7 Tips for Purchasing Budget Kitchenware

When you’re looking to revamp your kitchen or by anyone, it can be quite costly. Before you go and to the store and start picking out new appliances, make sure that you’ve done your research and know exactly how to purchase these items on the cheap. Here, we’ve come up with seven ingenious ways which will help you purchase kitchenware on the cheap.

1. Think About Shopping

A key mistake that one can make with their new kitchen is to waste time buying items that they don’t really need. Do you need one of the best mixing bowls or high tech juicers? In order to provide some clarity, it’s good practice to think about what items you’ll really require by creating a shopping list and thinking about some common menus you use. By doing this, you’ll know exactly what specialty equipment you need to invest in.

2. Stick To A Budget

It may come as an obvious point, but this is sometimes overlooked. Acquiring new equipment for your kitchen can be an expensive task, so it’s important to plan, set a budget and really stick to it! It’s all about the balance between what you can afford and quality items. Of course, you will always want the highest quality, but determine which items you need the most and prioritize these in your budget.

3. Space

It’s important to consider how much space you have in your kitchen. When you’re looking for that budget item, consider how it will fit in with the space that you have. A lot of people can make the error of buying equipment without having measured the space in their kitchen, and if it doesn’t fit then this can be a disaster. Make sure that you pay attention to all of the dimensions of appliances you want to purchase. If you want to buy an appliance online, see if you can view it in a store first – this can get you familiar with space it will take up in your kitchen.

4. Energy Star

All appliances come with two different price tags – the first is the cost of purchase and the second is the cost of running. When you’re looking at all the different appliances and kitchen equipment out there, a great way pinpointing products that are cost-effective is to look for the Energy Star label. When you see this, you will know that this product will be energy efficient and provide you with long-term savings.

So what exactly is this rating and how will you know when you’ll be able to save money? The Energy Star rating is a government-backed initiative which indicates that appliances energy-efficient. This can allow people to make well-informed decisions about how much they going to pay for the cost of running an appliance. It is saved about $30 billion in the United States energy costs since it was founded and is due to save much more money.

5. Warranty

When you’re looking for new equipment, it can be helpful to think of associated future costs, so do consider the warranty of the product. Do remember giving the fine print a read to see how long the warranty lasts. Warranties can save a lot of money down the line, so do take them into consideration when you’re shopping at kitchenware stores. Typical warranties tend to last around 12 months, but some manufacturers may offer longer warranties so that more people buy their products.

A warranty is great for when your product breakdown as you won’t need to pay more, however, one should always be wary of purchasing extended warranties, i.e. Additional time that you can have for your appliance. Sometimes it is just not worth going down this path and may, in fact, be much cheaper to purchase a new appliance when it bites the dust after some time. This is because of increases in technological advances and decreasing costs of your appliance over time.

6. Online Shopping – Kitchenware On The Cheap

If you’re looking at where to buy cheap kitchenware, the online world is probably your best bet. Auction websites where you can buy items second hand is a great way of saving money. There’s a whole world out there just full of used types of kitchenware for you to purchase and make substantial savings.

7. Ex Display Items

There are plenty of places to buy items that used to be on display for an absolute bargain. Looking on websites such as The Used Kitchen Company can even find the whole kitchens including appliances and a complete kitchenware set so you won’t have to think about what matches and fits.

Wrap Up

We hope that with the tips provided today, you’ll be able to purchase kitchenware on the cheap. It needn’t always break the bank, so do consider your spending habits, where and how you can buy. Remember not to skimp on quality, because appliances should last – you won’t want to buy something cheap and have to replace it on a regular basis. If you haven’t got the cash, clever budgeting will do and you can have the appliances that you really want. Every kitchen deserves great items and every item deserves a great price.

Do you have any tips about how to purchase appliances on the cheap? Please send us your comments below.

About The Author:

Jerry Fisher is a self-confessed food lover and kitchen fanatic! He has over 10 years of experience working in the kitchen industry and used to be the VP of sales for one of the leading kitchen retailers in the UK. He is a contributor and writer for many home decor websites and blogs.

5 Delicious Way to Cook Your Meals With Leftover Liquor

We all have parties, or gatherings, where there is one too many liquor bottles leftover.  Typically during a holiday or special occasion like a birthday. You may think the easiest thing to do is to just drink it, or worse, throw it away – GASP!

Neither option is optimal, so maybe you can try cooking it. Over the years, I have gathered up some go-to recipes that turned my leftover bottles into ingredients. I want to share a few ways you can turn your liquor into breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals.

Whiskey Bacon

Bacon has got to be hands down my all time favorite side dish and addition. It just makes everything better! If you agree, then this recipe is going to knock your socks off.

Whiskey bacon is like bacon candy. Basically you only need 4 simple ingredients that you will most likely have in your pantry already. I learned about this recipe back in 2018 and I haven’t cooked bacon another way since.

Common Leftover Whiskeys

• Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey
• Jameson Irish Whiskey
• Maker’s Mark Bourbon Whiskey
• Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey

Recipe

You’ll need very little to make a meal really stand out. A YouTuber named Ry (Cooking With Ry) made shared this recipe when he made his whiskey bacon burger, and I found a use for it in other places!

Tools:

• Cast Iron Skillet (preferred) / Fry Pan

Ingredients:

• 10-12 slices of bacon
• 1.5 tsp Butter
• 1 tsp Brown Sugar
• 0.5 shot of Leftover Whiskey
  
  

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the skillet on medium high heat.
2. Add strips of bacon altogether. Depending on what you’re cooking it for, you can organize them or just drop them into the skillet making it one big piece of bacon .
3. Let one entire side cook and crips up before turning it over. About 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the bacon.
4. Turn over the bacon and repeat step 3 until the bacon is as crisp as you like it. I like it on the floppier side so it still has some flexibility.
5. Remove skillet from heat and pour off some of that bacon grease for later. Odds are you will have a lot of grease which you can re-use for frying eggs or cooking beef.
6. While the pan is off the heat, add butter, brown sugar, and whiskey. I used Jack Daniels.

