Crock pot cooking

I love fall for so many reason but one of my favorite things about the season is pulling out my good old crock pot. Cooking in the crock pot is quick and easy. The best part about it is that you have a home cooked meal when you get home from work. Here are some helpful tips to using your crock pot this season, or any season.
Crock pots come in different sizes and usually have two or three setting; low –200 degrees, high – 300 degrees and warm -165 degrees. Some older crock pots may vary so you’ll want to keep an eye the first few times you use your new or used crock pot.
Fatty foods such as meat will retain heat more. If you are cooking meat it is best to trim off the fatty part or place it on top with your vegetables like carrots and potatoes, such as in a beef stew, on the bottom and sides.
Crock pots are known for simply being able to “set it and forget it”. However, if you have the time to marinate and/or brown your meats and sauté your vegetables it will add more flavor to your meal.
To assure all food is thoroughly cooked you will only want to fill your crock pot about 1/3 of the way full.
Avoid opening the crock pot while it is cooking. If you must open it at anytime make sure to add an additional 20 minutes to your cook time.
Lastly, Enjoy!
Here is one of my favorite crock pot recipes: Beef Stew
Ingredients
• 2 pounds stewing beef
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 or 3 bay leaves
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 3 medium potatoes, quartered
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 3 large carrots, sliced
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 gallon sized sealable plastic bag
Directions
• Combined salt, pepper, paprika and flour into plastic bag. Add beef to bag coating all sides with mixture.
• In large skillet heat oil on medium/high and brown meat on all sides. Do not cook through.
• Place potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions at the bottom of your crock pot with beef on top.
• Add beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours
• For thicker gravy, remove 2 cups of broth from crock pot and combine 2 tablespoons flour in a separate. Mix together until smooth and stir into crock pot. Cook for another 20 minutes.

*Try serving over egg noodles

Although it is most often used to season food, salt has many other practical uses.
Got stains on your copper cookware? Dip lemon halves in salt and rub the stains away. You can also clean copper, bronze, brass, and pewter with a paste of salt and white vinegar.
Brighten cutting boards by rubbing with a damp cloth dipped in salt. If grease spills in your oven while cooking, sprinkle salt on it before it is baked on. Continue cooking and by clean up time, the spill will be an easily removed pile of ash.
Keep windows frost-free by wiping them with a sponge dipped in salt water.
Using salt and baking soda to unclog a drain will take care of bad odors at the same time. Pour one cup salt into drain, followed by one cup baking soda. Pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain and let it work on your problem.
Neutralize bitter coffee by adding a dash of salt to your cup.
Remove rust from screwdrivers and other tools by rubbing them with a slice of raw potato dipped in salt.
Have a water ring on your wood tabletop? Mix equal parts of corn oil and salt, rub it into the ring and then polish it off with a clean cloth.
Prevent runs in pantyhose by first soaking them for thirty minutes in a solution of ½ cup of salt dissolved in one quart of water. Rinse and drip dry. The salt strengthens the nylon fibers.
Salt has been an essential preservative and flavoring since ancient times and continues to be a staple of life, useful in so many ways.

Fleas on dogs and cats! These small dark brown insects prefer temperatures of 65-80 degrees and humidity levels of 75-85 percent — so for some areas of the country they are more than just a “summer” problem.

Dogs and cats often get infested with fleas through contact with other animals or contact with fleas in the environment. The strong back legs of this insect enable it to jump from host to host or from the environment onto the host. (Fleas do not have wings, so they cannot fly!) The flea’s bite can cause itching for the host but for a sensitive or flea-allergic animal, this itching can be quite severe and leads to hair-loss, inflammation and secondary skin infections. Some pets, hypersensitive to the flea’s saliva, will itch all over from the bite of even a single flea!
The flea information presented here will focus on treatment for and prevention of fleas, which, let’s face it, is just as important to the pet as it is to the pet’s caretakers!

How do you know if fleas are causing all that itching – formally known as pruritus? Generally, unlike the burrowing, microscopic Demodex or Scabies Mites, fleas can be seen scurrying along the surface of the skin. Dark copper colored and about the size of the head of a pin, fleas dislike light so looking for them within furry areas and on the pet’s belly and inner thighs will provide your best chances of spotting them.

