Ice Is Not Just Frozen H2O

By Tony E Winn

Pure clear ice may sound easy to achieve but in reality nature (as always) has the advantage here.

Have you ever wondered why the ice from your freezer is cloudy in the middle?

Apart from not looking that great,when placed in drinks the ice dissolves at a given pace too!

To understand how to achieve crystal clear ice we need to understand how 'mother nature' does it. In the lakes of parts of Canada, they freeze crystal clear... How?

The ice tray in your freezer freezes from the outside in, whereas the ice in the lakes freeze directionally (From one side in).

Why does that matter? Well the cloudy ice you might get in homemade ice is due to impurities and more importantly trapped air in the central core. (Remember that as the ice freezes in the tray outward in.. the trapped air in the water has nowhere to go). Basically the air/impurities get trapped in the center.

In these lakes, the sub-zero temperatures attack the lakes surface from the top so that the water freezes from the top down. (Directional freezing). This is also assisted by the under current water flow moving so that the freezing process is delayed in the lower levels, resulting in a "Slower freezing process".

Stalactites are another example of this slow freezing process.

Some ideas suggest boiling and the cooling water a few times prior to freezing but there are divided scientific opinions on how effective this is as water exposed to air will absorb atmospheric air in any event if exposed.

If we could insulate a container so that the water contained within froze from the top down (as lakes) and if we could create a water flow lower in this container (again similar to the way lakes would freeze) surely we would have clear ice?

Well this might be true but then the temperature would need to be such that the directional freezing didn't happen too quickly.We would need to give the air a "Way Out"

Crystal clear ice can be sculptured into many wonderful forms, but the beauty really lies in its temporary nature.

Pure water with minimal impurities,frozen directionally allowing trapped air a place to escape or removed before the cultivated ice block is removed should result in a crystal clear beautiful ice block. As lovely as many diamonds.

The only problem is ice melts!... But then... Is this not the attraction?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_E_Winn

Some Information Regarding Welsh Cakes

By Alyssa Riggs

There are different snacks that people can eat. These include cookies, scones, pancakes, or welsh cakes. The latter can be made using a simple recipe with ingredients that are commonly found in the house and are similar to what are used when making cakes. They can be served with tea or they can be eaten without any accompaniment.

Traditionally, these are cooked on a bakestone or a cast iron griddle. This will be placed on the fire or on the cooker. These can be served either cold or hot and are dusted with caster sugar. These can also be split and spread with jam or butter.

If you want to eat this, there are some options for you. You can order them from a store or you can try cooking it. This can be done easily once you have all the necessary ingredients. You must see to it that you have all the ingredients before you start so that you can work on it continuously and you can get the right taste.

The ingredients are easy to find since they are commonly stocked in the house, especially in those whose occupants are fond of baking. These include flour, butter or margarine, egg, raisins, and caster sugar. For this to be cooked properly, they would also need to have their own traditional heavy flat iron griddle.

You must sift your dry ingredients together for you to start it. After this, you can add the margarine or butter to the dry ingredients and mix them together so you can produce a crumbly texture. After this, you can mix the raisins and the lightly beaten egg. When these are mixed together properly, you can already produce the dough.

After forming the dough, she can use a cutter or something with a round shape, like a cup, to cut it into pieces. She should then grease the griddle lightly with some butter before she places the pieces there. After doing this, she should place the griddle in a cooker with medium heat and let each side of the cake cook for three minutes.

They have to make sure that these are golden brown so they can already take them and place them on a plate. They can be sprinkled or coated with sugar, depending on how sweet they want it to be. They can also add other ingredients to this recipe, like grated apple to make it more moist.

However, if they are not that good in baking or they do not have time to make these themselves, they can always order from bakeshops or from online shops that offer them. They just need to make sure that the store is reputable in producing delicious cakes of this kind. They also need to make sure that these are reasonably priced.

You can eat these welsh cakes with other people like your friends and family. You can serve these when you get together. In some places, these snacks are prepared by guys as an engagement present to the women they are marrying. However, you do not need a special reason to eat this cake since you can have this at any day you want.

About the Author:

Read more about What To Know About Welsh Cakes visiting our website.

What You Should Know About Quality Chicken Processing

By Patty Summers

Eating poultry is adored by plenty of people. A great chunk of the diets of plenty of people would be composed of poultry. Most countries in the world will mostly eat poultry. Eating of poultry is not banned in any religious sectors except if they practice veganism, pescetarianism, and vegetarianism. The meat is very tasty, easy to prepare, and light. They can be grilled, stewed, or fried, among others. They can also be added to salads, sandwiches, and soups, among others. Meat loaves, sausages, and hotdogs can also be made by processing this meat. Quality chicken processing can produce the poultry bought from butcher shops, deli stores, and groceries. More facts and details on this should then be learned.

