Weekly Produce Tips - Corn, Garlic, Grapefruit, & Grapes

Welcome to this week's Produce Tips. We hope you find some useful information today. Be sure to check back soon for some delicious recipes using some of these great ingredients and more!

Produce Item	Shelf Life	How to Store	Extra Tips
Corn	3-5 days	Store fresh corn in a loose plastic bag in the coldest part of the refrigerator.	Eat the corn as soon as possible after purchase. The sooner you eat corn, the sweeter it will be because the sugar in the corn kernels converts to starch with age.
Garlic	30 days	Store garlic in a cool, dark place.	You can store garlic in the refrigerator, however this will reduce the shelf life to 7-10 days. The longer you cook garlic, the milder it gets. Do not allow the garlic to take on any color though because it will become bitter.
Grapefruit	14-21 days	Store in the crisper.	The heavier a grapefruit is, the juicier it will be. You should also let grapefruit sit out at room temperature for a while before serving to increase the juiciness (is that a word?)
Grapes	5-7 days	Store unwashed in and open plastic bag in the coldest part of the refrigerator.	Water can promote mold growth, which grapes develop quite easily, so be sure to store them unwashed and wash just before serving.

My Fitness Pal – An Easy Way to Manage Your Fitness & Weight Loss Goals

Sponsored Review

I recently joined a site to help me with my calorie counting because as much as I like to cook, I still need to monitor those calories ;-) My Fitness Pal offers a free calorie counter as a way to calculate the calories you have already consumed or to calculate the calories of foods before you eat them so that you can manage portions. They also have a free fitness monitor where you can input all of the activities of your day to calculate calories burned. It shows your totals of caloric intake, calories burned, and remaining calories for the day.


Another great feature as part of the calorie counter is the large database of foods they have on the site and you can input portion sizes in various formats such as weight, piece, etc. They also provide basic nutrition information for that food item. Here is an example of the information you get:




Plaudits:

• The site is free.
• Very interactive and intuitive site. It actually learns about you the more you use it.
• Site is fairly easy to navigate.
• Loads of useful information.
• A great aid to manage not only a weight loss diet, but also as a way to manage good nutrition. This is something you won't get from a standard "diet" website. I really like this aspect of the site and will use it often.

Tweaks:

• Some areas, like in the database of foods, you can't read the entire line of text. This makes choosing you selection a bit more difficult.
• The forum is a bit outdated.

Overall Opinion:

There is a lot of great information to be had on this site and it is all for free! I'm not sure how they do it but I hope they keep it going! This is a site that I will be returning to on a regular basis not only to aid in a bit of weight loss, but even when I just want nutritional information on specific foods. I also really like the feature of calculating the calories burned with any daily activity, not just standard exercises. Overall, I think this is a great site that can help anyone manage their diet and fitness needs.

Be Green and Save: Pot Your Plants with Plastics and Save

Great ideas to save money, potting soil, and keep plastics from going into the landfill all by planting some flowers!



read more | digg story

Be Green and Save: A Drip and a Drop Add Up!

Lots of great tips to save water at home during everyday tasks. The typical family of 4 has an average indoor water use of 7600 gallons per month and about 4500 gallons per month outdoors. That's a lot of water. Take a look at the ways you can save water and keep money in your pocket!



read more | digg story

One thing I do to work at home is paid surveys

I work from home on a variety of projects, one of which is taking paid surveys. I got some paid survey site directories at www.paidsurveysforanyone.com and was able to find several paid survey sites to register with. I am able to make some nice extra income without a big time committment. It’s great!

See more progress on: work from home

Friday's Feast One Hundred Forty Five

Here it this week's Friday's Feast. Bon Appetit!

Appetizer
Name a sound you like to hear.
My kids laughter. Sounds corny but its true.

Soup
What is your favorite kind of cheese?
Melted!

Salad
Do you sleep late on Saturday mornings? Why or why not?
Whenever possible. I do it because I can.

Main Course
When was the last time you forgot something? What was it, and how long did it take to remember it?
I'm sorry, I don't remember.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I notice all the great colors when I walk out in my garden (one of my favorite places to be).

