Thermoworks is the leading manufacturer of digital thermometers for cooking and baking.
Since I started making all of our breads at home, I've always wanted a quick-read digital thermometer that would replace our analog (and very slow) thermometer. A quick-reading thermometer is crucial when you've got the oven door open.
Early in my bread-making I found that all ovens are different and can be several (if not a lot) of degrees off from where you set it. Rather than depending on the baking time a recipe suggests, the internal temperature test is the most accurate (190 degrees for standard wheat breads and 200-210 degrees for gluten free).
However, the best thermometer (the Thermopen) is nearly $100 and I had a hard time justifying that expense. If you can, by all means go for the best. I compromised on a separate Thermoworks model (RT600C) that cost under $20 and reads only slightly slower (about 6 seconds) than their top model. It's water resistant and dishwasher safe to 190 degrees. It can be switched from Celsius to Fahrenheit measurements. I have found it meets all of our needs.
I use this for baking, but also on the grill. Meat should only be flipped only once while grilling, so having a quick and easy temperature read lets me know when the meat is ready.
If you are still messing with an analog thermometer or are fighting with one that takes a long time for a reading, you might consider this option. It's size makes it convenient to carry and use.
I first came across the term Flavorist about a month ago while reading Eric Schlosser's book, "Chew on This", a hard look into the fast food industry's food and practices. A flavorist is a chemist who creates artificial and "natural" flavors from chemicals.
Since then, I have seen the terms "artificial flavors" and "natural flavors" on many things -- including some from brands and sources I trust more than others.
CBS's 60 Minutes did a short clip into the world's largest flavor creation company, Givaudan, last Fall. Getting any level of access is extraordinary, so enjoy the video when you get a moment.
Most of the flavor companies occupy space along the New Jersey's turnpike, one of them being International Flavors and Fragrances, and they employ tens of thousands of people -- all with the goal of making your taste and smell experience addictive. The companies that employ them do so to sell you more, but even the so-called "natural flavors" are less than desirable.
Flavorists are chemists. They use man-made chemicals (or chemicals made from natural sources) to create the flavors we crave. Complicated flavors like coffee and meat can take hundreds of different chemicals to complete. And the US Government does not require disclosure of what is actually present in the flavorings -- thus the simple phrases of artificial and natural flavors on the ingredient list.
Natural and artificial flavors are made at the same factories and often use the same chemical, one is just derived from a natural source. And often that natural source has nothing to do with the plant, fruit, etc, you are actually tasting.
Schlosser writes that the addictiveness of McDonald's french fries in the early decades was because they were fried in beef fat, lending the beef taste to the potato (Burger King uses chicken flavoring). However, citing health concerns over beef fat, the US Government banned it and in 1990 McDonalds switched to using vegetable oil "flavored" with beef fat. If you want the real deal, beef fat is still used in McDonald's restaurants in Australia, Japan, Canada and Mexico.
As an example of the hidden ingredients inside "artificial flavoring", consider the strawberry shake at a fast food restaurant. Just the artificial strawberry flavoring alone includes the following ingredients:
amyl acetate
amyl butyrate
amyl valerate
anethol
anisyl formate
benzyl acetate
benzyl isobutyrate
butyric acid
cinnamyl isobutyrate
cinnamyl valerate
cognac essential oil
diacetyl
dipropyl ketone
ethyl butyrate
ethyl cinnamate
ethyl heptanoate
ethyl heptylate
ethyl lactate
ethyl methylphenylglycidate
ethyl nitrate
ethyl propionate
ethyl valerate
heliotropin
hydroxyphrenyl-2-butanone (10% solution in alcohol)
ionone
isobutyl anthranilate
isobutyl butyrate
lemon essential oil
maltol
4-methylacetophenone
methyl anthranilate
methyl benzoate
methyl cinnamte
methyl heptine carbonate
methyl naphthyl ketone
methyl salicylate
mint essential oil
neroli essential oil
nerolin
neryl isobutyrate
orris butter
phenethyl alcohol
rose
rum ether
undecalactone
vanillin
solvent
Yum! Enjoy that strawberry shake!
Like the world of colorants, it may be wise to limit or avoid processed foods that need flavoring of any kind to sell. Limited or no research has been done on the long-term effects of consuming these chemicals.
My mother-in-law called me the other day and said she had purchased unbranded grapes from the grocery store that had the Rain Forest Alliance stamp on them and wondered if that also signified that they were organic and untreated with sulphur dioxide.
So I did a little research. I found that the logo does not necessarily indicate that the product is free from sulphur dioxide or organic. But it still matters.
The Rain Forest Alliance is a non-profit organization celebrating 25 years working to preserve the rain forests by:
Purchasing foods with the Rain Forest Alliance logo ensures that you are buying from a company that uses its land in a sustainable way and that is paying fair wages. It certainly is worthy of purchasing over a product that does not have the certification, but it doesn't necessarily make the food product healthier.
Americans move -- a lot! Almost 15% of the entire population moves annually and families are the most likely to move a long distance.
Sometimes people have a choice where they live, sometimes they are looking in a narrower handful of miles. But if you have kids, you probably will ask a realtor or employer where the best schools are for your children. Best is usually defined by standardized test scores or education philosophy. But what about food?
Most schools offer their lunch choices online. As I have perused our area schools, I have noticed a wide variance in the quality of food within each district -- and really, none of them in our immediate area are spectacular. I have even found a school who contracted with Arby's and Pizza Hut to weekly supply a lunch!
In just a little research, I was able to uncover two school districts that are doing well in nourishing their children and educating them. Both happen to be from California school districts, but there are many across the country -- seemingly most existing on the East and West coasts.
The first example is from the Novato Unified School District in Marin County, California. Their lunch menu looks a bit better than in our area. They feature a vegetable and fruit every month, offer salads daily and partner with Marin Organic to supply their food needs with local organic produce.
The second example is Oceanside Unified School District in San Diego County, California. The menu and healthy lifestyle promotion is prevalent throughout their web site. The also feature daily salads, meatless Mondays, vegetarian options, and fresh fruit. They also serve their food on biodegradable trays and use biodegradable utensils. They have partnered with www.leanandgreenkids.org to enhance their food program.
What kids eat is as important as what they learn. When looking for a great school district for your kids, you may want to consider visiting the cafeteria too.
Do you live in a great school district that offers nutritious meals? Tell us about it!
Parents want the best for their children and many supplement their children's nutritional needs with a daily vitamin.
If asked, many doctors will say to make sure to look for certain levels of vitamin, otherwise brand doesn't matter. Or does it?
When we went looking for vitamins for our children, we found almost all of the chewable vitamins for children contain wood pulp (disguised as microcrystalline cellulose), many artificial colors (including those with aluminum like Yellow 6 Aluminum Lake), silicon dioxide (associated with several health risks), artificial sweeteners and flavors and lactose (milk) to name just a few.
Then we discovered Gummy Vites brand. They contain no wheat, milk, eggs, peanuts or soy. The colors are derived naturally from annatto extract, black carrot juice and turmeric. The flavors (cherry, strawberry, tropical punch, orange, lemon, white grape) are also from their natural source.
I think the assumption is that vitamins are automatically healthy. In truth, many carry the same junk as in highly processed foods.
