How to Cook Steel Cut Oats

!±8± How to Cook Steel Cut Oats

Ever since I turned my family on to steel cut oats, they can't get enough of them. This includes one child who always made faces whenever I tried to serve him regular oatmeal made from rolled oats.

A steaming bowl of steel cut oatmeal, served with raisins or fresh fruit such as blueberries or strawberries, makes a hearty breakfast any day of the week. Steel cut oats are especially welcome on a cold, rainy day. For me, there's nothing better at such a time than curling up with a good book and my oatmeal while listening to the rain drip and splatter against the windows.

Steel cut oats are the inner part of the oat grain, known as the groat. The groats are cut in two or three pieces in such a way as to enhance the naturally nutty flavor. They are golden-colored and shaped roughly like small grains of rice. Some other names for them are Irish oats, Scotch oats, coarse cut oats, and pinhead oats.

Besides being deliciously chewy, steel cut oats are highly nutritious. They're especially high in the B vitamins. They also provide protein, calcium and fiber to your diet. An interesting fact about oatmeal is that it is the only food with naturally occurring GLA, or gamma linolenic acid. GLA is an essential fatty acid.

The one drawback to steel cut oats, and it's a minor one in my opinion, is that they require a longer cooking time than regular oatmeal. I rather like this aspect of them. It means that to enjoy them, you have to slow down and step out of the hurry-hurry modern world for a while. And what's wrong with being forced to take such a break now and then?

Steel cut oats are available in most supermarkets, sold in cans or packages. The two whole-foods type markets in my community also sell steel cut oats from their bulk bins, which saves a little money over the pre-packaged ones.

The basic recipe for steel cut oats is to bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan, slowly stir in the oats and heat on high until the oatmeal begins to thicken (about 4 to 6 minutes). Then reduce the heat, cover the pan with a lid, and simmer for about half an hour. Serve with the aforementioned fresh fruit, or add a little milk, honey or brown sugar. It's all good!

If you want to reduce the preparation time for those busy mornings when everyone is trying to get out the door, here's a way to do it. The night before, boil 4 cups of water in a saucepan or pot. Turn off the heat, stir in a cup of oats, cover the pan or pot, and let sit overnight. In the morning you'll just need to cook the oatmeal over low heat for 10 minutes or so.

Yes, if you really must, you can microwave steel cut oats. The consistency will be noticeably different, but many people prefer it cooked this way. Try it and decide for yourself.

This microwaving method works pretty well: Mix a half cup of oats with 2 cups of water in a large bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Place in the microwave and zap for 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the microwave, stir the oatmeal, then return and zap it for another 4 to 6 minutes. Due to the variances in microwave power, you may need to experiment to find the right cooking times for your particular oven.

How to Cook Steel Cut Oats

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Coffee Bean Storage and Brewing Tips

!±8± Coffee Bean Storage and Brewing Tips

Coffee loses about half of its flavor in the first 10 days after roasting and even more after grinding. After coffee is roasted, it should degas or breathe (also referred to as aging) for an initial 8 hours in an open container. This allows for the extremely pungent gasses (that heavy coffee smell) to dissipate. These heavy gasses actually cause the coffee to taste overbearing. It's not bad to drink at this point; it just tastes better in a few days. The coffee should sit in a semi-closed container in a cool, dry and dark place for another 3-5 days to further degas. Freshly roasted coffee is ready to be brewed from day 5 after roasting.

For the next 10 days after the degassing period, the coffee is at its peak of freshness with every ripe note and flavor coming out in its aroma, body, and acidity. At 15-20 days old, you should really begin to finish brewing it as it is now beginning to stale and will taste flat in about 5 more days. At 20-25 days old it's time to brew it or get more!