(Pro Tip: Be careful that the whiskey is added away from the hot stove top. Safety first!)

1. Return the pan to the hot stove on medium heat and mix everything together until the butter and sugar is melted, and the bacon is caramelized.

Take this recipe and add it to you breakfast meals, BLT sandwiches, Club sandwiches, burgers, or even baked beans if you want to get really creative.

Beer Braised Sausages

I never explored the possibilities of cooking with sausages before this year. I was yearning for a different flavor besides chicken and beef, and thought i would give Italian Sausage a try. I’m so happy I did!

Beer braised sausages has got to be my all time favorite recipe. Since I was new to the sausage game, I turned to Tastemade for help. It’s 5 ingredients and less than 30 minutes!

Common Leftover Beers

• Heineken (My Favorite)
• Stella Artois
• Coors Light
• Blue Moon

Recipe

This Tastemade Beer Braised Sausage recipe includes a side recipe for homemade mustard. Personally, I don’t love mustard, but if I’d want it, I would just buy it. Sorry Tastemade, but I only needed the sausages!

Tools:

• Skillet or Dutch Oven

Ingredients:

• 6-8 Mild Italian Sausages
• (1) 12oz Leftover Beer bottle
• 1 tsp of Olive Oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 2 sprigs of fresh Oregano — or 1 tbsp of dried Oregano
• 1 tbsp of Crushed red pepper (optional!)

Instructions:

1. Add Olive oil to skillet / dutch oven over medium to high heat.
2. Add garlic and let it brown up.
3. Add Italian Sausages until brown on all sides.
4. Once browned, flip over, and add the beer to simmer the sausages. I used Heineken.

(Pro Tip: Pour the beer slowly as it will foam up and spill over if added too quickly.)

1. Add the sprigs of Oregano and crushed red peppers for extra spice.
2. Bring the sausages and beer to a boil, and then let it simmer for about 8-10 minutes until the alcohol is cooked down. This will keep caramelize the sausages and keep them juicy.

Slice these sausages up and dip it in homemade mustard (as recommended) or BBQ sauce and mashed potatoes. You can also slice them and add to a homemade pizza or pasta dish. The possibilities are there!

Beer Battered… Anything

Honesty time: I hate getting burned. Which is what keeps me from deep frying a lot of delicious foods. However, my mom doesn’t have that fear, and she has a really yummy batter that she taught me.

Common Leftover Beers (continued)

• Corona
• Miller Lite
• Guinness
• Dos Equis

Recipe

Beer batter is so simple, it hurts (not literally). Again, you only need a few ingredients, three to be exact, and you have the base for crispy chicken or fish.

Tools:

• A mixing bowl
• Fork or Whisk

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of rice flour
• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 Leftover Bottle of beer

Instructions:

1. Sift each flour into the bowl. This will add air to the mixture.
2. Gradually add the beer onto the flour mix until you get a creamy consistency. You may not need to use the entire bottle. I used Corona.
3. Add the eggs and mix well.
   
   

Pro Tip: Make the batter the day, or morning, before you use it. The longer it sits, the better the crispiness when you fry the protein.

You can use this batter to make Fish n’ Chips, Fried Chicken, or even fried cauliflower for a vegetarian dish.   

Penne Alla Vodka

The first time I ever tasted penne pasta in vodka sauce, I was a Wolfgang’s Steakhouse. On their menu, they have a Pasta of the Day option. After that, I began to scout vodka pasta sauces, but of the storebought sauces tasted half as delicious.

I took to the internet to find a good penne alla vodka recipe and found The Cozy Cook. They have a delicious recipe for the pasta, which includes chicken. At the restaurant, I didn’t have protein with the disk, so I skipped that part. You can too!

Common Leftover Vodkas

• Grey Goose – all of them
• Smirnoff
• Tito’s (My Favorite)
• Skyy

Recipe

The Cozy Cook’s recipe is very simple once you remove the protein element. It only takes about half an hour to make. If you separate the sauce from pasta, you can even freeze the sauce in the fridge for five days and have leftovers.  

The following is their penne alla vodka with chicken recipe, without the chicken.

Tools:

• Deep skillet or saute pan (preferred) – for the sauce
• 2-3qt saucepan with a lid – for pasta
• Spatula, wooden or silicone is recommended to avoid scratching the pan.

Ingredients:

• (1) 8oz box of penne pasta
• 3 tbsp of butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 onion diced
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 cup vodka — I used Tito’s Handmade Vodka
• 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 jar of marinara sauce
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated (optional)
• fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the penne pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
   (Pro Tip: To save time, boil the pasta while the chicken sears.)
2. In skillet or saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter and use a spatula to release some of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
3. Add the diced onions and cook until they have softened and begin to caramelize. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
4. Add the vodka to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes. I used Tito’s.
5. Once browned, reduce the heat to low, and add the diced tomatoes and marinara sauce. Stir in the heavy cream.
6. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and add the final Tablespoon of butter.
7. Add in the pasta and use the spatula to stir until the penne is evenly covered.

(Pro Tip: This part is optional, as you can keep the pasta and sauce separate, and use the leftover sauce in the future.)

1. Top with Parmesan and chopped parsley to serve!

You can certainly experiment with the types of pasta and meats you add. Chicken breast is simply the best protein because it doesn’t overpower the sauce.