Look for “flea dirt”, too. “Flea dirt” looks like dark specks of pepper scattered on the skin surface. If you see flea dirt, which is actually flea feces and is composed of digested blood, pick some off the pet and place on a wet paper towel. If after a few minutes the tiny specks spread out like a small blood stain, it’s definitely flea dirt and your pet has fleas!

Understanding the Flea Life Cycle
In order to understand how and why treatment options work, we must first understand the flea’s life cycle since the various modern treatment and prevention products work on different parts of this life cycle. There are several stages to its life cycle: egg, larva or caterpillar, pupa or cocoon, and adult. The length of time it takes to complete this cycle varies depending upon the environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and the availability of a nourishing host.

The flea’s host is a warm-blooded animal such as a dog or cat (or even humans!) However, the various flea stages are quite resistant to freezing temperatures. The adult female flea typically lives for several weeks on the pet. During this time period she will suck the animal’s blood two to three times and lay twenty to thirty eggs each day. She may lay several hundred eggs over her life span. These eggs fall off of the pet into the yard, bedding, carpet, and wherever else the animal spends time.

These eggs then proceed to develop where they have landed. Since they are about 1/12 the size of the adult, they can even develop in small cracks in the floor and between crevices in carpeting. The egg then hatches into larvae. These tiny worm-like larvae live among the carpet fibers, in cracks of the floor, and outside in the environment. They feed on organic matter, skin scales, and even the blood-rich adult flea feces.

The larvae grow, molt twice and then form a cocoon and pupate, waiting for the right time to hatch into an adult. These pupae are very resilient and are protected by their cocoon. They can survive quite a long time, waiting until environmental conditions and host availability are just right. Then they emerge from their cocoons when they detect heat, vibrations and exhaled carbon dioxide, all of which indicate that a host is nearby. The newly emerged adult flea can jump onto a nearby host immediately.

Under optimal conditions, the flea can complete its entire life cycle in just fourteen days. Just think of the tens of thousands of the little rascals that could result when conditions are optimal!
Knowing this life cycle allows us to understand why it has always been important to treat both the host animal and the indoor and outdoor environment in order to fully control flea numbers. Simply sprinkling some flea powder on your pet will not work; simply vacuuming the home vigorously will not work, simply placing a flea collar or using a flea topical on your pet will not work.
Prescription Medication

There are a wide variety of flea products on the market today, but the newer prescription products are finally taking the frustration out of flea control with popular and highly effective brands. In some cases it is even possible to gain control by treating only the pet. Some of these flea products do not harm the adult flea but instead prevents her eggs from hatching, thus breaking the life cycle of the flea; with no reproduction the flea population eventually dissipates as long as the pet isn’t coming in contact with new fleas continually.
In warm climates, this treatment is typically year round, but in other climates treatment should begin in early spring before the flea season starts. In addition, these type of products are not a good choice for animals that are allergic to flea saliva (have flea bite hypersensitivity) since the adult fleas are not killed and are still able to bite the animal.

Information provided by PetMD

September is Hunger Action Month! Wear your orange tops, slacks or scarves to bring awareness. If at all possible, set some time aside to volunteer or put together some non-perishable food items to donate. The use of food banks and soup kitchens is on the rise daily; now more than ever it is an important time to give to your local food banks. Here is a list of the most common needed items:
Canned Chicken
Canned Tuna
Canned Salmon
Peanut Butter
Jelly
Mac n Cheese
Canned Soup/Stew/Chili
Canned/Dried Beans
Canned Nuts
Rice and Rice Mixes
Pasta
Noodle Mixes

As fall is quickly approaching, apple picking season in Maine is in full swing. Many local orchards are open and ready for business. Why not head out to a local orchard and spend the afternoon apple picking?
There are numerous ways to enjoy apples not just as a snack or dessert! There are soup recipes that incorporate apples, salads, roast them with vegetables, make cookies, or apple butter. Of course there are always the old stand bys of apple crisp, apple pie, apple sauce or pick up a gallon of apple cider! <em>
Check out this website that lists apple orchards in Maine as well as many mouth watering recipes and some history about the apple I bet you didn’t know! </em><strong></strong>http://www.maineapples.org/directory/

Foods that Can Hurt Your Dog

Most dogs love food, and they’re especially attracted to what they see us eating. While sharing the occasional tidbit with your dog is fine, it’s important to be aware that some foods can be very dangerous to dogs. Learn which ones.