Air (oxygen), light, moisture and temperature (other than room temperature) are the culprits that kill your fresh coffee, roasted or brewed. If you follow these tips you will get longer life from your specialty coffee, and undoubtedly enjoy a fresher, fuller-flavored and more superior cup of coffee:

o Whole beans will last longer than ground coffee so don't grind the beans until you are ready to brew them.

o Remove your beans from the original bag the coffee came in, and put in an airtight container like Tupperware or Glad Ware. A plastic Ziplock-type bag will work (but is not recommended) if containers are not available. The more opaque the container, the better to keep harmful light out (read more about light below). Be sure to wipe container clean with damp cloth (no soap or chemicals) in order to reuse.

o Contrary to popular belief whole beans should never be stored in the freezer or refrigerator. Not even a deep freeze freezer. Keep them in an airtight container in a cool, dry and dark place like a cupboard or pantry. Freezers can cause freezer burn, condensation (moisture) freeze and the coffees natural flavor oils to crack and/or dissipate. These oils are where all the flavor is. Storing in the freezer builds condensation and each time the coffee is taken out of the freezer condensation has more ability to set in because of the temperature change. Excess moisture will cause your beans to stale faster and shorten the life span of your coffee so a cool, dry and dark place it recommended for storage.

o Refrigerators harbor many odors. Coffee is very porous and will act like a sponge to odors whether it's ground or whole bean. Coffee in your refrigerator will act the same as baking soda if left open or in a poorly sealed container. In an enclosed container even if sealed properly, beans will build condensation the same as in the freezer. Again, moisture will cause your beans to stale faster.

o Extreme light (like keeping coffee in a glass jar on the sink) can cause deterioration of your beans, allowing your final cup of coffee to taste flat or stale. As described earlier, we suggest keeping your freshly roasted coffee in an opaque, air tight container at room temperature. A cool, dry and dark place like in a cupboard or pantry works the best.

o Any degree heat over room temperature will also harm your coffee because heat will actually promote more degassing and that will only shorten the life of your beans. Remember that cupboards are best for storage but none over or next to an oven or stove.

o Before grinding, weigh your beans. Use approximately .75 oz (by weight) of coffee per 8 oz of COLD water. You can +/- the coffee to taste. Fresh, clean tap water or quality spring water is recommended. Do not use mineral water, distilled water or tap water with any type of odor. It will make your coffee taste bad.

o Rule of thumb is to only grind enough coffee to use immediately, however if ground coffee is stored correctly (see above, store same as whole bean), it should stay fresh for a maximum of 3 days. Any longer or stored improperly and it will stale. Stale coffee makes awful coffee!

o After brewing, drink your fresh coffee within approximately a half hour. DO NOT keep it on a hot plate or burner to keep 'warm'. This will just cook your coffee giving it that strong, bitter taste. If you brew too much coffee, at the very least shut off your coffee maker's hot plate. In actuality though we do not recommend it, reheating your coffee in the microwave would be better than letting it cook on a hot plate. However as your coffee cools the air will stale it so don't wait too long! If you put your coffee in a carafe or thermos, this will hold temperature for about 2-3 hours depending on how much you consume or use. You should drink your coffee from one of these holding containers within this time frame because even though the temperature of the coffee keeps for a few hours, the coffee can still cook itself giving it that funny, bitter taste.

You can buy an inexpensive coffee grinder at Target or Wal-Mart for about . It is a good idea to only purchase what you intend to be able to grind and brew within a reasonable amount of time, 3-4 weeks at the most.

Coffee stales relatively quickly so following these helpful hints will get you better tasting coffee than you have ever had, ever! Bet you didn't know there was so much to know about quality coffee, now did 'ya? Happy coffee drinking!

Coffee Bean Storage and Brewing Tips

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Myth Or Fact: Will Alka-Seltzer Clean Your Toilet?

!±8± Myth Or Fact: Will Alka-Seltzer Clean Your Toilet?

You know the jingle - "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz... Oh what a relief it is!"

Next time you have a dirty toilet, leave the harsh chemicals in your cleaning closet and grab the Alka-Seltzer.

The fizzy action created by citric acid and other ingredients in Alka-Seltzer has proven to be an effective toilet cleaning agent.