Red Wine Marinade

The best use out of leftover red wine is to marinate your meet in it. Personally, when I want to marinate chicken or steak, I use spices that have laying around, which is how I stumbled upon red wine in my marinade.

Common Leftover Red Wines

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Malbec
• Merlot
• Pinot Noir

Recipe

This recipe is all mine, and you can switch it up to your liking, and use it for meats such as chicken or steaks.

Tools:

• A mixing bowl
• Fork (optional)
• Deep Tupperware or a large ziplock back

Ingredients:

• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 tbsp crushed red pepper
• 1 Sazon Goya packet
• 1-2 tsp of garlic, minced
• A quarter of an onion, diced
• 0.5 tsp of cumin, podwered or ground
• 1 cup of Red Wine
• 1 tbsp of Red wine vinegar
• 0.5 tsp of Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 tbsp of lime juice
• 0.5 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce (Steaks Only)

Instructions:

1. Clean your meat of choice: chicken or steak.
2. First use all of the dry ingredients: salt, peppers, cumin, and Sazon Goya. You’re going to use these as a dry rub for your meat on both sides.
3. Place your meat into the Tupperware/ziplock bag.
4. Add all wet ingredients: onion, garlic, EV Olive Oil, lime juice, vinegars, and your red wine. I used Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon.

(Pro Tip: You’ll find that your leftover wine has more flavors than any cooking wine you can find in the store.)

1. Mix the meat in the Tupperware/ziplock bag and seal it. Place in the fridge for 3-12 hours before cooking.

Top 8 Supplements to Boost Your Family’s Health This Spring

Food supplements are very useful and they are a convenient way to make sure your body’s daily needs are satisfied. However, as the name itself suggests they are only supplementing your daily diet, not replacing it. Eating regular healthy meals and including these recommended supplements will help you boost your immune system, stay healthy and feel energized.

Probiotics

Probiotics are live microorganisms, often referred to as the “good” bacteria. “Good” bacteria can be found in fermented foods such as yogurt as a product of natural fermentation process. There are also many varieties of probiotic supplements available in form of pill or chewing gummies that can be easily added to any daily diet plan.

Taking probiotics increases the population of the good bacteria in the intestines which prevents the bad bacteria to multiply and cause illness or disbalans that will manifest as diarrhea or constipation. Moreover, it eases the symptoms of many gastrointestinal problems and illnesses.

Essential thing for a good health is having a perfectly functioning gut. Probiotics help maintain good balance of the bacteria in the gut which will offer a good metabolism regulation and a proper food digestion. All nutrients taken from the healthy foods you are consuming and dietary supplements are efficient only when they are properly digested.

A well-balanced bacteria culture equals proper gut-work which is the base of healthy, properly-functioning organism.

Collagen

Collagen is the main structural protein found in the connective tissues in the body, such as tendons, skin, muscles, ligaments etc. As we are growing older, our body produces less collagen and this results with rigidness in the body, wrinkled skin, week and damaged hair and nails.

Therefore, taking collagen supplements is very beneficial for your body as it enhances the joints, bones, muscles, gut health and boosts the production of new collagen fibers. Moreover, it results in strong and good looking hair, nails, skin and proper digestion.

Collagen in a form of dietary supplement is made when hydrolyzed and reduced to small peptides that are tasteless and easily dissolved.

You can consume collagen in your smoothies, baked goods, hot drinks (coffee, cocoa even tea), you can mix it in water and not even noticed it’s there.

Spirulina Algae

Spirulina is an alga that comes from a family of single-celled microbes referred to as blue-green algae and they can be found growing in both salt and fresh waters.

Spirulina is considered as superfood due to its amazing nutrition content:

•        Proteins

o   18 different proteins and amino acids

•        Carbohydrates

o   Sugars and dietary fibers

•        Vitamins

o   Vitamin A, K, B12, B6, D,E, (niacin, folate, beta-carotene)

•        Minerals

o   Calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, zinc.

Collagen is very popular and widely used as it is proven to have no side effects and is suitable for every diet. Moreover, its high protein content makes it an excellent supplement for vegetarian and vegan people.

It is recommended to be used by people that are on a restrictive diet as it helps supplement the entire nutrition and vitamins needed for good nourishment of the organism.

Taking Spirulina helps with anemia, gut health, blood pressure and diabetes management, cholesterol, metabolic rate and allergy symptoms.

Spirulina comes in a form of dried powder that can easily be added to smoothies and other meals or it can be taken with water as a pressed small green tablets. It has an intense algae smell.

CBD Oil

CBD oil is made from the main non-psychoactive component of the plant cannabis-sativa (marijuana) the cannabidiol. Its growing popularity as a natural remedy for many ailments has placed this miracle potion on every recommendation list of daily supplements. Many scientific studies have confirmed the curing and preventative power of the CBD oil.

CBD oil reduces stress, anxiety and panic disorders, treats insomnia, and helps in weight-regulation as it can play a role in breaking down fat. Moreover, it is a natural pain reliever and has anti-inflammatory properties.

The daily dose of several drops can be taken directly in mouth or it can be added to any drink or food you consume through the day.

If you or someone in your family loves to vape it is also a convenient way to take your daily CBD dose. Check production grower recommendations for the best choice.

Vitamin C

The ascorbic acid – vitamin C, can be found in many fruits and vegetables. It is advisable to be taken from foods, however vitamin C supplements are very convenient to use and you can be sure you have satisfied your daily amounts of this very important antioxidant. Moreover, when it comes to vitamin C, your body has a good system of throwing away the excess through the urine which means you can’t overdose or cause harm.

