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A Master Class In The Tough Art Of Cooking Meat

Cooking meat is a tough art to master. Veg takes care of itself, but a meat dish is a labor of love. From ribs to steak, the methods are much the same. All you need do is bare in mind a few simple steps to ensure your meat is as good as can be. Quality aside, there’s a more serious reason to perfect your meat cooking game. Meat products carry the most risk of any food you could work with. As such, cooking it well is a matter of safety. The good news is, we’ve got you covered with this list of must-follow meat prep steps.

GET THE RIGHT GEAR

Having separate gear on which to prepare your meat is essential. Professional kitchens have designated equipment for different foodstuffs and you should too. If you chop meat and veg on the same board, you open yourself to a world of trouble. Don’t take the risk.


When buying your meat board, consider options which will be easy to clean. The smallest speck of bacteria could cause major illness. As such, plastic options are your best bet. There’s no grain for bacteria to hide in, and you’ll be able to clean without worry.

Think, too, about what you’ll be cutting with. Blunt knives would rip rather than cut. Obviously, that’s not what you want. It’s worth turning to pros here, too. Chef knives like those reviewed by Cut It Fine are sure to serve you well. Reviews are fantastic because they specify the strengths of each option. It’s a fast way to find the right fit. You’ll also want to keep those knives sharp as possible, so invest in a blade sharpener. Get into the habit of using this whenever you feel the need.

MARINADE FOR FLAVOR

Making a meat dish isn’t as simple as getting it out of the fridge ten minutes before dinner. The work should start the night before. Making your marinade early and letting the meat soak is the best way to achieve a great flavor. It’s also a sure way to make your meat tender. All you need do is cut nicks into the meat and refrigerate it and the marinade in an airtight container. While this step isn’t essential for a fantastic dish, it’s sure to add something special.

HIGH HEAT VS. LOW HEAT


When the time comes to cook, it’s hard to know the right way. Some recommend high heat to develop flavor, while others swear low heat preserves moisture. It’s a minefield. In truth, it all depends on what you’re cooking. A steak, for example, is best cooked fast and high. Here, you’re searing the outside rather than cooking. For a larger piece of meat, like a leg of lamb, slow is your best bet. You want this to be so tender it falls off the bone, and you aren’t going to get that with high heat. Don’t worry; the more meat you cook, the more understanding you’ll have of which method to use.
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Tedious Travel: Getting Through a Long Haul Flight

Booking a trip and getting away from it all every now and again is just what the doctor ordered. And as fun as vacations are, the actual travel part is a different matter. Waiting around at airports and coach stations, scurrying to find transfer buses and everything else is nothing short of stressful. If you have a long haul flight planned for this summer, here are a few things to consider.


Dress in Comfy Clothes
Do you ever look at girls at the airport dressed up to the nines and wonder why on earth they would do that? Looking good is important and dressing to feel good is great, but when you’re sitting in one cramped spot for hours, it makes sense that you’d dress for comfort on this occasion. A pair of leggings with a t-shirt, a loose fitting cardigan and sneakers will allow you to stay comfortable and relax as much as possible. Avoid jeans, blouses and anything else that’s too restrictive. You might think your outfit looks cute when you put it in, but hours into a flight and you can barely move you will soon regret your decision.

Bring Some Skincare Staples
The air on planes is incredibly dry, this is a problem as it leaches your skin of moisture. Do you ever find that after a flight your skin feels dry, sore or irritable? This is the reason why. You don’t have to just deal with problem skin and try and fix it when you arrive at your destination. Taking a couple of products in your in-flight bag can stop the issue before it starts. A clear face mask applied for thirty minutes will hydrate your skin without freaking out the other passengers! Be sure to bring some face wipes so you can remove it. Or just apply a small amount of serum with hyaluronic acid which has excellent moisturizing properties. It takes a couple of minutes to do and could save your skin for the rest of your trip.

Don’t Forget Entertainment
Depending on the flight, you might have some pretty decent in-flight entertainment. However, it’s always worth bringing your own along, especially if you’re in the air for a long time. Even if they’re showing new movies, they’re not likely to all appeal to you (and you might not want to watch them consecutively). Download a series you’ve really been wanting to watch to your tablet or phone, which is sure to keep you busy for hours on end. Since many flights now have USB ports, you don’t have to worry about the battery life and can busy yourself with whatever you’re doing. A really addictive game or a good book are also great ways to kill time.