Sponsored Reviews and Standard Reviews - Our Definitions & Guidelines

Sponsored Reviews and Standard Reviews

In an effort to keep our readers informed about current items on the market, we have decided to do some specific product and website reviews. We will cover aspects such as ease of use, appearance, ease of maintenance, cost, and overall features. For websites we will include information on the site's privacy policy, security, and general use of the website. We will provide a summary of our findings and opinions and list out the pros and cons for each product. These pros and cons will be listed as “plaudits” and “tweaks” respectively. Why? Because it’s just more fun than saying “pros and cons!”

A sponsored review is one that someone asks us to write and for which we get paid. This is one of the ways that we are able to maintain this blog and to put dinner on the table. Like any other job, we need to get paid somehow. Sponsored reviews will be honest and will provide information both positive and negative on any site or product we review. Our opinions are still our opinions, whether we are getting paid to write the review or not.

Standard reviews are reviews that we write just because we have some information we want to share with you. If you don't see the words "Sponsored Review" at the top of the post, the review is not a paid review.

If you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave a note.

Site Review - The Vine Store Offering Wine Racks & Accessories

The following is a Sponsored Review.

I have reviewed the site The Vine Store, an internet store specializing in Wine Racks. The selection of wine racks is really quite nice. They have racks available that are freestanding for tables or on the floor. They have racks that hang on cabinet shelves. The even have one wine rack that looks like a bug! Other offerings include wine tasting tables, wine cooler, and wine glasses. Prices appear reasonable and shipping costs appear within comparable norms.

The Bug Wine Rack

The Vine Store does have a privacy policy in place which appears fairly standard. They do accept returns on merchandise; however the 15 day time frame is a bit short. At least a 30 day return period would be an improvement.

Plaudits:

Great selection of specialized wine racks and wine related merchandise
Reasonable prices and shipping costs
Web site is easy to navigate
Privacy policy is in place
Secure checkout system
Some really fun and unique merchandise

Tweaks:
Return period is too short
Shipping costs are not visible until checkout is on the third screen

Overall Opinion:
I like this store and would recommend it for someone looking for a great selection of wine racks and wine related merchandise. Be sure to check your shipping costs before final checkout.

You can read our guidelines for sponsored reviews here.

Friday's Feast - Dig in for Some Friday Fun!

Here is this week's Friday Feast

Appetizer
List 3 emotions you experienced this week.
I would have to say happiness, frustration (my internet cable connection was down most of the week :-( ), and relief (it's Friday!)

Soup
Name a car you’d love to have.

I would love a jaguar convertible!

Salad
Describe your typical morning routine.

Wake up tired, get the kids off to school, sit down at the computer to work and forget to eat breakfast :-D

Main Course
Have you ever emailed someone famous? If so, who, and what did you say to them? Did they reply?

Can't say that I have. MIght be fun to try though.

Dessert
Do you listen to podcasts? If so, which ones?

I have never listened to a podcast. I'm lucky if I get through all my e-mail in a day!

Have an awesome weekend everyone and while you're here check out some of our recipes and other goodies. I recomment trying the Shrimp, Mussel, and Scallop Seafood Boil - it's easy and delicious!

Weekly Produce Tips - Cantaloupe, Carrots, Baby Carrots, & Cauliflower

We've got our next set of produce tips ripe and ready for picking, so get out and get yourself some fresh fruits and veggies today!

Be sure to leave a comment if you have any of your own special tips to add.

Here are the produce tips for this week:

Produce Item	Shelf Life	How to Store	Extra Tips
Cantaloupe	4-7 days	Put the melon directly (not bagged) in the coldest part of the refrigerator	You may want to leave the melon out at room temperature for a while. It will become softer & juicier, although not sweeter. Once you begin to smell the melon, place in the refrigerator to avoid over-ripening.
Carrots	7-14 days	Store in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Carrot greens should be removed to maintain maximum nutrition.	Carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene and vitamin A. I wonder why rabbits don’t have better vision… :-)
Baby Carrots	7-14 days	Store in the coldest part of the refrigerator.	Baby peeled carrots sometimes turn chalky white on the outside. This is a natural substance and is safe to eat.
Cauliflower	3-5 days	Store in the coldest part of the refrigerator	Cauliflower is easily overcooked resulting in a mushy, tasteless veggie. Cook cauliflower until it can just be pierced with a fork.

