wide, and maybe 12-inch long lengths (the length is how thick and long the strand of pasta will be). Once you like the size and thickness you then run these slabs through the cutting section. You can have different shapes and sizes depending on your available blades. The standard fettuccine style is the most popular at our parties but you can also just cut shapes out of the dough slabs (like cookie cutters) for any shape you can make. It’s hard to describe the antics that occur when first timers go through this homemade pasta routine. Throw in a couple of glass of wine and before you know it, wet pasta is hanging everywhere. It’s a good time and the reward at the end is well worth the work. We usually will find some group games to play while the pasta is drying. Sometimes there might be a football game on or some movie to watch. When the pasta is dry, the boiling begins and within about 30-40 minutes there is a wide variety of pasta flavors and sauces to try for dinner. Out come the salads and meat dishes, and then everyone mixes and matches to their choice. Trust me when I say no one goes home hungry after one of these parties. You could have these parties anytime of year, spring would be good too since many fresh vegetables would be available. We just started doing it in the fall and it’s kind of stuck. You can always find quite a few good recipes that come with your food processor or pasta machine to try. Or just experiment on your own. It’s fun and quite an economical way to throw a party any time of year.
Learn more about the Cusinart Food Processor here: Cusinart Food Processor. A few good ways to find parts for older Cusinart models info here: Cusinart Food Processor Parts.