brThough the term refers to the ground meal of various edible grains, flour is most commonly made from wheat. There are several styles of wheat flour, which vary mainly in the nature of the gluten-forming proteins in each particular style. When water is mixed with flour, these proteins join to make strong elastic sheets of gluten. High-protein flour makes for dense, sturdy breads and pasta. Low-protein flour makes tender cakes, quick breads, and pastries. Storing all-purpose, pastry, or bread flour Transfer the flour to airtight containers and store at room temperature for up to 6 months. If the temperature rises above 75F, transfer the flour to the refrigerator or freezer. Bugs and mold are more likely to infest flour at warm temperatures. Storing whole wheat and other whole grain flours Whole grains flours contain more of the natural oils found in the germ and bran. Since these oils can turn rancid quickly, warp whole grain flours airtight and refrigerate for up to 6 months or freeze for up to 1 year (double-wrap if freezing). Bring to room temperature before using. To tell whether whole grain flour is rancid Smell it. Rancid flour is immediately recognizable by its unpleasant odor. Measuring flour If a recipe calls for 1 cup sifted flour, sift the flour first, and then measure. If the recipe says 1 cup flour, sifted, that means you should measure 1 cup and then sift. If the recipe uses weight instead of volume, it doesn’t matter what you do first; 1/4 pound of flour will weigh the same amount whether it’s aerated by sifting or not. If the recipe doesn’t specify sifting, stir the flour with a spoon, then spoon it into a measuring cup. Level off the cup with the edge of a knife or another straight edge. Avoid scooping flour directly into a cup, which compacts the flour so that you might end up with too much. Keep a straight edge readily on hand by storing a chopstick or a tongue depressor (clean, please) in with your flour. To substitute all-purpose flour for cake flour For each cup of all-purpose flour used, remove 2 tablespoons and replace it with 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Sift before using. To substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour Use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour for each cup of all-purpose flour. To substitute all-purpose flour for self-rising flour Replace each cup of self-rising flour called for with 1 scant cup all-purpose flour mixed with 1.5 teaspoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt. To substitute flour for cornstarch as a thickener Use 2 tablespoons flour for each tablespoon cornstarch. Getting consistent results with baked goods Use the same brand of flour every time. Brands vary in protein content, which means that your favorite cookie recipe can turn out tender one time, tough another, cakey a third time, and thinner a fourth time. Sifting flour without a sifter Place flour in a mesh strainer and gently tap the edges of the strainer over a bowl or sheet of parchment. This is also a good technique for lightly dusting a work space or a cake pan with flour. To remove lumps of flour in a sauce Beat vigorously with a whisk. If that doesn’t work, try pressing the sauce through a wire sieve. Avoiding bugs in your flour Place a couple of bay leaves in your flour and store it in a dry, cool cupboard. If you don’t use much flour, or if you have particular problems with bugs in your flour, double-wrap it and store in the freezer. To replace all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour Replace up to 50 percent of the white flour in recipes with whole wheat flour. Or try white whole wheat flour, made from white wheat berries. It is lighter in color and flavor and slightly sweeter than regular whole wheat flour. To get tender results when replacing all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour Fold batters very gently, particularly when mixing quick bread batters. It’s especially important to avoid overmixing because whole wheat flour contains additional gluten, which will make baked goods tough if the batter is overmixed. For even more tender results, use whole wheat pastry flour. Made from soft wheat berries with less gluten content, whole wheat pastry flour is a perfect substitute for white flour when making desserts and quick breads. The end results will yield a softer, lighter texture, as well as a milder wheat flavor, then that of regular whole wheat. a target=_blank href=’http://www.asianonlinerecipes.com/rss/item/1802 ‘Read more…/abr

brMy mother-in-law gave me this delicious recipe after she served it at her house for dinner. This is so simple to prepare and SO tasty! — posted by a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/member/454313melijohns/a a target=_blank href=’http://www.recipezaar.com/363778 ‘Full recipe…/abr

High intensity exercises are the key to getting a flat stomach. Ab exercises that target the abs will not give you a flat stomach. High intensity training will kick start your system and metabolism. This can be done through interval training and regular exercise.

Spot reduction is not effective at flattening your stomach. Training the abdominal muscles directly will increase the strength and help support the back, but it will not remove the fat on the stomach. To burn fat we must do overall, body fat burning to remove the visible abdominal fat to allow for the underlying abs to be seen.

