Fresh olives are very bitter and must be ‘cured’ or pickled in brine to render them edible, so they are naturally long-keeping. However, when removed from their brine they will begin to go soft and deteriorate in flavor. Once the jar or can has been opened, or if bought loose in their brine, olives should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within a few days. Those stored in olive or some other cooking oil will keep for about two weeks in the refrigerator, as long as they are completely submerged in the oil. The oil will take on some flavor from the olives and this delicately flavored oil is very pleasant for cooking. ** Asian Recipes ** Read more…

Bourbon ChickenIngredients4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves1 teaspoon ground ginger2 ounces soy sauce2 tablespoons dried minced onion3/4 cup dark brown sugar3/8 cup bourbon1/2 teaspoon garlic powderhot sauce to tasteDirectionsPlace chicken breasts in a 9×13 inch baking dish. In a small bowl combine the ginger, soy sauce, onion flakes, sugar, bourbon, hot sauce and garlic powder. Mix together and pour mixture over chicken. Cover dish and place in refrigerator. Marinate overnight. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Remove dish from refrigerator and remove cover. Bake in the preheated oven, basting frequently, for 1 1/2 hours or until chicken is well browned and juices run clear. Read more…

An easy and delicious way to prepare tender barbecued ribs without the barbecue! Continue…

Rich chocolate cake, caramel, toffee, and whipped topping – need I say more?! Read more…

Did you know that cucumbers really are “cool”? It’s true! It’s much much cooler inside of a cucumber than outside! Take advantage of this fact by eating lots of cooling… Continue…

Refreshing! I actually put more fruit in mine — at least 1/2 cups of berries and grapes — posted by wife2abadge Read more…

Before buying a home water purifier, you should understand them. Purifiers are devices that will filter contaminants out of your tap water supply so you can drink pure, unadulterated water. When you compare home water purifiers, you’ll quickly discover that there is a great variety of difference between the types, both in how they look and function and in what contaminants they filter out of your water. You should always purchase the one that works best for you.

Start to compare home water purifiers by examining their mechanisms of working. For instance, do they screw onto your faucet, or will you need to have them installed beneath your counter? Do you have the sort of hard water that may do better if you install a heavy-duty home water purifier to your main line, so that water softeners can reduce the lime in your water? Or do you simply want good clean drinking water? There are excellent water purifiers for every need and purpose, and some that even have extras like flavoring for drinking water.

Compare home water purifiers by the method used in filtering your water. Start with the two most common: activated carbon filters and reverse osmosis filters. Other filter types are the KDF-55 or the greensand iron filter; a fifth, the ultraviolet filter, is used primarily in hospitals and industrial settings. For most home water filters, reverse osmosis and activated carbon are the most likely types of filter. Each filter type has a somewhat different action on water and generally removes different contaminants.

Investigate activated carbon filters. This filter takes advantage of the very high reactivity of activated carbon to other chemicals; its slight positive charge attracts the slight negative charge of the contaminants in your water, and it draws contaminants to itself to eliminate impurities in the water. The two most common types of activated carbon filters are the granular activated carbon (GAC) and the powdered block carbon; both are excellent at purifying water, but you’ll find the powdered block removes more contaminants and lasts longer. These filters eliminate radon, some heavy metals, some hydrogen sulfide, chlorine, volatile organic compounds such as pesticide, sediments, and bad tastes and odors.

Reverse osmosis purifiers are significantly more expensive and complicated to install, but they are significantly better purifiers as well. The osmotic membrane, a thin layer through which water (and nothing larger) can freely pass leaves impurities on one side, and delivers pure water on the other. These purifiers are not attached to faucets; instead, because they work slowly, they’re used in water reservoirs below your sink. Most of the best reverse osmosis purifiers run their water through a backup activated carbon filter before delivering the water to you. These purifiers eliminate many different contaminants: bacteria and viruses, arsenic, chlorine, fluoride, nitrates, iron, VOCs, sediments, heavy metals, some hydrogen sulfide, and bad tastes and smells.

Your choice in home water purifiers should be based on cost of installation, how you’ll be using your filter, and what the purifier removes. The purest water comes from the reverse osmosis filter, but both do an excellent job of delivering clean, pure-tasting water to your faucet.