Pack Some Snacks!

Airplane food is pretty grim if you’re a fussy eater you might be best bringing some food along yourself. Most things are permitted provided they don’t contain more than 100mls of liquid (i.e., soups and saucy dishes). Some sandwiches and other easy to eat lunchtime snacks will do the trick.

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Alternative Eats With Prices That Can’t Be Beat

In the past, saving money on your food would mean using substandard options or simply missing out on the things you like. Most people would only have access to one example of each type of shop. And, would get most of their goods from these places alone. The modern world of mass production and supplying demand has changed this, though. Now, it’s possible to save money on even the weirdest and rarest of foods. To help you with this, this post will be going through three different scenarios where you would need to buy food. Along with this, it will also be showing you exactly how you can save money through these places.

beverages, brunch, cocktail

As an occasional treat, a lot of families like to buy takeaways for dinner. This is the sort of food you buy from a restaurant or other food place, and take it away to eat at home. This sort of treat is affordable for most people if it’s only once a month or so. But, the price tag you have to face may still leave something to be desired. Unfortunately, the big chain restaurants which offer home delivery, like Dominos and Pizza Hut, are some of the more expensive options out there. To save money here, it can be much better to go somewhere local. There are loads of food apps out there. And, these are perfect to get good deals at places which charge reasonable prices. If you really want to go for one of the big companies, you could try finding some coupon codes on the web, before you order. This could save some money. And, it could also help you find more cheap alternatives.

Most people’s biggest food expenses go into their normal food. Each week, it’s surprising how much it can cost to feed one person, let alone a family. So, it makes sense that people want to save money on this area. One of the best ways to do this is through online shopping. Most supermarkets will offer the chance to order their food for home delivery. This enables you to avoid impulse purchases. And, it gives you the chance to look through options based on their prices. Sometimes, going to a different brand or basing purchases on the available deals is the best way to shop.

Vegetable Food Cooked on Frying Pan

At some point in your adult life, there will come a time where you have to arrange an event. Whether it’s a wedding, a birthday party, or anything else, the food for this sort of activity is usually very expensive. And, you will be bombarded with loads of choices. In most cases, it’s best to cater something like this yourself. Companies offering this service will charge over the odds for it. And, so, it’s much cheaper to gather the pieces yourself. A lot of people don’t know what to expect with Safeway cakes or Walmart snack food. But, these sorts of places are often just as good as the expensive shops claiming to offer more. Reading some reviews should help you to feel comfortable with their offerings.


Hopefully, this will give you an idea of what needs to be done when you’re trying to save money on your food. A lot of people will spend without consideration when they’re trying to feed themselves. But, this can cost you a lot more than it has to. So, it’s worth being frugal.
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The Best Ways To Get Around Abroad

When you are travelling, there are many things that you need to consider. One of the main ones, arguably, is knowing how to get around in your chosen destination. The answer to this problem is likely to vary quite widely depending on the nature of your chosen destination. But you need to know, ideally before you leave, how you intend to make your way around, so that you can prepare for it as best as you can. It doesn’t matter what you finally decide on - either way, you will find that it helps to prepare to some degree or another. In this post, we are going to take a look at some of the best ways to get around when you are abroad - as well as how to prepare for each of them.

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Car

This has to be one of the most popular of all. If you are to be travelling with your family in tow, then this might just be the option for you. Getting around by car certainly has its advantages, not least the fact that you have the freedom to go wherever you wish and don’t particularly need to worry about other people as much as with, say, public transport. But you do need to be a little careful when you are driving in a strange country. It might be that they drive on a different side of the road, for example, or thee could be a lot of road signs you are not sure of the meaning of. You should take great care when going by car, even though it is likely to be a particularly useful way to find your way around your destination.


Motorcycle

Not everyone travels with their family, of course. It might be that you are going on a solo trip[ to somewhere exotic, in which case a motorcycle might be more up your street. Of course, to do this, you do need to make sure that you can confidently ride a motorcycle first, otherwise it might be incredibly dangerous. You’ll probably also want to make sure that you choose your leathers and safety gear as well as you can, as this ensures that you can remain as safe as possible while you ride, and that is the most important factor of all here. If you carry out your research somewhere like Bikers Basics, you should get a good idea of what to look for in your boots and other clothing. Then it is just a matter of hiring your bike once you are out there, and going wherever you feel it takes you. This can be a particularly enjoyable way to get around on holiday.

