Silver Dollar Pancakes

My kids love silver dollar pancakes.  They take a little longer to make but it's worth the time as they love it.  I am not much of a pancake  eater, I'd rather eat waffles than pancake.  It is nice to make it once in a while though.  My husband  usually makes it when he is craving for it.  

Some people eats their pancake with  cool whip with fruits on top.

My husband love putting  peanut butter and syrup  on top of it.  How about you, how do you eat  your pancake?

Light-Weight and Fully-LOaded

I had an Internet interruption the whole day yesterday so it gave me time to  thoroughly clean the house and do other stuff that I  can't do when I am working online.  My husband has been bugging me for months now that we should get a new  vacuum and he is suggesting the BISSELL PowerGlide Pet Vacuum Lift Off Technology as it has  $20 off  through using the promo code POWERGLIDE, plush a free shipping.  I would be happy to get a new vacuum but  I am the type of person that ,  as long as the  product still  works fine, I don't need to replace it.  Although  I agree with him that it's time to replace our old one,  our budget is not  agreeing just yet so I am still  thinking whether to get a new one or not.  

What I like about the new PowerGlide with Lift Off technology is that it is lightweight and fully-loaded.  You can use it pretty much in every part of your house such as stairs, drapes, and those places that are hard to reach.  It has an adjustable  handle for easy use and storage and it  features  a swivel steering for easy maneuvering.  We have two dogs at home so this  would be perfect.  I vacuum our  carpet twice a week and if only I could do it everyday, I would because one of our dogs sheds a lot.  I am grateful that I visit the website  though because  I found some helpful  cleaning tips about Parenting and Pets and they also have tips for parties and entertaining,  and home decor and improvement.  They have so many tips that we could learn from especially those places that we  neglect to clean when we do our home cleaning.  

Sweet Potato Fritters

My mother used to make  this snack called  "Kalinging" and I would sell it in our neighborhood when I was young.  I miss it so much so I make it once in a while when I am craving for it.  I am the only one who  eats it so I usually freeze some  so I could  easily  grab some and warm it up  when I want to.

Do Not Overload: How to Keep Your Food Blender in Top Notch Shape

The blender is one of the most useful gadgets to have in the kitchen and a useful ally when you are creating a sauce or mixing some ingredients for a recipe.

Your task would be a lot harder without your blender so it is a good idea to try and keep it in top notch shape, so it doesn’t let you down when you need it.

Here are some tips on maintaining and repairing your blender if it stops working properly.

Food blenders

A good example of an all-round blender is the range from Cuisinart, where you can get a variety of different blenders that can help you blend or chop a whole host of different items, so you can make a wide range of soups, sauces and any manner of different recipe items.

A food blender is basically a small appliance with a motorized shaft that spins the blade housed inside the blender jug, at a variable speed depending on the setting that you choose and the items that you are looking to either chop or liquidize.

Preventative maintenance

There are steps that you can take to prolong the life of your blender and help to prevent it from breaking down. The two most important points to remember that will help to keep your blender in perfect working order, are to never overload it so that the motor runs the risk of burning out and also to ensure that you keep the seals around the blender as tight as possible.

Using the wrong speeds can damage the motor in your blender so avoid trying to place hard objects in it and then trying to chop them with a low motor speed, as this will cause the motor to burn out.

Your blender is designed to hold liquids, but obviously has to be dissembled for cleaning purposes, so it is essential that you ensure that the seals are replaced correctly in order to avoid any liquids leaking into the motor housing, which is common reason why a blender can break down.

If you have a guarantee still in date on your blender then you should first refer to a basic troubleshooting list to see if you can determine why it is not functioning properly, and then arrange to get it repaired under warranty, so that you do not invalidate it by attempting repairs yourself.

Beyond the guarantee

By following some basic care and maintenance instructions, you should be able to get plenty of use from your blender beyond the guarantee period and if you identify what the problem is, Cuisinart blender parts can be ordered online if required.

Some repair tips

One of the common faults with a blender that has had a lot of use is that the multispeed switch might stop working. Obviously this is a critical component and a competent DIY-minded person should be able to check if there is any damage to the wiring that is preventing it from working.

You can use a continuity tester or multi-tester to see if the circuit is open or if the fuse has blown. You can also service the blade assembly using a set of general instructions relevant to most blenders, but please take care to ensure that power has been disconnected from the blender beforehand and that you have read and understood the description of how to carry out the repair.

Your blender should give you years of good service and with a bit of periodic general maintenance and care to use the right settings, it will remain in top notch shape.

Marcus Anderson is always in the kitchen or out at his barbecue whipping up the latest new dish. When he's not cooking, he's writing about it on home, cooking and food blog sites.

The Amazing Olive Tree: Food and the Table, Too

Most people know that olives grow on trees and we all enjoy eating olives and using olive oil in our cooking, but not so many know that the olive tree is also perfect for furniture-making.

 

Olives are very versatile and can be used in many ways, even when they are overripe. Here is a look at how the amazing olive tree is a source of food and furniture, all in one.

The olive tree

The table olive is considered to be the most prized asset from the tree and the fruit’s flesh can also be pressed to make some delicious olive oil. In addition to this, the olive tree itself is considered to be an excellent material for furniture-making.

The tree itself often displays great character with a slightly twisted trunk and grey-green leaves and the wood is perfectly suitable for carving and making some unique furniture, such as a table which you can then serve your olives on.

Rich history

When you serve your guests garlic stuffed olives at a dinner party, take a moment to consider the rich history of the olive, which has been offered as a food since 3,500 B.C, when the people on the island of Crete learned the secrets of making olives edible.

The olive trees fragrant wood was even reserved exclusively for altars to the Gods in ancient times, helping it to become a symbol of peace at the same time. The olive has been recorded throughout history with various uses and in 1870, it achieved new levels of notoriety, when a bartender in California added an olive to a new concoction that he named the Martinez after his home town, giving birth to the now famous martini cocktail that people order at bars all across the world.

Olive tree wood

The wood from an olive tree is smooth and strong, allowing it to be used in a variety of applications. You will find items such as furniture including tables and cabinets, musical instruments, bowls and carved objects.

The small pruned branches from the olive tree are also used as they are highly prized for crafting smoking pipes and delicate objects of art.

Olive wood is oily and richly textured and displays a deep golden color, fine grained hardwood with accents of black streaks or swirls, making it a highly distinctive material in which to create an individual item of furniture that will be truly unique.

Whether you are a cabinet maker who covets the richly grained hardwood of the olive tree or a real foodie who loves the unique taste and health benefits of olives and olive oil, you are part of the latest generation to appreciate and enjoy this fruit that has such a long and distinguished history.

The next time you drizzle your garlic infused olive oil over your food or serve a bowl of stuffed olives as a tasty and healthy snack, take a moment to think about the history and diversity of this much-loved product.

Charles Talley is a self-sustaining farmer who lives off the grid. He likes to relax by sharing what he has learned on a variety of blog sites.