Anaerobic exercises cause an oxygen debt, which is a lack of oxygen in the muscles of the body. The increased exercise activity increases the amount of carbon dioxide and lactic acid in the muscles. When the body is resting, the body is quickly trying to get oxygen into the muscles to nourish, repair and clear the waste products in the muscles. As a result, the muscle metabolic activity is increased and needs to expend more energy to function.

Exercises that involve intervals are effective in creating an oxygen debt in the muscles. The dynamic nature of interval training and how the muscles react to the demands of that training, really increase the metabolism of the muscles.

The muscles need to find energy to expend and will break down calories from the food we eat and then start burning excess fat from our belly use as fuel. The frequency and regularity of these activities will make the body better at metabolizing fat and become more efficient to the point that it will burn fat even after the body has stopped exercising.

The muscles increase in size and become more active requiring more energy to function. This increased function will burn more energy, thereby increasing the body’s fat burning capacity and helps get rid of the excess body fat.

With increased training frequency, the body will be better able to provide energy to its muscles as well as become efficient at burning fat. The increased lean body mass that occurs also helps to keep a regular schedule of metabolic activity to keep the body burning fat.

A research-based survey revealed that the most popular stimulant which has become compulsory to rub off the sleep from the eyes in the morning and to activate the energy levels is coffee.

Caffeine is a drug which is extracted from coffee beans, kola nuts and tea leaves. It is used in medicines and even certain chocolates. Caffeine is very addictive meaning that a person’s life starts depending on the caffeine.

Caffeine addiction is one of the biggest problems in the world today, but people will never admit that they are facing this problem. Caffeine is widely popular because it helps to keep the body more alert, it increases the heart rate of the body, and it also increases the sugar level in the blood.

But caffeine’s negative symptoms are manifold. Regular use of caffeine causes the water level of the body to drop as caffeine is a diuretic causing frequent urination. It also reduces the span of deep sleep and the person becomes so addicted to caffeine that if its level per day is reduced the person will show negative behavior. Frustration, nausea, migraines, fatigue, lack of concentration and muscle pain are some of the symptoms of withdrawing from caffeine.

Pregnant women should keep away from caffeine as it can have a negative impact on the fetus. The unhealthy reaction to the caffeine can cause miscarriage by disrupting the placenta and eventually the fetus, although this is extremely rare. If taken during pregnancy, it increases the risk of low birth weight and severe labor pain.

People start experiencing confusion and panic attacks if their daily intake of coffee is three to four cups. They might even suffer sleeplessness as caffeine accelerates the heart and gives vigor to the body. This can prove to be a problem for night shift workers as they are unable to sleep off their troubles even in the day. Insomnia can cause jittery nerves, anxiety and dark circles under the eyes.

People also acquire cardiac problems and diabetes because of the rise in the heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar level. Moreover those suffering from gastric problems and stomach acidity should guard themselves and take caution with caffeine as it also causes stomach aches and increases the bowel movements. Bowel disorders are a very common side effect of caffeine.

Recent studies show that obesity and food cravings can also be attributed to caffeine. Undoubtedly the drawbacks are in the lead if compared to its few advantages. Caffeine boosts energy levels but the effect will only stay around for four to five hours. Following that will be a strong caffeine yearning to recuperate that effect. For the freedom of the mind and the body, a person should make effort to reduce or totally evade the caffeine dependence. It is an arduous task but anything is possible if there is a will to do it.

br It’s hard for someone of my generation to imagine a time when people thought that red meat was not only good for you, but necessary as well. These days… a target=_blank href=’http://vegetarian.about.com/b/2009/03/29/msnbc-eating-a-lot-of-red-meat-may-up-mortality-risk.htm ‘Full recipe…/abr

brIf your chops are on the thinner side, check their internal temperature after the initial sear. If they are already at the 140F mark, remove them from te skillet and allow them to rest, tented with foil, for 5 minutes, then add the platter juices and glazeingredients to the skillet and proceed to step 3. If your chops are closer to 1-inch 3, you may need to increase the simmering time in step 2. — posted by a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/member/883095Chef mariajane/a a target=_blank href=’http://www.recipezaar.com/363805 ‘Read more…/abr

br The flavor of fresh nutmeg permeates this easy coffee cake. The aroma and flavor of fresh-grated nutmeg is far superior to the pre-ground spice in the grocery store. I use… a target=_blank href=’http://homecooking.about.com/b/2009/03/31/nutmeg-raisin-coffee-cake-recipe.htm ‘Full recipe…/abr