SocialMoms and Applegate
have come together to have me promote Applegate Hot Dogs, which are now
available in the Atlanta area, both at Kroger and Whole Foods.
Applegate Hot Dogs are nitrate and nitrite free and actually come in at
least 9 different varieties ranging from Organic Turkey Dogs to Super
Natural Beef Hot Dogs.
http://www.applegatefarms.com/hotdogs_sausage.aspx
Did
you know that eighty percent of antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used
in animal agriculture? The vast majority are used for non-therapeutic
purposes, such as promoting animal growth and compensating for the
effects of unsanitary and overcrowded conditions. Applegate makes sure
their animals are never given antibiotics, hormones or artificial growth
promotants. Their products are made with natural and organic
ingredients, and best of all, they are gluten and casein free. I just
recently found out that I have to be gluten free, so Applegate (
www.applegatefarms.com) products may become a staple in my household.
With
summer and the warm weather comes grilling season. My family happens to
be year around grillers, with at least one meal being grilled a week. I
actually do most of the grilling at my house, not my husband, and over
the years, I've made my share of mistakes.
10 Important Grilling Tips.....
1).
NEVER use gasoline as lighter fluid or squirt gasoline into your grill.
It's just plain dangerous! Not only could it explode and hurt someone,
but think of all the carcinogens you could end up putting on your food.
And no, I've NEVER done this.
2). Bring your meat to room
temperature before putting on the grill. I know it sounds a little odd,
but having the meat at room temperature will help cook it evenly on the
grill.
3). Make sure your grill is in a safe area, away from the
house and dry materials. I know that sounds like common sense, but you'd
be surprised how many people every years start their house on fire from
their grill.
4). NEVER light a grill in the house or in a tent. I
know that sounds like common sense, but people do it. Not only is it a
fire hazard, but when gas/charcoal burn, the result is the release of
carbon dioxide (and other things) in to the air. When there isn't enough
oxygen for complete combustion, carbon monoxide is the result. Carbon
monoxide is an odorless, tasteless gas that will suffocate you, since it
strongly binds with the iron in the hemoglobin in your blood. Even a
small exposure to carbon monoxide can have lasting results. Hmm, can't
tell my husband and I are chemists, huh?
5). Don't leave a lit
grill unattended, especially if there are children around. I know there
are times when you need to run inside for something, but it only takes a
few seconds for a child to touch a hot grill. In this age of cell
phones, it's just safer to call in to the house and have someone else
bring out what you need.
6). Clean the grate of your grill after
every use...and preferably while it's still hot. It's much easier to
clean hot. A decent grill brush isn't very expensive, and keeping the
grate clean will make the taste of your food so much better.
7).
Use Tongs and never pierce your meat. When you grill, you want the
juices to be locked in. Every time you put a hole in your meat, the
juices escape. The result will be dried out meat. Yuck!
8).
Preheat your grill and get it HOT. When you put your meat on the grill,
you want it to sear and lock in all the juices. If you put meat on too
early, the meat will just dry out.
9). Use a thermometer to check
the temperature of the food. I know most of us just look to see if meat
is done, but the smart thing to do is stick that thermometer in the
meat. Make sure it is done, especially with ground meat, as ground meat
tends to harbor more bacteria. Trust me, you don't want to get sick.
10).
Avoid flair ups and have a water bottle on hand. Fat from burgers,
steaks, etc will cause flair ups and using a teaspoon of baking soda in
your water bottle can help control them. You want your food cooked, not
turned in to charcoal. By that means, use seasonings, but not ones with a
lot of sugar. Sugar is another carbon based molecule and will not only
attract the flames, but burn. BBQ sauce has a lot of sugar and should be
put on only at the end of cooking.
I hope my tips help
you to have a wonderful and safe grilling season. If you have any more,
please feel free to leave them below. Thanks you SocialMoms and
Applegate for this opportunity. I wrote this blog post while
participating in the SocialMoms and Applegate blogging program, to earn
My SocialMoms Rewards Points. The opinions and ideas expressed here are
my own.
http://applegate.socialmoms.com/