Chocolate, Macadamia nuts, avocados…these foods may sound delicious to you, but they’re actually quite dangerous for our animal companions. Our nutrition experts have put together a handy list of the top toxic people foods to avoid feeding your pet. As always, if you suspect your pet has eaten any of the following foods, please note the amount ingested and contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

Chocolate, Coffee, Caffeine

These products all contain substances called methylxanthines, which are found in cacao seeds, the fruit of the plant used to make coffee and in the nuts of an extract used in some sodas. When ingested by pets, methylxanthines can cause vomiting and diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death. Note that darker chocolate is more dangerous than milk chocolate. White chocolate has the lowest level of methylxanthines, while baking chocolate contains the highest.

Alcohol

Alcoholic beverages and food products containing alcohol can cause vomiting, diarrhea, decreased coordination, central nervous system depression, difficulty breathing, tremors, abnormal blood acidity, coma and even death.

Avocado

The leaves, fruit, seeds and bark of avocados contain Persin, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs. Birds and rodents are especially sensitive to avocado poisoning, and can develop congestion, difficulty breathing and fluid accumulation around the heart. Some ingestions may even be fatal.

Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia nuts are commonly used in many cookies and candies. However, they can cause problems for your canine companion. These nuts have caused weakness, depression, vomiting, tremors and hyperthermia in dogs. Signs usually appear within 12 hours of ingestion and last approximately 12 to 48 hours.

Grapes & Raisins

Although the toxic substance within grapes and raisins is unknown, these fruits can cause kidney failure. In pets who already have certain health problems, signs may be more dramatic.

Yeast Dough

Yeast dough can rise and cause gas to accumulate in your pet’s digestive system. This can be painful and can cause the stomach or intestines to rupture. Because the risk diminishes after the dough is cooked and the yeast has fully risen, pets can have small bits of bread as treats. However, these treats should not constitute more than 5 percent to 10 percent of your pet’s daily caloric intake.

Raw/Undercooked Meat, Eggs and Bones

Raw meat and raw eggs can contain bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli that can be harmful to pets. In addition, raw eggs contain an enzyme called avidin that decreases the absorption of biotin (a B vitamin), which can lead to skin and coat problems. Feeding your pet raw bones may seem like a natural and healthy option that might occur if your pet lived in the wild. However, this can be very dangerous for a domestic pet, who might choke on bones, or sustain a grave injury should the bone splinter and become lodged in or puncture your pet’s digestive tract.

Xylitol

Xylitol is used as a sweetener in many products, including gum, candy, baked goods and toothpaste. It can cause insulin release in most species, which can lead to liver failure. The increase in insulin leads to hypoglycemia (lowered sugar levels). Initial signs of toxicosis include vomiting, lethargy and loss of coordination. Signs can progress to recumbancy and seizures. Elevated liver enzymes and liver failure can be seen within a few days.

Onions, Garlic, Chives

These vegetables and herbs can cause gastrointestinal irritation and could lead to red blood cell damage. Although cats are more susceptible, dogs are also at risk if a large enough amount is consumed. Toxicity is normally diagnosed through history, clinical signs and microscopic confirmation of Heinz bodies. An occasional low dose, such as what might be found in pet foods or treats, likely will not cause a problem, but we recommend that you do NOT give your pets large quantities of these foods.

Milk

Because pets do not possess significant amounts of lactase (the enzyme that breaks down lactose in milk), milk and other milk-based products cause them diarrhea or other digestive upset.

Salt

Large amounts of salt can produce excessive thirst and urination, or even sodium ion poisoning in pets. Signs that your pet may have eaten too many salty foods include vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, elevated body temperature, seizures and even death. In other words, keep those salty chips to yourself!

