Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Stand Mixers - The Kitchen's Busiest Appliances

!±8± Stand Mixers - The Kitchen's Busiest Appliances

There is a distinct possibility the stand mixer is the most useful appliance to be found in any kitchen, from the family kitchen to that found in the finest restaurants.

November 17, 1885, was a momentous day in the history of labor-saving kitchen appliances. On that day, inventor Rufus M. Eastman received the first patent issued for an electric mixer which could use mechanical power, water power, or electrical power.

African-American inventor Willie Johnson was responsible for the 1884 design of an eggbeater powered by a driving wheel in connection with an arrangement of gears and pulleys which turned a set of beaters, blades, or stirrers.

Appliance companies such as Bosch, KitchenAid, and Sunbeam were quick to expand upon Johnson's idea, turning to the production of multipurpose kitchen gadgets.

The prototype electric mixers were anything but graceful; they were large and bulky and looked more at home in a factory than in the home kitchen. By the 1930s, at least a dozen companies were turning out electric mixers, of which the two best known were the Hobart/Kitchen/Aid and the Sunbeam Mixmaster.

The model M4A Sunbeam Mixmaster, first introduced in 1930, had a flowing silhouette in comparison to the ungainly outlines of its competitors. This sleek machine became so popular its name "Mixmaster" became synonymous with "stand mixer," just as "Jell-O®," "Kleenex®," and "Band-Aid®" are to gelatin dessert, facial tissue, and any first-aid bandage.

The new stand mixer was not merely just a gadget to amuse a cook; rather, it was a composite of gadgets which were copacetic with one another. Sunbeam originally advertised the Mixmaster as capable of performing a variety of tasks, provided the appropriate attachments were available.

A craze for household mechanization began to sweep the nation in the late 1800s. Servants were leaving domestic service in droves to enter the general work force. The Depression and World War II disrupted life everywhere. Many domestic workers filled jobs in factories and such, which up to then, were held by the men who were off to war. Because of the perceived "servant shortage," middle- and upper-class womanhood turned to do their own housework, especially in the kitchen. They were anxious to find kitchen appliances that could save time, money, and energy.

In 1908, engineer Herbert Johnson, president of the Hobart Manufacturing Company of Troy, Ohio, fabricated a device that could ease the workload wherever food was involved. After watching a baker using a metal spoon to mix bread dough, he tinkered around until he came up with a mechanical version; by 1915, Hobart's 80-quart mixer was part of the standard inventory on all United States Navy vessels plus he had his foot in the door of many commercial bakeries.

By 1918, KitchenAid's management was doing tasting trials in their own homes. The machines were such a success, legend has it, that one of the management's wives gave it a glowing recommendation: "all I know is it's the best kitchen aid I've ever had."

By 1919, the Hobart Company had become KitchenAid and was merchandizing a "food preparer" (stand mixer) suitable for the home kitchen. It was very large at 65 pounds and very expensive: 9.50 (equivalent to around 00 in the early 2000s). However, in 1936, industrial designer Egmont Ahrens trimmed down both the mixer's size and especially its price tag to .

This new kitchen appliance was an adaptation of the 1908 commercial stand mixer and featured a groundbreaking design known as "planetary action;" the action blends the ingredients all the way to the edges of the bowl. The bowl never needs to be manually rotated.

Early sales of the KitchenAid mixer by retailers were rather slow. Perhaps the businesses were being overly cautious about a new and expensive appliance. Hobart/KitchenAid created a mobil work force, made mostly of women, to approach the public by door to door, demonstrating the wonders of the new food preparation tool. Perhaps KitchenAid thought a woman talking to another woman about this new product would be more of an intimate sales approach. The citrus juicer and food grinder attachments, first available in 1919, made the stand mixer even more attractive.

In 1937, KitchenAid introduced fully interchangeable attachments, a wise marketing ploy. The concept is still being utilized in the 21st century. For example, the 1919 pea shucker attachment, although not available anymore, will still fit today's model.

The title of an "American Icon" has been conferred upon the KitchenAid stand mixer by the Smithsonian Institution Museum in Washington, DC, where the mixer is on display as an important force in American family life.

KitchenAid may have been the first group to manufacture the electric standing mixer but the greatest degree of consumer acceptance went to the Sunbeam Mixmaster, invented by Ivan Jepson. His Mixmaster was patented in 1928 and 1929, and was first mass- marketed in May, 1930.

Jepson was able to create a mixer for Sunbeam that sold for a fraction of the KitchenAid machine's price. (In the early 1930s, the Sunbeam mixer retailed for a mere .25 [0 in the early 21st century], as opposed to the hefty 9.50 for the KitchenAid.)