First, microwave a container filled with two cups of tap water for three minutes or until it nearly reaches the boiling point. Then add eight Alka-Seltzer tablets to the container. Once the tablets have completely dissolved, pour the concoction into an empty toilet basin, allowing it to settle for 30 minutes. To empty the basin, turn off the water valve behind the toilet and proceed to flush the tank.

Once 30 minutes has lapsed, gently swipe the inside of the entire basin with a toilet bowl brush. Then turn back on the water and flush the toilet to remove excess debris. Dropping two tablets in the tank after cleaning the basin should keep your toilet looking fresh for at least a few flushes.

Alka-Seltzer is also effective in drain cleaning. A few tablets followed by a cup of vinegar down the drain and 20 minutes of waiting should do the trick. Once the 20 minutes is up, run a steady stream of hot water down the drain to flush out the debris, which should also eliminate any odor in the process.

Other interesting ways to use Alka-Seltzer:

• Soothe insect bites: Put two Alka-Seltzer tablets in a half glass of water, dip a cotton ball in the solution and apply it to the bite. Don't do this if you're allergic to aspirin!

• Attract fish: Fish are attracted to bubbles. Place a couple of tablets in a plastic tube on your fishing line. The jig will produce a stream of bubbles as it sinks.

• Clean a coffeemaker: Fill the water chamber with water and four Alka-Seltzer tablets. When the tablets have dissolved, run the coffeemaker through a brew cycle to clean the tubes. Rinse the chamber two or three times, and then run another brew cycle with plain water.

• Clean jewelry: Put your dull-looking jewelry in a water-filled glass of Alka-Seltzer for a few minutes to make them look shiny and new.

• Deodorize the refrigerator: This can be done by dropping a tablet or two in cup of water and letting it fizz inside the refrigerator for about thirty minutes. Alka-Seltzer is also good for deodorizing thermos bottles. Just drop four tablets in bottle filled with water and let soak for two hours.

• Remove greasy pans: Add six tablets to a pan filled with hot water and let soak for an hour. Then proceed to scrub the pan as usual.

• Brighten whites: Soak white clothes in a gallon of warm water containing two Alka-Seltzer tablets and your wearable's should come out looking brighter!

Myth Or Fact: Will Alka-Seltzer Clean Your Toilet?

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To Get Ahead - Living Within Your Means Just Doesn't Cut It

!±8± To Get Ahead - Living Within Your Means Just Doesn't Cut It

You have heard the term "living with in your means" before I am sure. Many people try to give others advice on how to get ahead in the world and one of the first things they tell you is to live within your means. This is the worst peace of advice someone can give another who wants to know how to get ahead financially. The only way to get ahead financially is by living below your means. There are steps you can take to reduce everyday expenses as well as your monthly living expenses so you can start paying off debt and begin saving for the future. Knowing how to make a budget is a very important part of getting your finances in order. The next thing you will have to do is set a clearly defined set of goals for your self. By setting up a budget and defining your goals you will then have to come up with a plan to fallow so you can successfully achieve your goals. You will have to be prepared for a dramatic life style change but making a life style change by choice is better then being forced to later.

If you have amassed a sizable credit card debt you are living beyond your means right now unless some kind of medical emergency came up and that is the reason for the debt. Either way you need to start taking care of your debt. Debt is something that you do not want to keep because you end up paying a lot more than what you borrowed by the time you pay everything off. If you do not have a huge credit card bill and do not have five years to pay on a car you are probably living with in your means right now. That is good because the life style changes you are about to go though will not be as dramatic as someone who is living beyond there means. No mater what category you fall into do not worry there is light at the end of the tunnel as long as you are willing to tighten your belt and start becoming more disciplined in your spending.

The fist thing you should do if you want to get out of debt or start a savings plan is learn how to make a budget. To make a budget you do not have to be a wiz at excel although it does help. All you need to do is take a month and record everything you spend your money on. It sound a little time consuming but if you are like most people and use a debit card you can always go to your banks website and get your transaction history and copy it down from there. It is best to do this daily so you do not forget what the transactions were for but once a week can be good enough. At the end of the month you should have a list of everything you spent money on with your debit card. Any purchase you made with cash from money you take out of an ATM you will need to get a receipt for and save it. After you account for you're spending of the ATM withdrawals and the purchases you made with your debt card it is time to add in checks you wrote for things like rent, gas, electricity, and your car payment.

