But in our general day to day planning, we might have a few questions that we want to know the answers to, but also put off knowing. In this post, we hope to provide a central resource to help you:

I Left Food Out Longer Than I Should Have – Can I Still Eat It?

Usually, room-temperature perishables like meat, poultry, seafood, or dairy should not be left out for more than two hours. But what about three hours? Four? Well, it’s best not to risk it at all. That being said, it’s important to be wise. Some people leave food out overnight and have been fine. It’s worth considering the risk involved, the temperature your food is left at, and official advice. It’s best to never flirt with food poisoning, no matter how tempted you are.

Are Fruit Stickers Edible?

You may ask are fruit stickers edible? Many people take a bite out of their apple (not their iPhone), and realize they’ve eaten half of one. Luckily, they don’t provide any real harm but don’t expect any nutritional profile or benefit from doing so. Check the linked resource for more information.

How Does A Microwave Work, Anyway?

We’ve all wondered this while greedily waiting for our leftover pizza to come back to life. Microwaves work by emitting electromagnetic waves that cause the water molecules in food to vibrate, which generates heat. This heat cooks the food from the inside out, which is why microwaves are faster than conventional ovens, sometimes by a factor of five or more. The rotating plate inside the microwave allows even cooking by distributing those microwaves throughout the food. It’s an amazing technology, despite many of us taking it for granted.

Are Air Fryers Really Healthier?

Air fryers are a great way to stop using oils, and that in itself could be a health improvement. That being said, not all oils are bad for you – coconut and avocado oil are considered rather healthy, even. What matters is what you’re frying up. Fried vegetables in a healthy oil limited in saturated fats is going to be healthier than air frying a dense, sugary pie. So unless you’re avoiding fats at all cost, air frying isn’t necessarily healthier. They are fun to use, however.

With this advice, we hope you can finally answer some of those pressing food questions you’ve always wanted to know about. With that put to rest, you can devote your mental energy to the wonderful meals you create on a daily basis!

The post 4 General Food Questions We’ve Always Wanted To Know The Answers To appeared first on InstantELLA.

Provide Great Food

Food is important for most people when it comes to being a guest, and it’s something that you are probably going to want to think about if you are keen on trying to make your home as exciting as possible. The truth is that it’s perfectly possible to create some great food for your guests without even doing too much, and this is something that you may want to consider the next time you are having people around. As long as you put some kind of spread on, that is going to help a great deal all in all.

Create A Home Theater

This is something that is always going to go down well, and it’s likely that you are going to want to think about it as soon as possible, because it’s the kind of thing that you will generally want to try out. Having a home theater means that your guests are going to love being in your home, and that this is going to make it so much more enjoyable on the whole. Of course, you’ll want to make sure that you do it right, so take a look at https://smarthometechnologies.com/home-theater-phoenix-arizona to see how you might approach this.

Think About Comfort

In general, if you are providing a comfortable space, then it means people are more able to relax and enjoy themselves, and that means that they are therefore going to be much more likely to feel that excitement that you are trying to create for them. So make sure that the furniture and everything else is set up in such a way that it’s going to be really enjoyable to be in. You’ll find that this really does make the home so much more exciting on the whole, and that you are going to be happier to host too.

Provide Music

On the whole, having some music really helps too. If you are providing music, then it’s going to mean that your guests are so much more likely to actually have a good sense of what they are doing and that the experience is going to be much livelier, which is obviously what you are going for here. So make sure you’ve got a good sound system and you’ll be able to make this a reality much more quickly and easily.

The post Making Your Home More Exciting For Guests appeared first on InstantELLA.

Sink into a rich, warm pie

Although savory pies might not be the most popular thing here, there’s nothing like a crust full of saucy, warm meat that can really give you that sense of comfort when it’s dark outside. If you’re cooking for the whole family, or just a couple of people who will be glad to heat up the leftovers the next day, then a chicken pot pie is a great, inexpensive option, that stays warm for a long time thanks to all of that thick, delicious filling. Excellent for warming the body after a day out in the cold.

Nothing like chocolate to lift the mood

Aside from being utterly delicious, chocolate is recommended for those in a low mood who are trying to show a little self-care. However, you’re really going to get your forkful’s worth out of it if you make it a little special, such as creating a big tray of brownies, whether to share with family and friends or to put in the fridge to heat up again later. The sumptuous, gooey, richness is bound to put a smile on any face. Even the smell from the oven alone might be enough to lift your spirits.

Add a little heat to your potatoes

If you’re aiming to eat healthy during the holidays, then you might want to avoid getting too reliant on meats and desserts alone (as convincing as they can be). Potatoes aren’t exactly the lightest vegetable, but they are great for creating thick, hearty meals that can feel perfectly comforting when it’s dark out. However, you can turn up the heat a little bit more with a Mediterranean flair, using herbs like garlic, parsley, fresh rosemary, and even a little bit of pepper to make them all the more fragrant and welcoming.