Jepson, a Swede, emigrated to the United States. Arriving in the country in 1925, he sought employment in Chicago, at the Chicago Flexible Shaft Company, parent company to Sunbeam. The company expansion was for increased kitchen appliance production and Jepson became Sunbeam's head designer by 1930.

By 1940, many years ahead of its time, Jepson's Mixmaster was capable of a multitude of tasks: it could squeeze juice, shell peas, peel fruit, press pasta, grind meat, and grind coffee beans as well as open tin cans, sharpen knives, and polish silverware. It also had a mayonnaise oil dropper attachment, ostensibly controlling oil flow into the juicer bowl.

DID YOU KNOW?When thick batter or dough crawls its way up toward the mixer head, "dough creep" occurs, possibly endangering the gears or potentially throwing dough or batter up and out of the bowl, splattering everything in sight. Apparently, the mixer has a mind of its own. The mixer head (handle and motor) can be totally removed from the stand mixer, thus serving as a hand mixer. The Chicago Flexible Shaft Company (parent company of Sunbeam) also made tools for grooming farm animals. Somehow, I don't see the connection! The KitchenAid "Artisan" stand mixer (probably KitchenAid's most popular and least expensive model) comes in 22 distinct colors which are applied with a spray-on powder rather than paint. The KitchenAid "Artisan" can be assembled by hand in the factory in a remarkable 26-second cycle. The product name - "Mixmaster," by Sunbeam, has become generic for all mixers. In 1998, the U.S. Postal Service printed a series of stamps highlighting the most memorable trend of each decade of the 20th century. Mixmaster was chosen as the most authoritative image to represent the household conveniences of the 1930s. Do not confuse mixers with blenders. They are two totally different devices. Blenders have sharp blades and usually work at faster rates which chop, liquefy, or fragment larger food items into smaller pieces; a mixer works much more slowly and has no blades.

KitchenAid Attachments:Ice Cream Maker: Fits all KitchenAid stand mixers. Put the bowl in the freezer for 18 to 24 hours before the first use. It takes 30 minutes to make soft-serve ice cream; firmer consistency takes an additional 1 to 2 hours in the freezer. Makes up to 2 quarts. Fruit and Vegetable Strainer: Can use only soft or precooked vegetables and fruits in this attachment. If seeds are too large to be processed properly, they will clog the screen. It is not recommended to attempt to strain blackberries,raspberries, and most grapes because of the seed problem. You do not have to peel or core your produce before putting it through the strainer; the strainer cone will separate the waste from the usable food. Pureed fruit or vegetables work their way down the strainer tray and waste is culled from the end of the strainer cone. Pasta Roller Set: Fits all KitchenAid stand mixers. Consists of 3 pieces - a roller for kneading and rolling the fresh pasta to the desired thickness, a fettucine cutter to make strands of medium breadth, and a linguini fine cutter for still thinner noodles. They all easily attach and detach from the stand mixer's hub. After use, it is suggested the attachment be air-dried and then gently whisked with a small cleaning brush in order to remove any dried-on dough that might be hiding from sight. Accessory Pack with Roller Slicer/Shredder: Consists of a food grinder with both fine and coarse grinding plates. The grinder is able to process raw and cooked meats, cheeses, dried fruits, and firm vegetables; it attaches to the hub. A slicer/shredder comes with 4 chrome-plated steel cones (thin slicer and thick slicer, fine shredder, coarse shredder). These cones are capable of cutting large amounts of vegetables, including making hash browns, shoestrings, or scalloped potatoes. This attachment also fastens onto the power hub. Finally, the strainer attachment, which attaches over the grinder, strains and purees vegetables and fruits. Can Opener: Effectively and safely opens virtually any size can. Attaches to the front of the mixer; fits all KitchenAid stand mixers. Juice Extractor: Pulp and seeds are efficiently trapped in the stainer, leaving pure juice ready for consumption. Fastens to the front of the mixer. Grain Mill: Great for making your own homemade breads, cereals, or tortillas. Low-moisture grains can be ground to any desired texture from fine to coarse; wheat, corn, and rice can give you a great variety of breads, Made of stainless steel, the grain mill attaches to the front of the mixer. To ensure lasting freshness, refrigerate ground grains promptly. Pouring Shield: Reduces untidy spills with this hinged shield. Enables you to pour ingredients down the side of the mixing bowl without being hit with back splash. Pasta Maker: Used in conjunction with the food grinder, separate grinding plates produce varying thickness of pasta. This attachment can create thick and thin spaghetti, flat noodles, lasagna, and macaroni. Included is a storage case to house the interchangeable pasta plates, bowl clips, and a cleaning tool. Sausage Stuffer: Used together with the food grinder, this attachment easily produces fresh sausage from scratch. The smaller 3/8" tube makes small, breakfast-sized sausages and the larger 5/8" tube makes bigger variations such as Bratwurst, Knockwurst, Polish, and Italian sausages..

