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Making your very own Home Cotton Candy can be very fun. It’s also rewarding especially when you realize that you can make a small business out it. Of course, you’re going to need to know the basics of how a Cotton Candy Machine works. This article can be helpful if you can’t afford a machine just yet and decide to make your own homemade machine.

To make a Cotton Candy Maker, you’ll need a rotor or some other electric-motor. You can probably buy them in hardware stores or some electronic warehouses. Then, you’ll need a battery; be it a car battery or a simple 9 volt one, any battery will do. A heating device (or a tube attached to a gas-range where your flame can be easily directed) is needed also. Or if you want to start out small, and for experiment’s sake, use a lighter. Then you need a bowl or cup. This one’s needed to put the sugar in where it can be melted by heating the bowl. Redirect the heating device or lighter (or the tube attached to your gas range) directly beneath the bowl. You need for the bowl to be flame-proof. By the way, you’ll need to pierce the sides of the bowl so that the melted sugar can jet out of these holes, creating tiny strips or threads. You need to be meticulous when making your own customized and cheap cotton candy machine.

If however you don’t have such a bowl or cup lying around, make one. For your own experiment, use two juice lid caps as these tend to absorb heat. Make sure to clean the caps and scrape out the stickers or the paint on them. Cut a hole large enough (coin size) in one of the lid caps. Pierce the other one on its sides with about 17 or 19 very small holes. Use a nail or little spikes to pierce this cap with micro-holes. Connect the two caps (covering each other) by creating four slightly bigger holes (little bigger than the micro-holes) and tying them together with metal wires (or other non-flammable wires), knotted through the four holes, for a firmer bowl. Now, attach that to the rotor. Weld it if needed, but it’s better to use screws on it by creating another hole that fits just right for one screw. This screw should be attached to the electric-motor or the spinning rotor in your device. Wire the rotor to the battery (or some other power source) and test it to see if the rotor and the bowl are stable together. Make sure it’s steady enough.

Now you’re almost done, but to be sure, place the rotor (with the bowl attached), the battery (power source), and the heating device in one convenient board where they can all be comfy with one another. Finally, get an exterior covering on the sides of the bowl on top of the rotor, so that when the melted sugar streams out of the micro-hole, it catches the sugar and things won’t get messy. When you’ve finally done all this, go get a stick to gather the strips of cotton candy and enjoy.

If you really want to have your own local business, or just simply want a reliable machine to work for your own convenience, buy Cotton Candy machine. You can order them online by going to http://www.cottoncandycentral.com to have your own trustworthy home cotton candy machine.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joel_Brown

Adding herbs to your dishes will give it a new dimension in flavor and aroma. Herbs can be used as a primary ingredient as basil is to pesto, or simply to add in a certain flavor to a dish, like adding rosemary to chicken. Herbs may also be used as a rub for marinating meat and poultry, and used stuffed inside a fish that is to be grilled.

Herbs not only are added to food for flavor and aroma, they also contain vitamins. A couple of examples are basil, which has very high vitamin A content and parsley which has a lot of vitamin C. When you use herbs, it is similar to adding dark green vegetables to your diet. The nutritional value of herbs is truly a plus to your meal.

In addition, by means of using herbs, you can substantially lessen the amount of salt that you place into your food, and can even totally eliminate the use of salt in certain dishes by using an herb salt substitute. Making it is easy and it will last you for quite some time. You can even make your own combination of herbs for your own personal use or to be given away as a gift.

Using herbs to lessen your salt intake is very beneficial to people who have an existing health problem and need to lessen their salt intake. It will also have health benefits for people who simply want to have a healthier diet. The average allowable sodium intake for a healthy diet is 600 mg daily, and most of the sodium that we intake is already in the food product itself. Use your taste buds to judge if the food product is high in salt, if it tastes salty, like oysters, it is high in sodium, and if it tastes bland, like turkey meat, it has less salt.
One way of preparing a quick and tasty meal is to marinate poultry or fish with garlic and lemon before placing it on the grill. Another way is to simply lessen the salt that you use to ¼ of what you regularly use and substituting it with chilies or other spices to make up for food flavor.