Get familiar with your slow cooker

Rather than just a recipe, if there’s one appliance that can make your winter months a lot more delicious and help you make long-lasting comfort foods that you can pre-prepare for the week, then a slow cooker is going to do you a ton of good. You don’t need complex recipes, although there are tons out there, all you typically need is a stock, be it of your own making or storebought, meat, and vegetables, and then read up on how long to keep them in the pot.

Good food can help you feel a lot warmer and can do a lot to fight off the low moods that can so often come with the winter months. Hopefully, we’ve given you some inspiration of your own to cook some of your comfy favorites.

The post The Top Comfy Foods To Get You Through The Cold appeared first on InstantELLA.

Here are some simple ways to ensure that your home stays cool this summer. These easy steps will allow you to retreat to the comfort of your carefully cooled home. There are many ways that you can keep your home cool, and many of the methods vary depending on location and type of home.

Curtains

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While opening windows can be good, it needs to be done wisely. Opening a window that is facing the sun is just going to make your home super hot. You need to be careful to open windows that face away from the sun’s current position.

Equipping your windows with heavy curtains can be a great solution. These curtains prevent the sun from coming into the home, therefore keeping it much cooler. You can buy thick, dark curtains known as “black-out” curtains that do this quite nicely. Sometimes though, you need custom Window Treatments to get the right look. This can mean using a combination of curtains and bespoke blinds or shutters in order to get the right fit for your window with an aesthetic that matches the décor of the rest of the room.

Service AC

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This is the easiest, most effective, but most expensive suggestion on the list. Getting your AC tuned up will help keep your home cool all summer. It could potentially cost you a lot of money.

Check out local businesses that offer air conditioning services to find a good deal. Even if it is expensive, it is worth it.

Fire Up The Grill

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One of the easiest ways to heat your home up is to turn on the oven and cook. Now, this can’t be avoided the entire summer, so it is good to find the ideal times to cook. The ideal parts of the day to cook, morning and evening, are good times as your home will be cooler during those times.

You can avoid cooking inside by firing up the grill and cooking out. This is a classic thing to do during the summer anyway and will allow you to avoid heating up the house. Making a picnic out of it is a great family activity too!

Patch Screens

Why Should You Choose Metal Roofing?

Patching screens by itself will do nothing to keep your home cool. What your screens do is allow you to open windows without letting the veritable army of summer bugs into your home. You can buy very cheap screen patches at Walmart that are easily applied to windows and prevent bugs from coming in.

By doing so, you are allowing yourself to better ventilate your home by opening windows. If you open a window at each end of your house, you are creating a perfect path for a cool breeze.

Conclusion

Your Next-Level Cookout Guide

Summer is a great time of year, but it is very hot. Make sure that you are taking all the necessary steps to allow your home to be cool all summer. Simple, easy fixes are readily available; get your home in summer shape and beat the heat this year!

The post 4 Simple Actions to Take to Prepare to Beat the Summer Heat appeared first on InstantELLA.

The most wonderful time of the year can also be the most hectic and stressful time of year for many.

It can require many trips to the mall, lots of driving, working overtime before the holidays, and also dealing with a lot of family members and friends.

It can leave you a bit frazzled and tired, and make you wonder if you are going to make it through it ok and have the energy to start of the New Year on a good foot.

Something that you can do to make sure you don’t turn into the Grinch this holiday season is to give a little time back to yourself and find some time to relax and rejuvenate.

Here are seven ways to pamper yourself this holiday season so that you are feeling your best and everyone is getting a well-rested and well-cared version of you.

Take a nice long bubble bath

If it seems like your schedule is jam-packed but you know that you need just some time to yourself a bubble bath is a great way to do that while still being able to fit everything else in.

The nice thing about a bubble bath is you can do it at home anytime you have time, especially in the evening when all the kids have finally gone to sleep.

Throw in a couple of bath bombs, light a few candles, and allow yourself to relax into the warm bubbles.

Get a manicure and pedicure

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Just like getting your hair done, getting a mani and pedi feels luxurious while not necessarily being so.

Take a couple gal pals with you as well who may need a break from their hectic lives as well.

Just make sure if you are diabetic to ask your foot doctor if it’s ok to have a pedicure done to make sure you don’t get any kind of harmful infection.

Get a massage

Why Does My Body Feel Worse After a Massage?

This is one you can do alone or with your significant other, in fact, it could be a special Christmas gift for you and them as well. Booking yourselves in for a swedish massage in St Louis Park, MN or another more relevant area can be a great way to loosen up any tension and unwind together.