Other KitchenAid Attachments:Apron with Detachable Towel Baking Cookbook Dough Hook for Tilt-Head Mixer Flat Beater Food Tray Mixer Bowl Covers Polished Stainless Steel Bowl for Tilt-Head Mixer Stainless Steel Bowl with Handle Stand Mixer Covers Wire Whip for Tilt-Head Mixer

Sunbeam Mixmaster Attachments:Beating Blending Chopping Creaming Extracting Fruit Juice Grinding Mashing Mixing Stirring Whipping


Stand Mixers - The Kitchen's Busiest Appliances

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Sunday, December 25, 2011

COUPONING AT CVS - SPEND $30, GET $10 GIFT CARD!

If you are in need of toilet paper or paper towels, then you may want to get in on this deal: Scenario #1 (2) Scott Bathroom Tissue (.00) (2) Scott Paper Towels (.00) (2) Kleenex Facial Tissue (.00) Total = .00 Use (2) /1 printable coupon (.00) www.scottbrand.com Pay .00, Get gift card Final = .00 for all 6 items (or .67 each) Scenarios #2 Buy 1 Scott Mega Rolls Choose a Size Towels 6 pk. Buy 1 Scott Bathroom Bathroom Tissue 12 pk. Buy 2 Arm & Hammer Detergent 25-32 loads .50 (.00) Buy 4 Cheez-It crackers .99 (.96) Buy 2 Kleenex tissues (.00) Total = .96 Use the /1 printable coupon www.scottbrand.com Use /2 Arm & Hammer coupon (9/18 SS or 10/16 SS) Use 2 /2 Cheez-It coupons (9/18 RP) Pay = .96, get gift card Final = .96 for all 10 items (or .60 each) Happy Shopping, Happy Savings!

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Saturday, December 10, 2011

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Seasonal Dog Allergies Does Your Dog Need a Kleenex

!±8± Seasonal Dog Allergies Does Your Dog Need a Kleenex

Does your dog suffer from seasonal dog allergies? Are you suddenly avoiding sitting to close to your favorite pup for fear of being sneezed and slobbered on? Our dog Maddie that we adopted last fall has developed seasonal allergies and when she starts with one of her sneezing fits, everyone runs for cover! Poor girl...

It's actually quite common for dogs to have seasonal allergies just like we do. When spring rolls around, dogs often begin spending more time outdoors than they do in the winter. This exposes them to the normal allergy causing culprits such as pollen and grasses and with this exposure comes the typical symptoms we all can experience.

It is actually normal for a dog to sneeze occasionally the same as a human. So occasional sneezing is nothing to be concerned about but if your dog is having recurrent sneezing, it's time to do some evaluation of their symptoms.

Begin by allowing them access to fresh drink of water. This alone can clean out the nasal passage of various irritants. After allowing them a little bit of time to get a thorough drink, give them a few minutes to allow time for their sneezing to stop. If after a reasonable amount of time, the sneezing does not stop, it's time to do a more careful assessment.

This is where you'll need to examine your dog's physical symptoms.

First, check their nose. Is there nasal discharge? If so, is it clear or does it have a yellow or green color to it? Clear discharge is ok but a colored discharge likely indicates an infection. If this is the case, it's time for a visit to the vet. Check their eyes next for both drainage and clearness. Are their eyes watering and have lots of "crusties" in the corner? Check their face for swelling or for one side being larger than the other. This can definitely be a symptom of allergies or an insect bite or sting. Check their breathing. Are they taking nice clear breaths and exhaling evenly or does it sound raspy or even blocked on one side? This could indicate a potential blockage or swelling inside the naval cavity. If any of these symptoms are severe or beyond what appears to be normal seasonal allergies, you should make an appointment with your veterinarian immediately. If you are unsure, call your vet to get more information and advice.

What You Can Do For Your Dog's Seasonal Allergies

If your dog has seasonal allergies, they are likely reacting to pollens and grasses that are quickly growing this time of year. Sometimes these allergies can pass quickly as a particular plant comes and goes but if they continue, you can give your dog relief with regular antihistamines. Some of the most popular human antihistamines that can be used are:

Common antihistamines for dogs include:

Benadryl (diphenhydramine) Atarax/Vistaryl (hydroxyzine) Chlortrimeton (chlorpheniramine) Tavist (clemastine) Periactin (cyproheptadine) Temaril (trimeprazine)

Antihistamines work by blocking the histamine from the receptors. This prevents the allergy symptoms from happening. It is noteworthy to mention that antihistamines work the best when given before your dog exhibits symptoms.

