Is it possible that chlorine, the old stand-by we trust to keep our water safe, is actually more dangerous than the germs it kills? It is important to make public swimming facilities safe. But is the chlorine water safe to drink?

Americans get 75% of the their water from rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Such water is not safe as is and chlorine is the trusted chemical to kill the bacteria that may harm us. However, it is both expensive and not 100% effective in removing harmful parasites.

Here is a quote from dental surgeon Dr. N.W. Walker: “Chlorine is the greatest crippler and killer of the modern times. While it prevented epidemics of one disease, it was creating another. Two decades ago, after the start of chlorinating our drinking water in 1904, the present epidemic of the heart trouble, cancer and senility began.” The seeming connection between these is sobering, is it not?

This quote is from a medical doctor, Dr. J.M. Price: “Cancer risks among people drinking chlorinated water are 93% higher than among those whose water does not contain chlorine.” This is another sobering statement, worthy of action to protect ourselves and our families. The chlorine can enter the body various ways, including drinking and through the skin. Consider the fact that the hot chlorinated water of a shower can actually introduce more chlorine into the body than drinking the water! That is the subject of another article.

Scientific studies have linked chlorination by-products to cancer of the digestive and excretory system including the liver, bladder, colon, and rectum. Dr. Riddle, Ph.D. has stated, “Each day in America, about 30 cases of rectal cancer may be associated with THMs (chlorination by-products) in drinking water.”

The circulatory system is also affected by chlorine, causing heart disease, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), anemia, high blood pressure, and allergic reactions.

There is also evidence showing that chlorine can destroy protein in our body and cause adverse effects on skin and hair. The presence of chlorine in the water may also contribute to the formation of chloramines in the water, which can cause taste and odor problems.

Since chlorine is required by public health regulations to be present in all public drinking water supplies, it is up to the individual to remove it at the point-of-use in the home. An effective shower filter, like the Berkey Shower Filter, and some activated charcoal water filters, like the Imperial Berkey, claim to be able to remove all chlorine to “below detectable limits.” These pollutants include Carbon Tetrachloride, Chlorobenzene, Chloroform, Dichlorobenzene, and several others. There is no need to wait until further research has determined the full list of health problems connected with chlorine in drinking water. It is possible to remove it at home and protect yourself and your family from these dangers now.

Technorati Tags: chlorinated drinking water, chlorine in water

If you are seeking to impress your guests at your next dinner party or special event enrolling in a cooking school will teach the necessary skills and culinary tips to properly prepare gourmet food. Most of the larger retail grocery stores have a gourmet foods isle. If you cannot find what you are hungry for there try a quick online search.

Many of the gourmet meats and poultry such as “Kobi” beef and barbequed or smoked ribs and turkey are available locally at privately owned butcher shops or in some of the larger super markets. You can also have some of these items shipped from online stores.

By searching online your choices are vast. Although you may have some fine specialty meat shops in your area supplying you with some very fresh and tasty meats, they may not stock the finer gourmet meats.

Finding that perfect cup of gourmet coffee amongst the myriad of brands available can be a tedious task. The flavor is contingent upon many factors. They type of bean and where it is grown, the way it is shipped and packaged, how fine the grind and finally brewing method.

Cappuccino and espresso are two of the most well-loved gourmet coffees, and flavored coffees are always popular as well. When it comes to finer gourmet foods, gourmet coffees definitely rank up there and taste great when you add flavors to them such as Irish cream, vanilla, and caramel.

Ahh, the grand finale to your meal of finer gourmet foods is gourmet chocolate. Homemade ice cream made of gourmet chocolate, a chocolate cheesecake or brownies, all made better with gourmet chocolate.

No one would turn away a gift of dark gourmet chocolate. In fact, chocolates are probably one of the most popular gift items and it is available in such a variety of favorites. You can choose from truffles made of gourmet chocolate, a chocolate mouse, or chocolate dipped marshmallows.

Searching for finer gourmet foods can be done easily online. They can be shipped conveniently to your front door and added to your next gourmet meal or dinner party menu. Whether you are looking for gourmet meats, coffee or chocolates it is always worth it to take gourmet cooking classes. The the extra time and effort will definitely pay off with the compliments you will receive.

Technorati Tags: cooking, creative cooking school, gourmet food, gourmet foods

Long ago, barbequing was primarily a summer activity.Which made sense because grilling was done on charcoal and it took 30 minutes or better for the coals to “gray out”. Then another 20 minutes to cook the meat.