It’s something you both will love and help you to both relax and feel pampered as well.

Rent a hotel room

Ideas for Successful Restaurant Marketing

If you really need to get away from it all drop off the kids at their grandparents and take a staycation at a local hotel.

That way you don’t have to worry about cooking and cleaning, and you can just lounge around all night and sleep in in the morning.

Eat some yummy treats

5 Fun Indoor Activities for Kids to Survive Winter

This is one that is great when you really can’t take any time away from everything that is going on but can instantly perk up your mood and let you indulge.

Get your hair done

KNOT GOOD No one should wash their locks every day, says expert… find out how often you should shampoo depending on your hair type

No one will question you if you say you have to get your hair touched up and it will also help you to look fresh and fabulous for your all your holiday parties.

Get your hair washed, cut, and styled and maybe even add a blowout.

You will be able to relax while everything is getting done and take some time away from the everyday tasks on your list.

Take some alone time

Where Do You See Yourself In 10 Years Time?

Even if it just means going to the grocery store alone or taking a walk alone, take some time to be with yourself and you will find it will help to center you and find a little bit of peace and quiet.

The post 7 Ways to Pamper Yourself This Holiday Season appeared first on InstantELLA.

It’s dinner time. You are starving, your family is starving, and they expect you to whip up something tasty and delicious, and quickly.

Chicken, beef, or another main entree is an easy given, but what else can you throw together with them?

Luckily there is something that will go easily with any meat, something that can be made several different ways that are bound to satisfy all members of your family. And that something is a potato.

Here are five reasons that potatoes are always going to be dinner’s delectable best friend and something you can always count on when it comes to preparing any meal.

1) They are healthy

30 Healthy Ways To Eat Potatoes

Not only are potatoes easy to make and taste really good, they are also very healthy.

There are so many simple healthy potatoes recipes out there that taste good but deliver the nutrients you want your family to get with every meal.

Depending on the type of potato you choose to make, each has its own nutritional value. Sweet potatoes, for example, are jam-packed with vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber, Vitamin E, calcium, and Iron.

Red potatoes have a lot of the same nutrients, but their skin is especially nutritious with large amounts of fiber and B Vitamins.

2) The possibilities are endless

The 18 Best Ways To Cook Potatoes, In Order

As was mentioned before, one of the greatest parts of potatoes is their versatility.

You can make them into soup, mash them, bake them, dice them and cover them with cheese. Whatever your heart’s desire, there is probably a simple healthy potato recipe to satisfy it.

3) Solution for picky eaters

Julie’s Potato Salad is my go-to summer side dish! Ever the pickiest eaters love these simple, classic flavors!

Because potatoes are so versatile even your most picky eater will have a version of potatoes that they enjoy eating.

You could say the potatoes are a really great “safe” food because you know when you prepare it everyone is going to be happy and eat and enjoy the food you prepared.

They are the best foods to personalize to your own individual taste, because you can start them off plain but add all the flavors and toppings you want, ensuring it will taste good and be eaten.

4) Easy on the tummy

An Old Palestinian Potato Home Remedy for Tummy Troubles

If you or any of your family are having stomach problems potatoes are a great solution.

As mentioned before, potatoes are filled with many beneficial nutrients and are made up of mostly water, making them very easy to digest. So if there is a stomach bug plaguing your house or if someone always has a sensitive stomach, potatoes are the answer.

5) Easy on the wallet

11 Cheap Meals to Make with Potatoes

One reason that potatoes could be on the dinner menu pretty often is that they are a pretty inexpensive side dish.

It’s easy to buy potatoes in large quantities for a really affordable price. Also, most potatoes are available year round, although they are even cheaper during potato harvesting season, which is usually early fall.

This also means that potatoes are a great option if you have to feed a lot of people but don’t want to spend a ton of money, hence why you see so many potato dishes served around the holidays.

The post Why Potatoes Are Dinner’s Best Friend? appeared first on InstantELLA.

They say a recipe has no soul. It’s the cook that infuses soul into the recipe and here’s my take on where the cook finds inspiration.

Hunger is a good cook

We’ve all been there and in fact, early humans cooked up their first hot meals more than 1.9m years ago! But it’s how you react when faced with this situation that can predict if you’ll make the cut as a good cook. See, cooking is all about perseverance and discipline. Are you going to be the type to go out and buy your meal? No doubt, it’s easier and quicker. It’s also probably more expensive and not that healthy. Or are you going to be the type to look at the raw material and supplies in your kitchen, take a stab at creating something out of nothing and putting up with the momentary inconvenience because you know it’s a small price to pay for the long-term benefits. I took the second option and I can’t remember a day after that that I ever went hungry. An important tip: build the discipline of stocking up your kitchen responsibly and by that, I mean, as if tomorrow was the apocalypse! If you get that right, you’ll go far kid!