It is linked to impressive health benefits such as, strengthening body’s natural defense mechanism, therefore boosting the immune system. Furthermore, reduces the risk of heart diseases, battles high blood pressure, improves iron absorption which is of a great importance, protects memory and many more.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E can be found in seeds, nuts and oils and is known to be an important cholesterol-lowering antioxidant. It is recommended to be taken from foods and as a dietary supplement, however it is fat-soluble which means your body will store it and use it when needed.

This antioxidant gives important protection from cigarette smoking and air pollution damages. Moreover, it may help repair damaged cells and slow the aging process of your cells.

Magnesium

Magnesium is a great supplement that helps in recovering from everyday stress and tiredness. Your muscles suffer a great deal from stress and anxiety tension that put them in spasm increasing the feeling of rigidness. Magnesium acts as a natural calcium blocker to help muscles relax preventing the contractions and spasms. Don’t forget your heart is a muscle too.

It is a very important supplement as almost every organ in your body needs it to function properly. However, when you are not getting enough your body may face a general malaise.

Zinc

Zinc is an essential nutrient that your body can’t produce or store. Therefore, it is very important to get a constant supply of zinc trough your diet or dietary supplements.

We all know how important iron is for our healthy body, well zinc comes second after the iron minerals. Zinc is essential for cell growth and division, enzyme reactions, immune function and protein production.

Pros and Cons of Adding CBD Oil to Your Diet

Cannabidiol (CBD) has recently become a very popular product. It is thought to be able to treat/ease a variety of problems. However, its use is being constantly debated. There seems to be a lot of uncertainty about what it actually is and what it does to our bodies. CBD oil may possess certain benefits that positively affect our health, but there is a possibility that it also has risks that we should be aware of. This article will discuss what CBD really is and the pros and cons of adding it to our everyday diet.

What is CBD oil?

CBD is a cannabinoid which originates from the cannabis plant. These compounds are extracted from the flowers and buds as an oil. For medical use, the hemp plant is the form of cannabis plant that CBD is extracted from. This is due to it being the least processed type. How concentrated the CBD oils are as well as what they are best used for varies. Before more research was carried out on cannabis, the primary compound found was delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (also known as THC). THC is the psychoactive element found in marijuana that causes the mind altering high associated with the drug. CBD is not psychoactive, so does not change the user’s state of mind when taken. It does produce other changes within the body, however, some research implies that these changes are medically beneficial.

How to use it

CBD can be taken in many forms. The most effective way is by using the oil via a pipette to place a few drops underneath the tongue. This seems to enter the bloodstream fairly quickly and positive effects (such as relief from a seizure) can be noticed within minutes of its application. It also comes in the form of a cream that can be applied to the skin and spray versions for the mouth. Another way to take CBD is to ingest it. This can be done by putting a few drops of the oil into a meal or drink and consuming it, or it can be swallowed in capsule form. Noticing the effects of CBD takes a lot longer when digesting it as it takes more time to enter the bloodstream. It is also less efficient than putting drops under the tongue as some of the CBD gets broken down in the stomach. Finally, CBD can be inhaled through a vaporizing device. However, this method isn’t recommended as there is a lot of evidence to suggest that ‘vaping’ increases the risk of lung infections and can affect their function.

Pros

CBD is thought to possess a wide range of benefits. Although some alternative medications exist, CBD is thought to be a more natural option. Benefits include its ability to act as a natural pain relief as it is thought to contain anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, it is great for joint and muscle pain, as well as acne (skin inflammation) and Type 1 diabetes (inflammation of the pancreas). There’s evidence suggesting that CBD can help people quit smoking and may also be able to treat people who are addicted to opioids. CBD’s effectiveness in treating epilepsy is one of the most supported benefits of this drug as it has FDA approval. Other symptoms of neurological disorders (due to CBD’s anti-seizure properties) are thought to be helped when CBD is used. CBD’s ability to help fight cancer and Alzheimer’s is also being researched. Please note that more exploration is needed to help support some of these theories.

Cons

Due to being fairly new, data that can support some of the long-term effects is unavailable. Clinical trials of the epilepsy treatment ‘Epidiolex’ showed side effects such as liver and gastrointestinal problems, reduced appetite and urination, rashes, lethargy, and irritability. It has also been reported to cause negative effects on some people’s mental health. The lack of regulation on CBD production due to the legal factors of CBD means the percentage labeled on your product may not be accurate, and in some batches, traces of THC have been found which can worsen certain things that CBD is meant to help e.g. anxiety.

Adding CBD to your everyday diet may benefit you in a brilliant way as many of the issues it has been said to help with could change lives. But as it is still early days, it would probably be best to limit your consumption until more research on this potential ‘miracle’ drug has been undertaken.

6 Healthy Foods That Boost Fat Burn

6 Healthy Foods That Boost Fat Burn

People often believe that their metabolism is pre-fixed and there’s nothing they can do to change it. And it often discourages them from starting weight loss routines because of the preconceived idea that having a slow metabolism will make any effort useless. But it’s possible to accelerate your metabolism if you know which foods to eat. Here are six foods that can boost your metabolic rate and encourage weight loss.

Fatty Fish

While fat is often seen as an enemy to weight loss, fatty fish can have great benefits for anyone trying to lose fat fast. Mackerel, herring, salmon and sardines are all high in Omega 3 fatty acids and have not only been shown to help burn fat, but reduce the risks of heart disease and inflammation as well.

According to a particular study that was performed on 44 adults, those who were administered fish oil were able to lose about 0.5 kg of fat and showed a significant drop in cortisol after 6 weeks. Another thing that makes fish such a great choice for losing weight is that it’s rich in protein, which requires much more energy from your body to be digested.