Now a days with the modern gas grill, a grill can be at perfect grilling temperature in just minutes basically cutting the prep time in half. Along with this efficiency has come a longer grilling season that now even includes winter. Considering how much more everyone is barbequing their favorite meats and vegetables, safety of food preparation has become more important.

So Here are Some Important Safety Tips for Barbequing.

Firstly, make sure you carefully inspect the expiration dates on any meats purchased. Seriously folks, supermarket workers make mistakes. Often unsafe meat goes home with some unfortuante person. Let it not be your family. It only takes a second to check so make the effort.

Secondly, always marinate meats in the refrigerator. Don’t put your meat in the marinate and leave it out on the counter. Bacteria multiply rapidly. So it’s a good idea to be safe and marinate your meats in the refrigerator – especially if you’re thinking of doing an overnight marinate.

Thirdly, separate juicy meats like chicken from the other foods you buy. Separate meats from vegetables and potato salads etc with plastic bags. Chicken and poultry in general are especially a “dirty” meats. Chicken juice will quickly cross contaminate other foods you may intend on serving.

And lastly never ever let your meat especially poultry come up to room temperature. Take them directly from the fridge and throw them on the grill. And never let meats, especially poultry sit in the sun while you prep other stuff for your barbeque. Again bacteria very rapidly multiply in favorable conditions: read warm temperatures.

Following these simple tips will ensure that you have delicious but more importantly safe barbeque.

Technorati Tags: barbeque grill, barbeque pit, indoor barbeque grill, outdoor barbeque

What’s for dinner? Uninterested in the standard thing, and prepared to try something new? All you need is chicken and some basic ingredients and you are good to go. The Net is your best resource to get a tasty chicken recipe that will keep your folks raving about your out-of-the-world cooking skills. It isn’t important what cut of chicken you have in your freezer, because there are heaps of recipes for chicken funbags, legs, thighs, wings, and the whole chicken. So have a look at what you have and start looking for something that may make your mouth water. There are appetizers, stews, pasta dishes, salads, sandwiches and wraps, soups and stews, and slow cooker recipes, in addition to baked, fried, and roasted chicken recipes, and great barbecue and grilling concepts. What about chicken and spicy sausage with pasta, or mini white chicken pizzas? Either sounds superb for a quick summer lunch. Tons of scrumptious chicken recipes are to hand, never again must you prepare that same old boring chicken dish, unless you wish to naturally. But why would you? A change of pace will do you good, in more tactics than one. If you are in the mood to spice things up a bit, go Mexican, with a various collection of chicken recipes with Mexican flavors including the tortilla club sandwich, chicken and rice burritos, or chicken teriyaki rolls. Allrecipes.com has more than 2,880 trusted chicken recipes complete with ratings, reviews, and cooking tips, including classic chicken soup, stir fry, glazes and rubs, make ahead meals, chicken in thirty minutes, appetizers, and more. The Food Network also has a large selection of chicken recipes and meals, and chicken meal concepts for each night of the week. Trying a new chicken dish does not need to be sophisticated. The majority are reasonably straightforward, so don’t be afraid to try something you may have been a bit nervous about in the past. Fried chicken doesn’t always need to be an oily burnt mess. Just visit the chicken recipes index on Southernfood.about.com for the ideal way to cook chicken, or perhaps you are in the mood for some chicken chili instead? Whatever it is you have a hankering for you are certain to find it online. Serve your folks a new chicken dish for dinner and never look back. Healthy chicken recipes could not be any easier. Most food sites that feature chicken recipes, offer handling and cooking tips as well, as well as user friendly search and print options, so you can easily add your new favourites to your recipe book. What’s the only drawback to all this you ask? You may have your family begging for more, and you may never go out to dinner again!

If you find this article useful, you should also check out cooking101.org to learn more about some easy techniques of cooking all sorts of quality meals, including how to make general tso’s chicken.

Technorati Tags: chicken recipes

For people that happen to enjoy a surprising cross of flavours and styles, chicken fried steak is a thing to be experienced. A cross between the classic taste of steak and the straightforward joys of fried chicken, this increasingly preferred methodology of cooking steak is a splendidly unusual mix of different flavors. Casual, yet dignified, it is a meal that distinguishes itself with its flexibility and accessible nature. Which makes chicken fried steak the sort of meal that will fit a variety of occasions. 