Roasted Red Pepper, Black Olive, & Artichoke Dip Recipe

Here is a delicious dip for any occasion or party. It's always a big hit and one that everyone asks for the recipe.

ROASTED RED PEPPER, ARTICHOKE AND BLACK OLIVE DIP

Makes 6 appetizer servings

• 1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, well drained, coarsely chopped
  
• 1 cup drained roasted red peppers (from 15-ounce jar)


• 1 small garlic clove


• 1 ½ cups drained black olives (from 2 6-ounce cans)


• 2 green onions, coarsely chopped


• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil


• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Finely chop artichoke hearts and garlic in processor. Add red peppers, olives, green onions and basil and blend until coarse paste forms. Add vinegar and blend until just combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Excellent served with crackers, crudite (fresh veggies), and crostini.

Shrimp, mussel, and scallop seafood boil - A quick and easy recipe

This Mother's Day we decided to stay at home and cook out. We tried the recipe below for an easy to make shrimp boil. It was delicious and the hit of the party! The original recipe was from Food & Wine magazine, but we added a couple of tweaks of our own. Awesome!

Easy Seafood Boil

This recipe is a modified version of a shrimp/seafood boil. It's quick and easy and best of all it's really tasty.

Ingredients:

• 24 shelled and deveined large shrimp (about 1 1/4 pounds) - You can use other sizes of shrimp, depending on what you have available.


• 8-16 mussels, scrubbed - We were able to find pre-scrubbed, precooked mussels at Trader Joe's in a vacuum sealed pack. They worked great.


• 6 ounces kielbasa, sliced 1/2 inch thick - Slice them on an angle for a more attractive presentation. We used skinless kielbasa. The taste was good and there was no chewy texture that you sometimes have with the tough skin on kielbasa.


• 1 pound of cleaned scallops - Try frozen, pre-cleaned scallops, thaw before use. They work fine. Always follow the pakcage directions for safe thawing, especially with seafood.


• 2 large ears of corn, shucked and cut into 6 rounds


• 4 thyme sprigs


• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, cut into 4 pieces


• Old Bay seasoning


• 1/4 cup dry white wine


• 1/4 cup water

Directions:

Light a grill. Lay four 24-by-18-inch sheets of heavy-duty foil on a work surface. Fold each sheet in half crosswise. On the lower half of each sheet, arrange the seafood, kielbasa, corn, thyme and butter; season with Old Bay. Fold the top half of each sheet over the bottom half and seal tightly on 2 sides. Into each packet, pour 1 tablespoon each of wine and water; seal tightly.
Grill the packets on the grate over moderately high heat, turning once, until puffed, about 10 minutes. Cut open each packet, pour the contents into bowls and serve.

Serve with:

We served this with boiled new potatoes with butter, dill, kosher salt and pepper. We also had a salad of arugula, goat cheese, dried cranberries and toasted pine nuts with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Serve up some crusty bread and a nice chardonnay and you have an awesome meal!

Recipe serves 4 but can easily be doubled or tripled.

___________________________________________

You can find some outstanding seafood and other delectable gourmet gifts at Dean & Deluca.

GOURMET FOODS & INNOVATIVE GIFTS - DEAN & DELUCA
The Icon of the American Epicurean Experience

Bon Appetit!

Rick & Karen

A New Focus for Find More Facts

Hi All,

We've decided to make some improvements to the Find More Facts blog in order to make it easier to read and more relevant for you, our most excellent readers. We are going to refocus the blog a bit to include only home and food related posts. Well okay, we'll probably throw a few other things in there just to keep it interesting, but for the most part that will be the focus. We will be moving the "business" parts of the blog to their own special blog and we will let you know when that is up and running.

We have changed the name a bit to "Find More Facts About Home & Food to reflects these changes. Our URL has not change, however. Also, we will be working to make the navigation around the site a bit easier through the use of targeted "Labels" for the posts that you can use as sort of a table of contents for the entire blog. Scroll down a bit to find this in the sidebar. It will be weeded out a bit to make it easier to navigate.

We have already started with some of the changes. You will notice more home and food related product reviews. We have added a weekly produce tips feature. Of course, we are still continuing all of our great home and food related tips and articles of interest. We'll do our best to keep everything light, informative, and fun.

We hope you like the changes. Let us know what you think and if there are any particular features you would like to see on the site.