Knowing the varied procedures undergone by chickens before hitting your place is really crucial. An array of farms will raise these chickens. They are fed, cared for, and grown properly. When the birds are ready, crates would be used to contain them during delivery to the broiler houses. Holding rooms are then used while they await their fate. During this period, keeping the birds calm is crucial. Restlessness, irritability, and agitation would have to be prevented. Too much movement may cause injuries. The meat would also have discolorations when internal injuries are sustained.

These chickens would then be stunned. It would be important to stun them so they can turn unconscious. They would not feel anything when they get killed then. After these birds are killed, they would be allowed to bleed. Bleeding would be important as blood can discolor their meat. Their blood would be properly treated and discarded.

Scalding will occur after the bleeding then. The scalding process can remove feathers, clean the birds, and kill germs. To prevent cooking of the birds, proper temperatures are needed. So cleanliness would be ensured, frequent changes of water is crucial. They will then do plucking. Pinfeathers would be effectively removed with this. Large machines are usually used for this process.

These birds would then be cut. They would remove oil glands, head, and feet. They would also do evisceration. In this step, vital organs would be removed. These organs would then be cleaned, processed, and stored. The carcass would also be cut up. Some would remain whole. Some would be cut to thighs, breasts, wings, or drumsticks, depending on consumer demands.

Such birds will be washed after then. They will be washed usually with chilled water. They might be blasted using chilled air too. Proper temperatures will be required for this. This will ensure quality, safety, and preservation. Chilling will prepare the meat for freezing.

Further steps would also be done for some parts. Marinating can also be done. They will make use of special marinating ingredients. The meat would be injected with the marinade. Tumblers can also be used in the process. Proper penetration as well as uniform distribution can be ensured in this.

Proper packaging of the chickens will also be done. Accurate weighing will then follow. They will then seal, tag, and ship off the poultry.

Quality chicken processing would really involve these steps. These steps are needed to ensure that customers would be consuming healthy, safe, and choice poultry meat. You can then eat poultry without worries.

About the Author:

This website www.florencemeat.com offers quality chicken processing for all the catering businesses in the California area. To choose us as your selected supplier, review previous customer testimonials here http://www.florencemeat.com.

Foods to Help You Sleep Quickly

By Md Abdur

If you have trouble sleeping, don't pop sleeping pills. It will do you more harm than good and you'll become dependent upon them. Why not take it healthy by eating foods that will help you sleep better? These aren't just any food you find in your refrigerator but those that keep your body calm. Protein-rich foods, for example are a big no. According to a University of Cambridge study, when you eat protein-rich foods it fires up the brain cells that make you alert and energetic. Don't drink before bed either. Although it may feel as if it is lulling you to sleep, when the alcohol wears off (usually after four hours), you are left in a more active state; thus waking you up in the middle of the night. Where do you start? These sleep-inducing foods are a great way to help you sleep better.

Passion-fruit Tea

When you drink a cup of passion-fruit tea, the chemicals in it called alkaloids act in your nervous system to make you feel sleepy. High levels of alkaloids are only found in the passion-fruit flower, which is used to make tea.

Warm Milk

A glass of warm milk in the body help our muscles relax more. When the body temperature is raised, the body also slowly responds to it. Slowing body responses helps induce sleep.

Scottish or Irish Oatmeal

Oatmeal contains a complex carbohydrate. This triggers an increase in blood sugar, which triggers insulin production and the release of sleep-inducing chemicals in your brain. Oats contain anti-stress vitamins, melatonin, and vitamin B6.

Bananas

Bananas are a rich source of potassium and magnesium, which are known muscle relaxants. Bananas also contain an amino acid called L-tryptophan, which turns into 5-HTP in the brain. 5-HTP is converted into serotonin and melatonin, which in turn relaxes our muscles and help us get to sleep faster.

Raw Honey

Eating raw or organic honey can help you calm down and fall asleep more easily. This is because raw honey assists naturally occurring tryptophan to relax our body. The glucose in honey is known to interfere with the function of the brain cells that keep people alert; thus it makes you feel more relaxed.

Cherries

According to recent research in the European Journal of Nutrition, drinking an ounce of cherry juice twice a day, for a week, can help people sleep an extra 25 minutes. Cherries are filled with L-tryptophan, which influences your sleep cycle. Try an ounce or a cup of cherries in the morning and one more before going to bed and you'll see results in just a week.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Md_Abdur

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