Cooking chicken fried steak isn’t too not so not easy to make. All it requires is a steak, breadcrumbs, oil and a skillet or deep fryer. Simply cover the steak in breadcrumbs, warm the oil in the pan or deep fryer, and cook the meat till it is done. If it is being made in a pan, it must be flipped every couple of mins but, otherwise, there is little that needs to be done till the steak is done cooking. 

It is very rare for chicken fried steak to be made from a top quality cut of meat. In fact, the beef isn’t being anticipated to stand completely on its own, so it isn’t crucial that it be perfect. In addition, the frying of the steak has a tenderizing effect on the beef, which also permits a slightly lower quality cut of beef to be used. Glaringly , there’s a limit, but chicken fried steak is more forgiving than steak on the griddle. The part that truly makes the difference in chicken fried steak is the mix of spices that are added to the breadcrumbs. These spices are the savor that truly makes the difference in the taste of the filet and makes it particular on the palate. By blending just the right combination of flavors, chicken fried steak can come into maturity and really shine. 

But to get the best mix of spices, the neatest thing anyone can do is experiment. In fact, there’s only one person who will always be there to judge the results, and that is the person that cooks it. So any cook who wants to master chicken fried steak would be well-served to try a few new things, take a few notes, and figure out just how to make it just right. 

No matter how you make chicken fried steak, it is nearly always a welcome addition to the menu. Whether for dinner after work, a Sun. brunch, a picnic, or a get-together with friends, chicken fried steak can be a fun addition to the menu. Unusual, yet familiar, it is straightforward to enjoy and always welcome. Though it has only in the near past joined the conventional, chicken fried steak is an increasingly well-liked meal both at home and when going out to eat. A distinctive blend of different flavours, it’s a meal that is starting to receive its proper due as a dish that is easily worth the effort. So give chicken fried steak a try to see why it is beginning to become the new recipe of choice for folks who love steak.

Do you enjoy cooking and learning more about food? If yes, you may also visit cooking101.org to learn more about the many different kinds of recipes and cooking ideas that will be useful next time you are in the kitchen. Also, you might want to check out recipe for cream of chicken soup recipe for chicken cutlets

Technorati Tags: chicken fried steak

With rising food costs, making a menu that doesn’t break the budget could be a frightening task. However, if you take advantage of the reasonably priced staple food items, with a little imagination, you can serve a diversity of meals that may please both your family and pocketbook. Chicken is one such food that is healthy, delicious and flexible. Here we’ll observe the some ways chicken recipes can add worth to your menu and save you time in the kitchen to boot. 

There is hardly a cuisine in the world where chicken does not hold a notable place in everyday cooking. Each cuisine is distinguished, principally, by the seasoning local to the area. Seasoning is the center of any dish. With the sundry seasoning sets of cuisines available from across the world, you can make any recipe a new taste experience. This is particularly true for chicken recipes. With its mild flavor and firm texture, chicken is the chameleon of meal concepts. Have a look at some examples. Chicken curry over rice, with the perfumed, spicy herbs of India might be contrasted with Cajun gumbo or chicken fried rice flavored with Chinese five spice. The French chicken could be roasted with the tasty tastes of thyme, marjoram and lavender. Chicken leftovers might be sliced, flavored with spicy Mexican-Southwest flavours and popped into a taco or baked into an enchilada. Chicken noodle soup served with salad and rolls, makes a healthy lunch or light dinner. Lemon chicken is a Chinese pleasure. Save up wings from roasted chickens for a bunch of buffalo wings. Jamaican cuisine yields a lot of chicken recipes with a selection of flavorsome chutneys and salsas. Then you’ve got the old standbys, chicken stews, Southern fried chicken and chicken sandwiches. On hot summer days, make a cook’s salad with strips of chicken breast. There is a sector of chicken recipes for the imaginative cook. The slow cooker is a time-saving device that allows you to cook a number chicken which can be skinned, sliced, portioned and frozen for future menus. If you want, you can season each portion before freezing for do-ahead chicken recipes for further time savings. When freezing cooked beef, dunk in chicken broth to maintain the freshly cooked texture. You’ll soon find it’s easy to build your own chicken recipes. Check the frig for those leftover vegetables. A little sliced onion, celery, corn, peas or bell pepper can be mixed with a chicken sauce from your broth and served on top of noodles for a gratifying, mouth watering dish. Chicken recipes abound on the internet, so you needn’t have a gourmet library to spark up your menus. Try something new, give your folks a treat and save a bundle on food!

To get more recipes and cooking ideas, visit cooking101.org and while you are at it, you might also want to have a look at how to make chicken sausage.

Technorati Tags: chicken recipes