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Walking

Let’s not forget the classic: walking. There’s nothing wrong with just walking around, particularly if you are in an area which seems prone to it. Walking can be the best way to get around in many kinds of places, from cities to the wilderness, so you should definitely consider this mode of transport when you are planning your trip. To prepare for plenty of walking, you should practice a little before you go on the trip, just in case you are somewhat out of practice. Also be sure to get your hands on some decent walking boots before you go. It really can make all the difference to have something solid on your feet.
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How to keep up with your busy schedule

We teamed up with Bloggin' Mamas and Calroo to spread the word about this great new family friendly app.  I love being able to share my schedule with my family.  The ease of assigning tasks makes it easier on all!

  The Calroo app is free to download, and everybody gets a free trial month of Calroo Pro. The iOS app is live on the Appstore, and an Android app is in the works — you can sign up for a beta today. (Unlike other family calendar apps, even the free version of Calroo is completely ad-free) Featured in Forbes, Inc. and Huffington Post, Calroo makes it easy to coordinate a busy family schedule. Create shared calendar events, assign tasks to family members with a simple swipe, and manage shopping lists. Is coordinating your family schedule a hassle? Do you wish it were easier to assign tasks and calendar appointments to your spouse or children? Do you use several apps, emails, texting and paper to keep track of events, tasks and shopping lists? Do you dream of having one central place where you could see, plan and manage all your family’s activities? Then Calroo is perfect for you!
  
Calroo is the only app you need to keep your family organized and in-sync. It combines a calendar, a to-do list, shopping lists, and messaging into a single app. That way your family can keep in touch with life becomes hectic between extra-curricular activities, meetings and business trips for Dad, book club and Mom's night out for mom. It's so easy to use and perfect for the whole family to keep track of everyone's schedule so activities don't overlap and create family issues. Imagine how easy your life will be with Calroo:
  • You know exactly who is doing what, with a color-coded family calendar that shows who is participating in each event or task
  • You get reminder alerts for events and tasks you need to do – so that nothing slips through the cracks
  • If you’re are stuck in traffic, you can hand off an appointment or task to your spouse or family member with a simple swipe
  • Your grocery, shopping and packing lists are instantly shared and synced with your family members’ phones
  • You can exchange messages and photos with you family members – so that you can be the engaged parent you always wanted to be

Calroo makes it easy to coordinate a busy family schedule. Create shared calendar events, set up reminders, assign tasks to family members, and manage shopping lists – all in one easy-to-use app. Save time, reduce stress, and transform your family into a happy and helpful team. Here are the great features that are available on Calroo Pro:
  • Ask family members for help with a simple swipe, or by clicking on the “Ask for help” button. Get an explicit confirmation that they accepted the handoff. Rest easy knowing that Johnny will get picked up from soccer practice.
  • Control what your family members see on Calroo. Grant “limited access” to some of your family members like nanny, babysitter or grandparent. They only see the events or tasks that you want them to see on your family calendar.
  • Keep private events private – like a surprise birthday party for your spouse.
  • Your Google calendar will continue synching with your Calroo calendar in real-time. If any events get added, deleted or edited on your Google calendar, you will see those changes instantly reflected on Calroo.
When you sign up for Calroo, you and your family automatically get a free 30-day trial of Calroo Pro. After the trial, you and your family can continue enjoying Calroo Pro for just $1.99 per month or $19.99 per year*. Or you can keep getting it for free by referring new customers. For every new person you refer, you get an extra month of Calroo Pro for free, and so do they. If you do not upgrade or refer, your app will switch to the free version after 30 days. All your events, tasks and lists will still be there, and you can still use the free features. Reduce stress, save time, get more help, and become the organized and engaged parent you always wanted to be. Try Calroo today! Connect with Calroo Website | Download via Itunes | Sign Up for Android | Facebook | Pinterest

 Now for the Giveaway! One winner will receive a Calroo Prize Pack which includes: $100 Gift Card to your favorite Restaurant $30 Bath and Body Works Gift Card $20 Calroo App TOTAL PRIZE VALUE $150
Open to US Residents 18+ Void where Prohibited Only one entrant per household/IP Address Giveaway begins 6/21/2017 at 4pm Eastern Giveaway ends 7/5/2017 at 11:59pm

Eastern Disclosure: We have teamed up with Calroo and Bloggin' Mamas for this giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are those of our own. If you have any questions, please contact info@blogginmamas.com
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