As always, thanks for reading!

Rick & Karen

P.S. If you haven't done so already, why don't you sign up for our blog updates via e-mail at the top of the sidebar or subscribe to the rss feed (see the rss feed button in the sidebar) so you won't miss a single exciting post!

Pacific Coast Down & Feather Pillows - A Great Nights Sleep

I took my sister to a hotel for an overnight getaway to celebrate her __th birthday (sorry, I still want my sister to like me) :-) We had an awesome time together taking in some theater and a nice dinner. The hotel we stayed at was very nice, but the best part was the bed. Stop laughing - yes, I am talking about a hotel bed. The pillows were the most comfortable pillows I have ever slept on.

When we got up in the morning, I had to know what kind of pillows they were, they were just too comfortable. Of course, since this was a nicer hotel, it had two pillow cases and a zippered pillow protector and the tag was at the non-zipper end of the pillow. I finally got it apart to find that the pillows were Pacific Coast Feather Company down and feather pillows.

These pilllows are wonderful. They come in 3 comfort levels: soft, medium, and firm, depending on your personal preference. I recommend the Double Down Around Pillows at Pacific Coast Feather for ultimate comfort. I also recommend getting the pillow covers to keep your pillow clean. The cover are washable and don't detract from the comfort of the pillow at all.

I have been looking for comfortable pillows for years and I am so happy I finally found some. I guess now that I'll be sleeping at night, I will have to start blogging during the day! LOL

If you check out the site through the links on this page, you will get ""Pacific Coast Feather Co - $3.99 Shipping"" on All Products for a Limited Time. Now there's a deal that will help you sleep at night.

Happy dreams!

Karen

Start Your Copper Cookware Collection With a Copper Saucepan

On a previous post: Cookware - Why Choose Stainless Steel, Non-Stick, Anodized and More Rachel commented:

"My husband loves cooking. We have many of those non-stick cookware in the house but I know he wants those copper cookware. They just seem too expensive."

That's a good point, Rachel, but there are some advantages to copper cookware and there are some less expensive pots you can purchase. I would recommend starting with a copper saucepan as that is probably the most commonly used of the copper pots. With it you can make any type of sauce, small stews, soups, and casseroles and really almost anything you can think of that will fit into this workhorse of a pan.

Purchase a pan with a stainless steel interior so that acidic based sauces such as marinara or other tomato based items don't stain. The combination of the stainless steel and the copper present unbeatable performance as far as heat conduction and will heat up faster than anything.

Buying just a single saucepan is a great way to try copper cookware. Just remember it will cook faster so you (or your husband) need to pay attention while you're cooking. :)

I've put links for a couple of top performing copper 2.5 quart saucepans below so you can see the differences. The Calphalon pot is much less expensive and is a good performer, especially as an introductory copper pan. It is well weighted but needs a bit more cleaning than some of the most expensive pots to maintain it's copper luster.

The Mauviel pan is an excellent all around performer and is an even heavier pan. It is tops in the copper pot line of cookware and has a price to match. Either way you will be getting an excellent pan that should last for many years in a well-used kitchen.


Calphalon 2.5-qt. Tri-ply Copper Shallow Saucepan, Copper


Mauviel 2.4-qt. Cuprinox Pour La Table Sauce Pan

Bon Appetit!

Karen & Rick

Disclosure Policy

This policy is valid from 08 May 2007

This blog is a collaborative blog written by a group of individuals. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. Many of our posts are not advertising, however some product and sight reviews may be sponsored posts.

This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. We believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.
This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

Weekly Produce Tips - How to Keep Apples, Asparagus, Avocados, & More

We thought we would start a new feature entitled "Weekly Produce Tips." Aren't you always wondering the best way to keep those fruits and vegetables fresh so they last as long as possible? Well, we thought we would share a few tips with you and work our way through the list a few every week.

Be sure to check back often for more great produce tips. You can subscribe to our blog feed to get automatic updates.
Feel free to leave comments and let us know if you have any special tips!