Coffee

Instead of taking over the counter stimulants for weight loss, why not go for coffee instead? Many of these supplements contain caffeine in the first place, but also plenty of other ingredients that could be dangerous. Taking your caffeine straight from coffee will allow you to control your portions and avoid harmful additives.

According to research, coffee could boost your metabolic rate by as much as 13%, which is pretty impressive. In one study, people were asked to consume 100 milligrams of coffee at 2-hour intervals over a 12-hour period. One group was made up of lean adults and the second from people who formerly were obese.

The lean group burned over 150 calories more in average and the formerly obese group burned an extra 79 calories during the study. However, that doesn’t mean you should start drinking 6 cups of coffee per day to lose weight. Anything between 100mg to 300mg per day would be safer, which is between 1 to 3 cups.

Eggs

People automatically think about things like kale or acai berries when thinking about superfoods, but few realize how much of a nutritional powerhouse eggs can be. Not only are eggs rich in protein, but they are also great if you want to control your appetite. Eggs will make you feel fuller for longer, and the effects will be even greater if you eat them with complex fiber, like whole wheat toast for instance.

Chili Peppers

There’s a reason why we start sweating anytime we eat something spicy; that’s actually our metabolism going into overdrive. Eating chilies can have a similar calorie burning effect on your body as physically activity.

Another great thing is that capsaicin, the compound that makes chilis so spicy, can be taken orally to boost your metabolism when you’re on a restricted diet. And you could compound the fat burning properties of capsaicin by consuming some before a workout and wearing a sauna vest to stimulate body heat. Capsaicin has also been shown to have appetite suppressing properties, which is another plus. If you want to know where to find a sauna vest, you could try a retailer like Kewlioo.com, as they have them in sizes XS to 6XL.

Green Tea

Green tea is not only great if you’re trying to burn fat. Green tea is also very rich in antioxidants and can reduce your risk of contracting certain cancers while reducing your risk of heart disease as well. Green tea is also a good source of proteins, and contains an antioxidant named epigallocatechin gallate, which has been shown to reduce belly fat and promote fat burning.

Whey Protein

Whey protein is one of the best forms of protein you can take if you’re on a strength training program. Whey is a complete protein which allows it to be properly absorbed by the body. Whey protein is not only great if you’re trying to build muscle, but as a supplement if you’re trying to lose weight but maintain your muscle mass.

As you can see, boosting your metabolism doesn’t have to be so hard after all. If you manage to incorporate these few foods into your diet while having an active lifestyle, you should be able to lose fat faster and start seeing results in no time.

Author Bio

Jessica Peters is a freelance writer from Melbourne who blogs about health and fitness. Jessica is an avid traveler and regularly crosses the globe to learn about other cultures while blogging from her laptop.

How To Reduce Weight With Coffee

There are a number of ways that can help you lose weight. You can choose something aggressive such as weight lifting or even go light as walking and doing yoga. However, there is one surprisingly unconventional method of letting go of the pounds that comes in the form of a beverage: coffee.

No, you didn’t read that wrong incorrectly and it’s not a typo either. Nutritionist Sarah Flowers told Express that drinking coffee not only boosts energy levels and concentration, but also helps us slim down. One of the ways it does this, Sarah explains, is that drinking coffee boosts our metabolism.

When we drink coffee, a phenomenon known as thermogenesis is stimulated in our body, which is what boosts our metabolic rate and burn fat in the process.

Coffee also consists of Chlorogenic acid, which slows down the absorption of carbohydrates and stimulate the hormone Epinephrine that causes body fats to break down.

However, Flowers warns that drinking too much coffee during the day could make us intolerant to its effects overtime. So she advises that it’s better to choose whatever coffee we take and that we should drink only or two cups a day to get all of its benefits.

Gym regulars will be happy to know that drinking coffee can give them an extra advantage. Sarah says that caffeine has been proven to improve gym performance, especially when it comes to endurances sports or high-intensity interval training (HIIT). It’s one of the reasons why caffeine is included in so many diet pills and sports nutrition.

Flowers goes on to say that caffeine functions as a stimulant which provides a boost of energy and burn fat stores. It even stimulates the central nervous system, which send signals directly to the fat cells, telling them to break down.

This happens when blood levels of the hormone epinephrine are increased. Epinephrine is also known as adrenaline, travel through your blood to the fat tissues, which then signals them to break down fat and release them into your blood.

Be advised, however, that releasing fatty acids into your blood does not help you lose weight unless you’re lowering your calorie intake or are exercising, thereby putting you in a condition known as negative energy balance.

Besides caffeine, there are other stimulants that affect metabolism, including:

• Theobromine: It’s the prime stimulant in cocoa, but it’s also found in coffee.
• Theophylline: It’s another stimulant that is found in both cocoa and coffee, and has been proven to treat asthma.

Caffeine is the most important one out of all of them. It works by blocking adenosine, which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. In doing so, the firing of neurons is increased and neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine are released, which in turn makes us energized and awake.

Sarah advises those who wish to boost their metabolism and burn fat, to try Skinny Coffee Club mixes. These contain a mix of ground coffee, green tea extract, green coffee bean extract, Siberian ginseng and Garcinia Cambogia, which work well together to speed up one’s metabolism, burn fat and reduce their appetite.

Siberian ginseng, Sarah says, are regarded as the ultimate adaptogen herb that balance our adrenal glands.

Sarah also recommends Bullet Proof, which is coffee that is blended with coconut oil or butter. She says that this beverage is really popular with the low carb/ketogenic community and athletes who want to enhance their energy and performance as well as reduce their appetite.

Apart from that, Bullet Proof coffee also aids in elevating your cognitive and concentration skills. In order to make your own coffee all you have to do is blend freshly brewed coffee using a blender with coconut or MCT oil and grass-fed butter.