When you have it all written down on a peace of paper or on the computer it is time to start categorizing them. If you are using a program like Quicken, Microsoft Money, excel or an open office spread sheet you can find budget templates to set up for your self. If you do not have a program for budgeting you will have to come up with categories yourself. Some categories you can use are: Entertainment, Food, Housing, Utilities, Transportation, Child Care, Investments, Savings, Debt Payments, and Education. Take each thing that you spent money on and put it under one of the categories you choose to use along with how much it cost. Once you are done total up how much money was spent in each category and then how much was spent total you have your first monthly expense report complete. Now it is time to find areas were you can reduce your spending. Go through your list and find areas where you are spending money that you can cut out. Make a new list with the same categories but instead of putting everything you spent money on under them only put the things you expect to need to spend money on. This is your first budget and it is what you will fallow for the following month. At the bottom of the paper next to where you put the total money you expect to spend put how much money you expect to make that month. You will need your expected expenses to be less than what you expect to make by as much as possible. Now you have to plan ways to stick to your budget.

If you cut out things like eating out and buying coffee while you are at work you can see that you can save a lot more than you thought. Starting to bring your own lunch and coffee in a thermos to work will definitely save you a lot of money. By not going out with friends every weekend can cut way down on your expenses. You do not have to quit your social life totally but you can slow it down a little bit. Maybe instead of going to a bar on Friday night invite friends to come over on Saturday to watch a game or grill up some hotdogs or burgers. Just have everyone bring something so the cost is spread out between you all just like when you go to the bars. However many times you go out and hang with friends now you need to cut that down by 50 to 75 percent.

You need to find a place to live that is more affordable then the place you are in right now. If you cannot find anything cheaper or you are currently living in a house you have a mortgage on you might want to think about getting a roommate. By having a roommate you can reduce your monthly housing payment by up to half along with your utility bills. If you are in a one room apartment you may be able to find a two bedroom apartment that is just a little more per month but less if you have a roommate to share costs. When you pick a roommate you will have to ensure it is someone who is financial responsible and willing to sign the lease with you. If you are currently living in a house you have a mortgage on you may want to rent out one the rooms you have to someone. This can help out with your house payments a little bit each month. The money you save when you do one of these things is to either go to paying off debt or go into a savings account. You are not trying to cut down your housing expenses so you have more money to spend you are doing it so you can start paying off debt or build up a savings.

The next thing you want to look at is the cost of your vehicle. If you are paying for a vehicle for five years you cannot afford the vehicle you have. Everyone likes to have a nice car but if you are in debt or are unable to build up a savings you need to get yourself a cheaper car. If you cannot pay off a vehicle in two or three years you need to look for a cheaper vehicle. You may want to look into buying a used vehicle rather than a new one. As long as you do not live in the Snow Belt where you need a four wheel drive and do not rely on hauling things with your vehicle for work purposes you have no need of a car that costs more than ,000 brand new. You can find a decent used car for around 00 and that is the rout I suggest you take. The biggest problem people have buying a used car is they are unable to get money together for a down payment so they go with a new car because they can get the whole thing financed. So if you decide to go the rout of a used car you will want to cut some costs in other areas first so you can save up a down payment. If you currently have a new car you still owe a lot of money on it go to the dealer you bought it from and see if you can reduce your payments by trading it in for a cheaper vehicle or go to another dealer and see what they can do for you. Any time you agree to make payments for four or five years on something you are tying up money you have not earned yet for quite a long time.