You are what you eat

What Americans can learn from other food cultures

I come from a mixed culture and that means the food was all over the place. Flavors and cooking methods were not distinct but diverse in my home. A typical Indian curry could mimic Continental stew and ‘chutney’ could very quickly transform into jam or jelly. A dish cooked with meat was simply called meat curry – it could be spicy one day and bland the next. The protein could be substituted in the same cooking sauce/ gravy and fried onions and potatoes were the rescue to all dishes on the verge of failure. I took my mum’s cooking for granted then but I miss those distinct flavors now. I had no frame of reference when I started cooking and so I am not stubborn about food.  For me, it’s all about fusion, experiments and adapting, which mirrors my personality. I am what I eat. Be open to different type of cuisines, food, flavors and ways of eating.  The faster you adapt to foods, the quicker you assimilate into new cultures and societies.

Eating is a necessity. Cooking is an art

Looks as good as it tastes? Why an attractive plate makes for a tastier dinner

It’s all in the presentation. You heard this from MasterChef. You saw it in the contestants and felt it from the judges. Human beings eat with their eyes first and palate second which is why parents have such a tough time introducing their toddlers to new foods, the same toddlers who are ever ready to put any and everything in their mouth. The truth is some of the healthiest food is not always the prettiest. Think Kiwi, Oats, Chia seeds, clams or lentils. The trick is in the presentation. Use a burst of color, your best cookware, practice those plating up skills and come up with fancy names for your dishes. Once the food gets past the mouth, the palate will do the rest.

Don’t be afraid to take Whisks!

Global Cuisine Starts with Spice Blends

My mum didn’t have specific methods of cooking. I had no frame of reference because she didn’t teach me ‘how-to-cook’.  She only told me it would come ‘naturally’ to me when it was time. She was right. Not only did it come naturally, but I saw a certain freedom and opportunity in not having any frame of reference. This ignorance enabled me to discover my own brand of cooking. I had no expectations and was therefore ready to take risks. I did not care about judgement because I always knew I had a very rare palate. My love of intense spice, sweet and sour at the same time resulted in me damaging my taste buds when I was barely 10 years old. Those taste buds healed with anti-biotics but if that isn’t an example of taking risks, I’m not sure what is.

Don’t be afraid of combining seemingly opposing flavors. I hosted a game night for my husband’s guy friends recently. They loved the ground beef lasagna and said it had the perfect flavor. The secret was in the sacrilegious blend of Marinara (Italian), Barbeque (American) and Sriracha (Thai) Sauces!

Use substitutes. If you like Mexican food but can’t make a tortilla, make an Indian ‘Roti’ instead. Go a step further and dare to serve Eastern savory with Western dessert. The key is to take risks, experiment with styles, flavor and presentation and you’ll be whipping up a storm in no time. You can find a variety of different recipes to help get you started by checking out food backwards. It will be fun and challenging to experiment with a bunch of different foods and recipes. All you need to get started is some ideas for what to cook.

Take the heat out of the kitchen

5 Reasons Eating Will Always Be the Best Part About Traveling

Travel and coffee is the cure to almost everything. There hasn’t been a successful chef on the planet who didn’t want to travel or explore new cultures and places. There’s only so much chicken and seasoning can teach you. But a conversation & coffee with old friends or new acquaintances widens your vision and gives your perspective outside the kitchen. Cooking is a means to an end, a social tool constructed to bring people together, foster ideas, discover opportunities and be inspired. So, go out there, explore every café and restaurant in town, take a trip to some extravagant island, lose yourself trekking up a mountain or on a hike. I can guarantee you, you’ll always learn something new you can use when it comes to cooking and your kitchen!

Give Me Inspiration & I’ll Give You a Reason to Cook

HOW THE WORLD’S BEST CHEFS FIND INSPIRATION

Long before Gordon Ramsay, Nigella Lawson or Jamie Oliver became famous, they had family and friends. These were their first fans. And like them, I was blessed with having people around me that were supportive of my food, at home, at the workplace and even on social networks. They have and always be an inspiration who have played a big part in helping me recognizing my potential. Every ‘like’ on a Facebook or Instagram upload of my food, every encouraging comment, every inquiry about a recipe, every exchange of cooking tips has gone a long way and deserves mention.

Hashtag Foodie: Young adults and the evolution of modern food culture

Food is just another commodity and like all products, if there is inspiration and demand, there will always be a steady supply.

The post Chef: A Person Who Isn’t Afraid To Take Whisks! appeared first on InstantELLA.