It's very important to check with your veterinarian for specific dosages for your individual dog. As with humans, dogs can experience side effects from antihistamines too. For example, your dog may become drowsy with the medication, in which case it's important that you keep them in where you can monitor them. Allowing a medicated, drowsy dog to run can be dangerous. The potential for a fight with another dog or even wandering into the street in front of a car could be deadly in that state.

When you are assessing your dog's symptoms, be sure to consider the following as potential causes. If your dog spends part of their day outside, then consider the things your dog may have come in contact with. Most dogs are highly curious and will spend a good portion of their outdoor time checking out new and interesting items.

This can include flowers, plants and even bees or wasp. Unfortunately, all of this sniffing and smelling can lead to a blockage of their nasal passages, inflammation, swelling, pain and of course sneezing. If your dog continues to suffer and sneeze or if their sneezing produced a bloody discharge, the blockage can be serious and you should seek veterinarian treatment immediately.

When you examined your dog, did you find any swelling or evidence of bites or stings? I want to mention for those that live in areas with snakes and especially rattle snakes, it's quite common for an over curious dog to get just a little too close and be a little too slow to avoid a strike. This happens all of the time in the area we live.

Generally though, you will know immediately something is wrong. The swelling will be fast and severe. Get your dog to a veterinarian immediately for treatment. Our veterinarian recommends keeping Dexamethasone (a potent synthetic member steroid drugs. It acts as an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppresant. It's about 20-30 times more potent that hydro-cortisone and 4-5 times of prednisone.) on hand for immediate treatment until you can get them to the vet - which in our case is an hour away one way. Remember, always check with your veterinarian before administering any medication to your dog.

Finally, if their breathing seems to be labored in anyway or they are just having difficulty in breathing through their air passage, seek your veterinarian's help immediately. Also, once you have treated your dog with medication, if you do not see improvement, it's time to contact the veterinarian.

It's important to remember that dog's can have potential allergies for a variety of things that can cause sneezing and itching and various other allergy symptoms. The problem isn't always environmental and can sometimes be a skin condition or an allergy to their dog food for example. So make sure to take into consideration all of your dog's issues before choosing a treatment option.


Seasonal Dog Allergies Does Your Dog Need a Kleenex

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Saturday, December 3, 2011

Cool Car Accessories

!±8± Cool Car Accessories

When it comes to teens and cars, the fun accessories that you can find are virtually endless. There are many great items that can be given as gifts. It does not take much to impress your teen. As a new driver, there is so much for them to get used to. Ease them into it with a few exciting accessories for their first car. Teens love to make their things personalized and original. Doing this does not have to be extremely expensive. There are many great accessories for teens that come at a reasonable price.

Perhaps one of the first car accessories that parents should consider for their teens is something that allows them hands free use of their phone and iPod. A blue tooth setup for cell phones makes it easy to talk without having to take any hands off the wheel. Cell phones and driving is becoming a real epidemic so eliminate the chances of your teen becoming negligent behind the wheel. An iPod docking kit is also fantastic for teens. It allows them to play music and carry their favorite tunes in and out of the car with ease.

Personalized and custom accessories are always great for gifts. Keychains of all kinds can be engraved with names, initials or slogans. Custom key chains are just the beginning though. You can also get a customized license plate through your local registry office. It does require an application process and additional printing fee but it goes a long way in personalizing a vehicle. Seat covers are another low cost way to add some décor and personal style to your teen's car. The possibilities and choices have no limit.

Stereo and speaker equipment is always a hit among teens. They all seem to want the most impressive sound system. While high end systems can range into very large amounts of money, you can find many great quality systems for a fair and decent price. Upgrading speakers from the factory system does not have to be expensive. Shop carefully and you might be surprised at the great deals out there to be had.

Every teenage driver needs to be fully equipped with a car care kit. This includes such items as window wipes, Kleenex and a duster. Cars get dirty fast so toss in some garbage bags too. Cup holders should be wiped out regularly and taken right out for a cleaning every few months. Teens need to be aware of how important it is to show responsibility by maintaining their vehicle in every way.

A mini fridge or cooler is a great accessory for teenagers. They are very small and portable. They are perfect for carrying snacks, lunch or some cold drinks in your car. They come in many different versions and styles so shop around online. Stickers and decals are perfect for self expression, which we all know is important to teens. There are so many cool car accessories for teens that you should have no problem finding something perfect for the teen driver in your life.


Cool Car Accessories

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