Here are the tips for this week:

Produce Item	Shelf Life	How to Store	Extra Tips
Apple	14-28 days	Keep in an open plastic bag in the crisper at cold setting	Always keep apples refrigerated because they will become overly ripe and mealy within 2-3 days if left out of the refrigerator
Asparagus	3-4 days	Wrap the bottoms of the stalks in damp paper towel and store in an open plastic bag in the crisper	Asparagus is one of those produce items you want to use as soon as possible in order to get the maximum flavor. Look for buds (tips) that are tightly closed. The stalk should stand up straight when held upright from the bottom indicating freshness.
Avocados	5-7 days	Keep on the kitchen counter away from sunlight until ripe, then refrigerate.	Avocados are ripe when they yield to slight pressure applied near the stem. To keep guacamole green, place a piece of plastic wrap across the top and press down on to the guacamole to prevent exposure to air. Also, add some lime juice to the guacamole. Not only does it taste good but it preserves the color as well.
Bananas	3-5 days	Leave out a room temperature, away from sunlight	Bananas can be refrigerated once they are fully ripe. The skin will discolor (turn black) but the fruit will last for a week or more without loss of flavor or quality.
Cherries – Bing	4-7 days	Leave unwashed in an open plastic bag in refrigerator	Color ranges from red to deep red. Cherries are only 104 calories per cup. A healthy low calorie snack!
Broccoli	5-7 days	Store in a loose plastic bag in the coldest part of the refrigerator.	Microwaving is actually the healthiest way to prepare broccoli. Place a pound of cut broccoli on a micro-safe dish. Add ¼ cup of water. Cover with a paper towel and cook on high for 5-6 minutes. This will preserve the nutrition and flavor

Dog Training Site Review - Time to Make Your Home a Peaceful Place

This is one of those extra finds we like to blog about on occasion. If you have a dog or puppy at home, you probably know what it's like when the dog won't follow basic commands, or jumps a lot, or eats things he shouldn't. Wouldn't you love to find an easy way to train him. Dog Training for Anyone has reviewed countless online dog training systems and come up with their top three choices. If you are looking to solve those dog behavior problems, then this site is well worth a look. None of the programs are very expensive either.

Don't worry, it won't be ruff for much longer! (Sorry, I couldn't help myself). Get your dog training program going today.

Friday's Feast - It's time for a bit of fun!

We decided to try Friday's Feast to have a bit of fun at the end of the week. Please leave us a comment and join in on the fun!

Appetizer
Name something you would not want to own.

A pet snake.

Soup
Describe your hair (texture, color, length, etc.).

Thick, curly, brown and shoulder length

Salad
Finish this sentence: I’ll never forget ___________.

the day we adopted our 2 boys. It was the most wonderful experience we have ever had.

Main Course
Which famous person would you like to be for one day? Why?

This is a tough one. There are so many amazing people in the world. I would like to be Albert Einstein and experience what it is like to be so incredible intelligent.

Dessert
Write one sentence about yourself that includes one thing that is true and another thing that is not.

I am a mountain climber that loves to cook!

Have a nice weekend.

Karen

KitchenAid Architect Series II KSCS23FSMS Stainless Steel Side-by-Side Counter-Depth Refrigerator Product Review

Due to the untimely demise of nearly all of our kitchen appliances at the same time, we have recently purchased a new suite of appliances by KitchenAid. In an effort to keep our readers informed about current items on the market, we have decided to do some specific product reviews. We will cover aspects such as ease of use, appearance, ease of maintenance, cost, and overall features. We will provide a summary of our findings and opinions and list out the pros and cons for each product. These pros and cons will be listed as “plaudits” and “tweaks” respectively. Why? Because it’s just more fun than saying “pros and cons!”

On that note, here is our first review:

Product: KitchenAid Architect Series II KSCS23FSMS Stainless Steel Side-by-Side Counter-Depth Refrigerator

Manufacturer Product Features:

· Through-the-door ice and water dispenser provides quick, easy access
· In-Door-Ice® bucket increases usable freezer space
· ExtendFresh™ Temperature management system helps ensure maximum taste and texture
· Refrigerator is ENERGY STAR® Qualified so it conserves energy without sacrificing performance
· Base-grille filtration system
· FreshSeal™ humidity-controlled crisper
· FreshChill™ -Chilled air from the freezer helps keep meat at appropriate temperatures
· Freezer Compartment Capacity - 9.1 Cubic foot
· Refrigerator Compartment Capacity - 14 Cubic foot
· Total Capacity - 23.1 Cubic foot
· 3 Freezer Baskets
· Wine Rack
· 4 Adjustable SpillClean™ Glass Shelves
· 4 Adjustable Door Bins
· Overhead Temperature Control
· Water Filter Indicator
· 1 year Limited Warranty

Ease of Use: Basically this is a very nice refrigerator. There are plenty of shelves and bins. Milk and juice bottles need to be kept on a main shelf of the refrigerator because there are too many bins on the door for them to fit height-wise. This is okay though because the beverages stay colder in the main compartment.