Foods that Can Hurt Your Dog

Most dogs love food, and they’re especially attracted to what they see us eating. While sharing the occasional tidbit with your dog is fine, it’s important to be aware that some foods can be very dangerous to dogs. Learn which ones.

My cousin, David Straight, is an amazing chef and former inn keeper and has spoiled us over the years with some fantastic meals. One of my favorites is his Minestrone soup – easy, hearty, and chuck-full of good-for-you vegetables! Don’t be afraid of the prep work, it’s easy and so worth it! Remember the Parmesan cheese before serving, it’s the perfect touch to a great cool weather dish.

Minestrone with fresh tomatoes

This can easily get very salty, so try to pick canned beans w/as low sodium as possible. Also, V8 has a low sodium version.

½ cup olive oil
4 small yellow onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small zucchini, chopped
4 red potatoes, unpeeled, large chop
2 stalks celery, large chop
2 cups fresh green beans, cut to 1 inch pieces
5 ripe, plum tomatoes, chopped
8 cups vegetable broth (College Inn garden veg. Is the best!)
1 ½ tsp dried parsley
1 ½ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp dried sage
1 can canellini (white beans) undrained
1 can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1/3 cup V8 juice
1/3 cup elbow macaroni

In a small saucepan, sauté onions and garlic in the olive oil until onion is translucent (5-7 minutes). In a soup kettle, combine zucchini, potatoes, celery, green beans, plum tomatoes, broth and onion/garlic mixture. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes.

Turn heat up and add herbs, beans, macaroni, and V8. Cook for length of time directed for macaroni.

Serve with Parmesan cheese, great with crusty bread and white wine!

Summer has flown by! September is approaching way to fast. I can’t complain though this summer has been amazing ! In the beginning of the season I wrote up a to do list, since then I did almost every single thing on my list.  I’ve taken a few last minute road trips out of state to visit family, watched the sun rise on more than one occasion, got caught in a few unexpected rain storms and gone to the lake almost every weekend. My friends and I have had some great BBQ’s and bon fires. We got to go hiking recently which is such a great way to get some exercise. The beach has become a common place to head to after the office. I learned how to surf and have enjoyed fresh seafood by the beach every chance I got. This summer has been great a lot of wonderful memories were created. I’m hoping for some great weather for labor day weekend to wrap it all up. I hope summer 2013 was good to you as well.

Your friends can be the best source of inspiration. One of my best friends has been doing the couch to 5K program. If you have never heard of this, it basically gets you up and running a 5K from scratch in 10 weeks. It is pretty brilliant and this past weekend she ran her first 5k!

While I’m not sure about that program during Maine winters, this one sounds like a good option for the chilly months that are right around the corner. It’s turn on, tune in, tone up. It’s essentially a workout planned for a 30 minute TV show. Check it out!
http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2006/10/work-out-while-watching-tv-slideshow#slide=1

Has anyone seen the article online discussing the newly-found Oldest Man Alive? I found this article discussing this man in Bolivia, Carmelo Flores Laura, who is not only the oldest person alive at the estimated age of 123, but also the oldest person ever documented.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57599028/is-bolivian-peasant-carmelo-flores-laura-oldest-person-ever-documented/

Most of us want to live long, fulfilling lives and rarely live to an age even close to Flores. This man made me think that if we would like to live as long as possible to get the most out of life, we should really simply our lives in general. As this article from CBS news states, Flores lives in a straw-roofed, dirt-floor hut and walks a lot. He also doesn’t eat noodles, rice or barley. He drinks water from the snow-capped mountains near his home, and doesn’t drink alcohol. He also has never traveled farther than fifty miles from his home. And while he has lost all his teeth, he doesn’t wear glasses or use a cane. He lives an extremely simply life as a farmer and rancher, and is the patriarchal leader of a very large family.

But would we want to live a very simple, somewhat uneventful life just to live as long as possible, or do we live every moment to the fullest and get to enjoy the most that life has to offer? Every person’s answer will vary, but this man definitely gets me thinking. I think I’d like to live somewhere in the middle of each philosophy. Maybe take care of my body while also exploring and experiencing as much as I can. So maybe I’ll cut back on all the processed foods and plan a hiking trip! Who’s with me?