Lastly, coffee can also help lower your appetite, which is ideal for those who have lost control of their diet and need help eating normal amounts of food.

Sarah says that coffee can stimulate thermogenesis (as we said earlier), which decreased our need for food, but only temporarily.

To reiterate, Sarah also said that the chlorogenic acid in coffee reduces the absorption of carbohydrates and suppresses our hunger hormone, Ghrelin. This is the hormone that sits in our stomach and causes it to growl whenever we feel hungry.

Carbohydrates also shut off our leptin response, which is a hormone that tells our brain that we’re full. So by stimulating leptin and suppressing ghrelin, our appetite can effectively be reduced.

One more interesting bit of detail to note is that decaffeinated coffee contains the most important Chlorogenic Acid and can produce a great appetite suppressing effect.

But not all coffees produce such desirable effects. Some, including milky lattes and cappuccinos, consist of sugars and calories, all of which, result in weight gain, eventually increasing our insulin and ghrelin levels.

So if you’re trying to lose weight, be sure to choose black coffee or one with a hint of milk and avoid sweetened coffees as well as those with lots of milk.

You can check the full story here.

Expert Appliance Repair, Installation, and Maintenance Services

With so many appliances in our homes today, it is just sane that you have the best appliance repair near your home on your speed dial so you can always access them when the need arises. Appliance Repair Service Near Me is such a company.

The company is quite reliable. We value quality and will always step in during emergencies 24/7 so have you your back always. We have consistently ranked as the first choice for everyone who is looking for the best appliance repair service near them.

Therefore, in case you need help with any of your home or commercial appliances repair you can always call on us to work with you and save the stress too.

For years now we have gained quite a reputation of trustworthiness from our customers that we have earned by providing the best appliance repair services with consistent quality and reliable time frame that has left each and every one of our customers happy.

We Service Every Major Brand

We are a team of committed professionals. Our combined experience stretches beyond 40 years and the brands that we have dealt with overtime are numerous. Indeed, we have worked with all the major appliances brands and have one of the vast on-field experiences that you will ever get.

Among the major brands that appliance repair service near me have dealt with include Whirlpool, Samsung Maytag, Frigidaire, and KitchenAid. We have also been accredited by the Sears warranty certification that allows us to perform the licensed and insured repair and serving work on warranted products too.

Therefore, whether you require a washing machine repaired, dryer fixed, or a refrigerator defrosted we will be happy to do such work for you and any other appliance repair service that might require our attention.

How Our Expertise Has Been Acquired

We have acquired our expertise through professional training and a history of on-field experiences. We have also had continuous technical training of beyond a decade as appliance repair experts.

Our reputation supersedes us and you don’t have to worry about calling us if you have an appliance in your home that you need to be fixed immediately. It’s time to entrust your appliances to a professional company that values fast quality jobs combined with top rated customer care services.

Affordable Appliances Repair Service

Appliance Repair Service Near Me has a great reputation for their highly affordable services. We are known to offer the best prices that will match up your job and leave you with quality work and the best results once we are done fixing the damage.

And while our charges are significantly lower than many other companies, we have a standardized mechanism that will ensure that you pay just ideal rates for your work. So don’t pay more – simply call us and get the best rates. Our drive is to give you more for less and leave you with the best.

We do this because we understand how much “value” is important to all our customers and that’s why we offer prices that you can easily afford. Thanks to this commitment that we, made, we have witnessed constant growth, trust, and loyalty from our customers.

It is Your Needs First

You are the boss! And as part of our huge base of loyal customers who we have always provided with the best appliance repair services and installation we value you. We have always kept the need of our customers first.

This is the one philosophy that has boosted our success for over a decade now as it has always made sure that our customers remain 100% happy and satisfied with the work that we have always done with their repair services and also installation.

In addition to that, we have also maintained extended business hours in order to serve our clients better. We will be available all through the day and night every day and will respond to any emergencies as fast as possible. And here is the best part, even during mid-night emergencies, our call-out rates do not change!

Repair, Installation, and Maintenance Services

Apart from the repair services that we have come to be known with, we also provide other rare occurring appliance services such as installation and maintenance services. When done properly, these two services will guarantee an efficient and highly productive appliance.

Therefore, in case you need a new appliance installed at your home, you can always count on our professionally trained and highly experienced technicians to take care of it quickly and in the best way.

Appliance Repair Service Near Me: All Major Brand Appliances

Here are some of the main brands appliances that we will repair, install, and help you to maintain (keep working efficiently).

• Sealed Systems
• Washers
• Dryers
• Refrigerators
• Garbage Disposals
• Trash Compactors
• Stovetops
• Dishwashers
• Grills
• Freezers
• Icemakers
• Microwaves
• Ovens
• Ranges

Refrigerator Repair

If your refrigerator breaks down it will mean loss of money and food. Replacing both can be quite costly. That’s why we are here to maintain it and repair it in time before the damage becomes extensive.

Washer Repair

Appliance Repair Service Near Me puts the needs of their customers above everything else ever since the company was integrated.  We can therefore be trusted to deliver timely services and leave you with the best.

Dryer Repair

Regular servicing is paramount if you want your drier to remain at the top. Don’t call a quack! Let us make sure that your drier is not only installed properly but that it is also maintained to keep it from being a hazard.

Oven Repair

Whether due to calibration or mechanical reasons that your oven isn’t working properly, we will fix it and save your from taking poor quality food to the table. A good oven is energy efficient and keeps bill on the low.

Dishwasher Repair

No one enjoys washing the dishes by hand and that’s where a dishwasher comes. We have the best experience to ensure that you will have a properly installed dishwasher and any quick repair in case it breaks down.