By not being the one trying to keep up with the neighbor you will probably end up being in better shape than they are later on down the road. If you have a lot of debt it is going to take you time to take care of it. A budget is not something that is going to fix your financial situation in a month or even a year. You will need to stick with it for the long haul if you want it to work. You need to do things smart like if you pay long distance for phone calls it is time for you to get a different phone carrier because most places do not charge long distance any more for phone calls inside of the U.S. and sometimes even Canada. If you are reading this article because you need to get your finances in order you do not need to spend any money on a cell phone or a new computer. A cell phone comes free with a service plan these days and there is no need to pay for internet access on your cell phone if you have a computer and internet access at home. If internet access comes free with the service plan great but if not you do not need it. A computer is not something you have to upgrade every year. As long as you can surf the net and run the programs you need to your computer is just fine. The only thing I recommend not going cheep on is the virus software on your computer. You always want updated internet security on your computer at all times.

By paying of your debt and setting a small amount aside in savings to build up an emergency fund you will be on your way to financial stability. You normally want an emergency fund to equal about three months salary so you have money incase something comes up like medical expenses or you get laid off. Once you have your debt under control and by under control I mean you do not have anything on your credit cards that can't be paid off in a month and you are driving a car that you will have paid off in three years or less. After your credit cards are paid off and your emergency fund is built up it is time to start investing your money. This can be either with CD's, Mutual Funds, Savings Account, and Stocks, what ever you know the most about. Do not forget to contribute to your IRA each year because you can make deductions from your taxes. The key is getting to the point you can start saving money. Never invest more than you are willing to lose in stocks or mutual funds and never invest in something you do not understand. At the very least set up a savings account with a bank that is FDIC insured. It may take you a few years to get everything under control but as long as you fallow you're plan you will be able to achieve it. The only thing you have to do is stay disciplined and not stray to far from you budget.

To Get Ahead - Living Within Your Means Just Doesn't Cut It

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Caring For Your Gott Thermos

!±8± Caring For Your Gott Thermos

It is a well-known fact that Gott thermos and its newer water cooler type counterparts are very durable and will rarely fall apart under normal conditions. Yet, you should still practice responsible consumer attitude and take care of your thermos with regular cleaning and maintenance, ensuring that your Gott thermos will stay alive much longer and also prevent you from contracting disease from germs and bacteria that may find itself in your Gott products, and ultimately, in the liquids you ingest.

For more efficient temperature maintenance

Preheat or precool your Gott thermos before using it. You can do this by either pouring hot water inside or pouring cold water, depending on what you intend to put later. Let it stand for 5 minutes and replace the contents with the actual liquid you're going to keep. Doing so will make sure that your liquids will maintain their temperature for a much longer time. This action saves the thermos some time by completely removing its tendency to readjust its temperature just to match the contents - a phase that could actually shave away a certain amount of time from the temperature maintenance stage.

Wash your thermos before and after use

It is very important that you clean your Gott thermos before and after using it regardless of the content you put inside, since bacteria buildup can and will happen all the time. Use dishwashing soap and a clean sponge to wipe off stains and dirt from the inside, then on the outside. Make sure it is completely dry before resealing the lid. Doing so prevents the accumulation of bad smell resulting from humid air. And don't forget that bad smell is usually the result of toxins or bacteria.

Do not use a dishwasher

Don't use a dishwasher to automatically wash your Gott thermos. The thermos itself is durable but a dishwasher's automatic process may lack the required attention to detail that a thermos may need. There are nooks, crannies, and various crevices present on the thermos that may be missed by most dishwashers' automatic cleaning apparatus.

Do not boil your thermos

Despite its solid state and toughness, a Gott thermos may eventually weaken if constantly placed in direct heat designed to consistently boil it from the outside. To disinfect, use boiling water only on the insulated insides, and use soap to sanitize the outside area.

Do not put it inside the microwave

Microwaving your thermos is even worse than boiling. While it is designed to withstand a certain amount of heat, it was not intended for outright reheating. A thermos' purpose is to maintain heat by insulating the liquid with vacuum, preventing loss of temperature due to conduction. Microwave, on the other hand, is designed to consistently heat things through radiation. This could result in the thermos melting, and worse still, the insulation on its body will prevent the contents from actually getting heated. All you're going to get is a melted, deformed thermos with lukewarm water inside.

Caring For Your Gott Thermos

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