The Fresh Chill bin really keeps things cold when the lever is turned to maximum chill which is great for storing meats in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. You have to be careful with this feature however, as the lettuce we also put in this bin actually froze. We weren’t used to having a meat bin that actually kept things extra cold!

The drawers are a bit difficult to use. You have to pull them a bit to the left when you open them or they hit and mark-up the refrigerator door. A bit of an annoyance.

Ease of Maintenance:

Okay, here is where it gets interesting. We seriously hesitated about getting stainless appliances because of everything we heard about how hard it is to keep them clean. We were reassured many times by our appliance salesman that if we used a commercial stainless steel cleaner, maintenance of that polished stainless look would be no problem. Wrong!!

The finish itself is quite attractive but it DOES show every fingerprint and mark. We have been cleaning and polishing every day so far. Right now we are using a cleaner called “Zep” sprayed onto a cloth, not on the appliance as the can suggests. We clean the appliance and then rub it with a clean soft cloth. That has been the best and easiest method so far.

Other than the exterior, the interior is easy to clean and the replaceable water filter is easy to reach

Cost:

As with anything it pays to shop around. Prices range from $1,800 to $2,800.


Plaudits:
· This KitchenAid refrigerator is a beautiful appliance and really enhances the look of the kitchen.
· Very energy efficient
· Plenty of storage bins and shelves
· In the door ice maker takes up less room in the freezer
· Fresh Chill bin works great
· Easy to use water filtration system

Tweaks:

· Stainless steel finish is hard to keep clean
· Drawers don’t open fully without banging into refrigerator door
· It is expensive

Overall Opinion:

We like this refrigerator despite a few annoyances and would purchase it again. We would have to give some serious thought to the finish however.

Cookware - Why Choose Stainless Steel, Non-Stick, Anodized and More

A good set of cookware is essential to any well functioning kitchen. There are currently several types of cookware materials on the market including stainless steel cookware, hard anodized aluminum cookware, non-stick cookware, cast iron cookware, copper cookware, and infused anodized cookware. With so many choices, you need to know the basics before making your buying decision.

Stainless steel cookware is like flatware in that it comes in varying grades of stainless. The heavier the pan, the better it will perform for you. Stainless cookware is not non-stick, but with preheating and proper use of fats (oils, butter) your foods will generally not stick if you do not turn them too soon. Stainless is great for cooking meats when you want to be able to deglaze the pan and get up all those wonderful cooked bits that stick to the bottom.

Hard anodized pans are made from heavy aluminum which conducts heat quickly and evenly. The anodized surface is stick resistant so food sticks enough to allow searing and browning but releases the food well when cooking is complete. This cookware is not dishwasher safe.

Infused anodized cookware is the newer version of anodized cookware and is what Calphalon One pots and pans are made of. The performance of this type of cookware is essentially the same as hard anodized cookware.

Non-stick cookware can be made of any material –copper, stainless steel, aluminum, or cast iron. Contemporary non-stick cookware has a fairly durable non-stick coating but is not dishwasher safe. Browning is difficult to achieve with this surface but foods release easily.

Copper cookware provides excellent heat conduction and is frequently lined with stainless steel that will not react with foods. It is easy to burn foods using copper cookware, sot you will need to be a bit more attentive to your cooking. Copper cookware makes a beautiful addition to a kitchen.

Cast iron cookware is the workhorse of the kitchen. It is terrific for long cooking items such as soups, stews, and roasts. Enameled cast iron cookware, such as LeCreuset, provides the benefits of cast iron with less sticking. It is also available in several beautiful colors.

As you can see, there are multiple choices for every taste and style of cooking. Our next post will discuss choosing the right type of cookware depending on your range style - gas, dual fuel, induction, or electric.

Rick & Karen