Stove Top Repair

A broken stove can be quite irritating. At the Appliance Repair Service Near Me we will save you the stress by fixing your stove fast and ensuring that your high voltage electricity and gas lines are safe to use.

Freezer Repair

Frozen foods will be quite expensive to replace too incase they go bad. And frozen foods can thaw pretty fast under heat. Our professionals will move in quickly to provide you with top repair and save your food.

Microwave Repair

For everyday energy, microwave is the solution. It is first, easy to use, and highly reliable. You can always call us in to save your day by fixing it faster so you don’t go to bed with any cold food.

Healthy & Tasty Apple Cinnamon Cake

Here we present you this cake, filled with the goodness of apple and cinnamon. This is a 5-star cake and also one of the best recipe that can be served as a dessert or breakfast coffee cake. Apple Cinnamon cake is a moist delight riched with the healthy ingredients, giving a nice taste and texture to it. This cake is a classic coffee cake that looks great, tastes yummy, also provides a nutritional boost. The deliciousness and healthiness, at the same time, really its hard to wonder.

If you want to try this delight at your home, then this recipe will help you. This delight is perfect to fill your stomach, for satisfying the sweet-something craving, renders the spicy taste in the mouth, in short, this delight is the right stuff to eat. Go ahead and try this cake right now to have a bite of this extra delicious delight.

It can be the best karwa chauth gifts for your wife or can be the best delight for spending some quality time with your family. We are sure you are going to love the heady scent of the apple cake with cinnamon. This healthy delight is sure to put a sweet smile to your dear ones face. Below listed are the ingredients and direction how to make it. So, bake this sweet delight following the recipe guide step by step! Go ahead and make someone feel special and happy.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Baking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings: 14-15

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cups sugar
• ½ cup margarine (softened)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cups cream cheese (softened)
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 large apples (diced and sliced)

Directions:

1. The first thing you do is to set the oven to 170-180 degree for 10 minutes. Then, grease the baking dish with butter, oil, and dust some flour on it.
2. You can make this cake in a 9-inch square cake pan, just for reducing the cooking time by 5 minutes and go for other options as per your needs.
3. Take a large bowl and beat 1 ½ cups sugar, vanilla and cream cheese. Beat it well to mix all the ingredients together. Try to blend the mixture manually instead of using mixer and blender. Next step, is to add eggs on at a time. Beat the eggs until it becomes smooth and fluffy. After this, add the above-listed ingredients in the mixture. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. This is done so that the cake turns out softer. Add the flour mixture to the creamed texture ( already prepared). Beat it until it gets mixed all together.
4. After making the batter, combine ¼ cup sugar and ground cinnamon into it. Sugar is added in it to impart the right amount of sweetness to the cake (It will help you to make a low calories cake). Combine 2 tablespoon mixture of cinnamon and apple in a bowl. Stir the apple into batter. The thing you must keep in mind that cinnamon should perfectly grind before you add it into the mixture or preparation of the cake. This gives an apple square flavor to it. To make the mixture sweeter, you can increase the number of apples. Pour batter into a 7-inch pan coated with the cooking spray and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon mixture.
5. Bake the mixture at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Bake the cake until it pulls away from the sides of the pan or the toothpick inserted in  it comes out clean. You can bake this cake at your home or else can get the online cake delivery to anywhere you want. Let this sweet delight cool completely on a wire rack. Now it’s time to do plating. Cut the cake into slices with a serrated knife and serve it to your family, friends or relatives.

This fantastic cake is considered to be the best delight for spending some quality time with your close ones. Isn’t it. Just follow the above-listed points step by step and get your healthy cake ready in some couple of hours. Try this out!

How To Make Vegan Lasagna By Yourself

Whether you’re a self-proclaimed meat-lover or a strict vegan, this vegan lasagna recipe is sure to make you hungry for more.

Once you try this dish, you’ll forget all about your favorite meat lasagna—or you’ll forget this one’s a vegan dish altogether.

To prepare this delicious meal, you will need:

Ingredients

Tomato sauce

• 1 1/2 cans (600g) chopped tomatoes

• 7 cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters

• 1 large onion

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tsp oregano

• 100 ml water

• A handful of chopped basil

• Olive oil

Béchamel sauce

• 50 g all-purpose flour

• 450 ml soy milk

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

• 1 tsp nutmeg

Vegan cheese

• 3 big tbsp cashew butter

• 150 ml soy milk

• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp oregano

Other

• 1 zucchini

• 1 eggplant

• 1 sweet potato, cut 4 mm thick

• 1 clove of garlic

• Coconut oil

• Lasagna sheets

• Salt and pepper

• Baking pan (30 cm x 18 cm)

Garnish

• Chopped parsley and basil

• Nuts

Serving Size

• Around 6

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

2. Prepare the tomato sauce. Heat up oil on a pan and fry the chopped garlic and onions. Once golden brown, add the tomato paste, cherry tomatoes, salt, chopped tomatoes, and around 100 ml of water.

3. Let it simmer for a moment, then add basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Keep mixing until it forms a creamy consistency.

4. Prepare the béchamel sauce. Heat up the coconut oil and add in the flour. While stirring, slowly add a portion of the soy milk. Keep stirring until it thickens and continue to pour in the rest of the milk.

5. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Set aside to cool.

6. Heat up coconut oil in a pan and add in 1 clove of chopped garlic. Once golden, add in the thin slices of eggplant and zucchini and season accordingly. Keep stirring so it doesn’t stick to the pan and burn.