Here is a simple herb salt-substitute that you can make. Use it by sprinkling it sparingly on dishes before marinating, grilling, baking or frying or use after the dish is cooked. It is better to use dried herbs to make your salt substitute as it will keep for a longer time.

Salt Substitute Herb Recipe
Use any of the two recipe bases as your salt substitute or add in more herbs for variation.

Recipe base 1:

2 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. pepper, finely ground
½ tsp. chili powder

Recipe base 2:

1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tsp. pepper

For your variants, add a recipe base to any of the combinations given below.

Asian Flair

1 tbsp. ginger powder
1 tbsp. grated lemon peel

Italian Style

1 tbsp. dried basil
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. dried parsley flakes

Mexican Heat

1 tbsp. dried chili flakes
2 tbsp. grated lemon peel

Spanish Touch

1 tsp. ground paprika
1 tbsp. garlic powder
Pinch of saffron

European Delight

1 tbsp. dried dill leaves
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried thyme

Place all the ingredients into a glass jar or a spice container so that your salt substitute can be sprinkled on easily into your food. Shake well to evenly distribute the mixture. Store it in a dry, dark place for up to 3 months.

Ginny Greene is an Herb Garden enthusiast. For tips and advice on growing and using herbs visit http://www.herbgardencenter.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ginny_Greene

Soul food recipes have made a swift comeback in the minds of people anxious to find ways to slash their food cost. I get many question each day on what the best methods are to cook delicious meals you’ll love that are healthy and your kids won’t leave on their plates.

Here’s the 3 most frequently asked question on soul food cooking techniques.

1. What’s the best way to cook fish if you have health concerns, that taste good?

If you’re concerned about health, avoid frying fish in deep fat. Try oven frying or baking instead or pan frying with a cooking spray. Be careful not to overcook the fish, this causes it to dry out and lose nutrients. Consider eating fresh water fish such as salmon, cod and haddock and avoid the cheaper fish, such as catfish, perch and mullet.

2. I love soul food desserts, what’s the best one to start for a beginner?

The best dessert is a nice cobbler in my opinion. For example, peach, berry or apple cobbler. Most people love them and their easy to make. For instance, they have very little ingredients and you can by the crust pre-made or frozen. All you need to do is add the filling according to the recipe and place in oven for 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Quick and easy.

3. My biggest problem is how to season the food properly. What’s the Trick?

The secret to seasoning properly is to add a little at a time and taste. You can always add more, don’t get impatient and over season. When in doubt ask for a second or third opinion before serving.

Discover the top 20 Free Soul Food Recipes for this month chosen by readers – based on taste, easy preparation and low cost. Watch video cooking demonstrations – go to … Soul Food Recipes

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roy_Primm

Who doesn’t like a bag of chips and candy now and then, I know I do, but how about you try an organic snack? If you go in the grocery store now you will see full isles of snacks to choose from. I mean there are so many choices it’s hard to pick just one. It seems every weeks there are new treats on the market helping us become over weight and out of shape. It’s okay eating a snack on occasion but there are other alternatives when you grave a snack such as natural snacks.

Organic snacks are not just for the adults, kids especially can enjoy these tasty treats. With the increasingly amount of time kids spend in front of the computer and playing video games they are becoming less active overall. Basically since kids are not moving around and eat junk food this will do much harm to them physically, mentally, and emotionally. There is a solution to keep the young ones more healthy, herbal snacks.

When your child graves a snack how about sesame blue organic tortilla chips, pita chips, granola bars, honey wheat pretzels, dried roasted soy nuts, organic fruit bars. Instead of giving your child a bunch of junk to eat for lunch time at school if you throw a bag of these tasty treats, any of which they will surely enjoy, they will benefit from eating these greatly. Organic snacks will not only taste good but give your child much needed vitamins, minerals, and energy with the crash from a sugar overload.

