Archive for September, 2008
Apple Harvest Time Means Apple Dishes
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Each fall across North America heralds the arrival of the Apple Harvest. All kinds of apples will be available to match the great apple recipes that one can make.
The ancient Greeks and Romans in their day, enjoyed the juicy, sweet flavor of the apple. And as the Romans conquered Nothern Europe and England, tthey brought the apple trees with them. Later colonists to America, would do the same thing, spreading the apple tree to new territories.
Eventually, apple growing spread to all parts of America, due in part to a wandering apple seed farmer named John Chapman or Johnny Appleseed. Johnny distributed seeds to settlers throughout Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana in the 1800’s. And some say he made it out to the Northwest Territory (now Oregon and Washington). The apples in those days were often used to make hard apple cider.
Today, the apple is ranked as America’s favorite fruit, and the United States produces over 2,500 varieties of apples. And besides eating them right off the tree, we use them in all sorts of apple dishes.
Of course, it is an almost patriotic duty to eat apple pie. But we also turn apples into applesauce, apple dumplings, apple soup, and apple chutney.
Apple tarts, apple compost and apple bread continues an almost endless list of ways to use the apple. If you are looking to bake or cook with apples this season, check out the free apple recipes at Taste of Variety - Apple Recipes. And remember, the uses of this tasty fruit in the kitchen is only limited by one’s imagination.
Discounted Pellet Stoves - What You Need To Know
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Gas prices have skyrocketed these past few years, and it seems like it will continue to climb. Just this winter alone, there is an increase expected of 27%, and if you use natural gas, you can expect a 41% increase. Because of this, many homeowners are looking for alternative ways to heat their home without depending on expensive gas and oil.
The best option would be used pellet stoves. These are actually a very sophisticated and versatile way to heat your home. These are very similar to the traditional fireplace inserts or wood stoves, in the way they work and providing a nice flame.
If you choose discounted pellet stoves that are freestanding or fireplace inserts, they will produce a small fire, however, you can find some with various flame patterns, giving the look of a real fire. To give it a look of a real fireplace, you can add ceramic logs like the ones you would have in a gas fireplace, this helps to spread out the flames.
Because the freestanding and the insert pellet stoves have moving parts and motors, they will more than likely need some maintenance in the future. As you look for discounted pellet stoves, choose a model that will allow you to access the parts easily just in case they need any repairs and making it easy for you to maintain it.
When it comes to the the freestanding models and the fireplace insert pellet stoves, you have a couple of options. You can go with a bottom fed or a top fed stove. If you choose a top feeder, there will be a hopper that delivers the pellets to the flame. If you do choose a top fed discounted pellet stove, you should use a low-ash, high grade pellets. This will not impede any moving parts with “clinkers”. If you decide on a bottom fed model, you don’t need the high-grade pellets because the ask is pushed out of the way into an ash pan. Also, look for a stove that has a big ash pan which is easy to replace or remove.
These discounted pellet stoves do require some electricity. You will need to have a 110-volt outlet to plug it into, or you can go with a gas-power generator model just in case your electricity ever goes out, letting you keep your heat while the power is out.