7. Start layering, from bottom to top:

   • Lasagna sheet

   • Tomato sauce

   • Lasagna sheet

   • Béchamel sauce

   • Sweet potato

   • Lasagna sheet

   • Tomato sauce

   • Zucchini and eggplant

   • Lasagna sheet

   • Béchamel sauce

   • Tomato sauce

8. Prepare the vegan cheese. Heat up the cashew butter and add in soy milk. While stirring, add in the nutritional yeast, salt, and oregano. Once it thickens, spread it all over the lasagna and bake for around 30-35 minutes.

9. Garnish your lasagna with chopped herbs, spices, and nuts.

10. Cut out a slice and enjoy!

Author Bio: Callum is the head of content at Burger Cheese. They are an Australian based dairy product manufacturer that specialise in the B2B market. When he is not creating content online, he’s in the kitchen experimenting with different flavours and food combinations.

How Instant Pot Changes the Way you used to Cook Food

We live in an exciting time. Remarkable advances in technology have completely changed the way we function in our lives. Perhaps the most amazing leaps have come in the field of multifunctionality, which is to say the combination of functions into single-use devices. Consider the smartphone, which combines internet access, phone service, gps navigation, social media, gaming, music, and video entertainment in a single package.

For the longest time, cooking has lacked devices and appliances that offer this truly multifunction role. People have improvised multiple uses out of utensils and appliances for years of course, but the general case is that few have been purposely designed for this.

That has changed with the Instant Pot. A truly multi-function, flexible, adaptable pressure cooker, the Instant Pot is going to change the way most people cook their food from the moment they begin to use it.

Instant Pot Replaces Seven Devices

Instant pot is at its core a pressure cooker, which uses heat and confined space to speed up the cooking of a meal. However, the Instant Pot has been designed to fill seven roles in the kitchen, reducing the amount of space taken up by dedicated appliances. Alton Brown, the famous celebrity TV chef, has long derided single-purpose devices, and it seems the Instant Pot has taken his advice to heart.

The Instant Pot is:

• A pressure cooker
• A steamer
• A sautee
• A yogurt maker
• A rice cooker
• A slow cooker
• A warming pot

Using the pot is very easy. Once you have your recipe, follow the instructions and select the function you wish to use from the list above, adding your ingredients as directed, and then wait. The Instant Pot will cook without constant stirring or adjusting, save during the steps to add ingredients or change the function of the device.

The warming pot function allows food to stay warm for up to 10 hours. That’s nearly half a day of perfectly heated and prepared food. All the vaunted merits of a slow cooker, such as cook and forget, or keeping stews warm, are present here along with the ease of preparation and cooking. Extra appliances become unnecessary, saving space, energy, and time spent cleaning.

Instant Pot Saves You Time

Nearly three quarters of the recipes available online that use Instant Pot require 25 minutes or less to prep and cook. That’s under half an hour for most recipes.

For example, consider BBQ ribs, a staple of old-fashioned American cuisine. These can take hours to prepare and cook, with an average time of 4 hours for a good, basic set of tasty, tangy pork ribs. There are multiple BBQ rib recipes for Instant Pot that hit right around the half hour mark. Perhaps you have your preferred recipe, and you can always fall back on it if you prefer them, but if you want to belt out a delicious rib recipe in under an hour, the Instant Pot is there for you.

Instant Pot is Easy to Care For

Caring for your Instant Pot is going to be easy and low-impact on your time. Every piece of the Instant Pot is simple to clean. The lid, inner pot, sealing ring, and steam rack are dishwasher safe. No time has to be spent handwashing them apart from a quick rinse if you don’t want to put food debris in your dishwasher.

Instant Pot Lets You Cook Healthier Food

The sealed pressure cooker setup is ideal for making healthy meals. Nutrients are lost by overcooking or burning a meal, meaning the vital nutrition you’re after stays in the food you prepare. Further, the high heat and internal pressure kills bacteria and microorganisms, drastically reducing the risk of food poisoning. For those who prize nutrition and food safety, this is a must-have device.

Instant Pot Makes Bulk Cooking a Snap

One of the most cost-effective ways to prepare food is in big bulk batches. You can make a pot of chili or curry and freeze it in packages, giving you meals that you only need to thaw or microwave when needed. The problem lies in how long such batches take to cook, as they’re traditionally the domain of the slow cooker or roasting pan. This means people tend to get one type of meal, and then grow tired of it after eating it for too long.

Instant Pot’s speedy cooking time and good capacity allows you to easily make two or three batch meals in a few hours, giving you the flexibility and variety that are essential to both healthy eating and emotionally satisfying eating.

Further, the Instant Pot can be used to prepare the frozen meal. Just take it from the container and add it to Instant Pot on the correct setting and let it cook, and you’re ready to eat. This can save time and energy in the long run, and avoids the frustration of cooking in a microwave with frozen food.

Instant Pot Will Save Energy Costs

Instant Pot’s pressure cooking system speeds up the rate at which meals cook, as we’ve already explained. A traditional slow cooker can easily take anywhere from four to seven hours to cook a stew, and it’s drawing power the entire time it runs. Instant Pot, by contrast, can prepare the same stew in under two hours, drastically reducing the amount of energy that’s drawn in the long run. Instant Pot also isn’t running the entire time a meal is cooking; once the ideal internal temperature and pressure are reached, the Pot shuts down and allows the meal to cook, only adding more heat when needed.

Instant Pot Is Easy to Learn to Use

As 10machines.com have mentioned about Instapot, most of the functions boil down to the following steps: select setting, add ingredients, wait.

Some recipes come with multiple steps, but these steps all come back to those same three functions. This makes learning to use and experimenting with your Instant Pot hassle-free and enjoyable. If nothing else changes the way you cook, the sheer ease of Instant Pot will win you over.