Looking for organic snacks? CLICK HERE!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=W._P._Allen

Does your kitchen stress you out? No, this is not just another article about getting the clutter out of your kitchen to live a stress-free life. There are so many different ways that you can face stress in the kitchen. Let’s take a look at some stressful kitchen situations and the various kitchen gadgets and accessories that can erase that kitchen stress.

1. Mom, I need a cake for the bake sale tomorrow!
Who hasn’t been there? It’s 9 p.m. you’re looking forward to relaxing for the evening and your fifth grader suddenly remembers that the bake sale is tomorrow! Skip the layer cake and break out a fancy cake pan that makes it easy to turn out a showpiece beehive or heart cake, the kind of cake that will earn heaps of praise – and top dollar at the bake sale.

2. Honey, did you take the chicken out of the freezer like I asked this morning?
Oops! It is dinner time and someone forgot to take the meat out to thaw. You can pop it in the microwave and lose half the flavor, you can try to thaw it under running water, or you can put some stress on your wallet by ordering a pizza. Or you can do none of the above if you own a Nu Wave oven, which cooks a full meal in under an hour, even if the meat is frozen. The Nu Wave combines convection, regular heat and infrared heat to cook three ways at once, even if you forgot to take the meat out for dinner.

3. There’s no more room in the oven for the rolls!
You know how it goes, you’ve got the roast on the top rack, the potatoes on the bottom rack and there’s no room for the green bean casserole. What’s a busy cook to do? How about a Three Tier Oven Rack that better than doubles the room in your oven by adding three racks, and still leaving room for the roast on the side? Even better, it folds flat when you’re not using it so it takes up almost no room at all in your cupboard.

4. What did you do with the lid to the Dutch oven, honey?
How much time do you spend rummaging through the kitchen cabinet to find the right lid for the right pot? Never lose your lid again when you’ve got a Lid Organizer that slides in and out of your cabinet on casters. You can store up to six pot lids in almost no space at all. It also holds storage lids so you can find them easily, eliminating yet another kitchen stress.

5. Ouch! Those oven racks are hot!
It happens to the most careful chefs and cooks, while reaching for the cookie sheet a hand or forearm (or both) brushes against the edge of the oven rack. Pot holders and oven gloves only go so far in protecting you from burns. What’s the answer? Put the guard on the oven rack instead of on your hands. DuPont Nomex Rack Guards slip onto the front of most standard oven racks, protecting you from accidental burns.

6. I hate cleaning the oven and those drippy icky messes on the burners!
Don’t we all? Stop spills from baking on by protecting your oven floor with a silicone oven liner. When it gets dirty, just pull it out, pop it in the dishwasher and voila! The result is a sparkling clean surface. Do the same thing with your stovetop by investing in a set of fiberglass burner bibs that collect up all those boil-overs and splatters, and a spoon rest to hold your spoon and pot lid without dribbling on the stove.

7. When I lift the bird, you slide the plate underneath it and… oh, no!
It’s the most fun moment of the entire day, getting the roast or the turkey from the roasting pan to the serving platter. If the transfer juggle stresses you out, there are a few great options to erase the stress from your life. One of the best is a Silicone Roast Lifter. Just put your bird on it before you put it into the oven. When it’s finished roasting, grab the handles and lift. That’s all there is to it.

What stresses you out in the kitchen? Whether it is getting dinner on the table in a hurry or remembering to take the rolls out of the oven before they burn, there are ways to get rid of it. Take a few minutes to think about what makes you feel hurried and rushed, then figure out which gadget or trick will help you overcome it so that you can truly enjoy cooking again.

Sandy Darson is freelance writer who writes about baking and cooking, offering recipes and discussing specific topics such as cooking accessories.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandy_James_Darson