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Has the siren of the high country called you apart to partake of its bounty? Are hairy and wild beasts begging you for the chase? If you will take to the hills in order to procure delicious and nutritious wild game, hats are off to you.

But you must understand that hunting the animal down is only one aspect of the whole process of harvesting fresh meat. Once you kill it, you will have to grill it. And before you grill it you will have to cut it up. Field dressing game animals is an art all its own, and would be dealt with better elsewhere. Here we are discussing those quartered pieces on the way to the kitchen.

Well, you have to take these edible parts and get them into a kitchen. Killing it is one thing, cooking it is entirely another. To begin, leave the kitchen knife set in the pantry drawer. You will need some heftier wares for this task. Cut up the big parts into manageable little parts. Wrap what you are not immediately using for the freezer.

When cutting up the big parts in to the little parts is where you want to use a large and serious knife set. Use the sportsmen models or the big gnarly butchery batch. You, mighty hunter that you are, need serious tools to do the job of slicing, dicing, chopping, filleting, and sawing it all up in to edible little pieces.

For your first meal of wild game you will want to go simple. Simple does not mean boring however, and you can make a stew that will wow everybody at the table. First thing to do is find a roasting pan to cook up the grub in. Now place the meat chunks in it and add some water and maybe a dash of salt.

On top of all that fresh meat you will want to add some types of vegetables. Root vegetables always work best, and potatoes are almost a necessity. And plenty of them for everybody, and be sure to spice the pot up with liberal doses of spicy condiments. Worcestershire sauce is good, along with red pepper sauce, black pepper, onions, and garlic. Bring this all to a nice rolling boil.

When the pot is boiling, turn it down to simmer and let it sit for a good while. Keep an eye on the water level, which will reduce and thicken along the way, and keep the level high enough to prevent the stuff on the bottom from burning. When everything is soft to the tines, it is ready to eat. It is that simple, and simplicity never tasted so good.

Should you find yourself in need of a recipe for dessert that is easy and yet elegant, a trifle may be the perfect solution. Originally from England, though in a simpler rendition, the dish dates from the late sixteenth century. There are numerous versions of it today, from many countries including Italy and France. A trifle is usually presented in a clear glass bowl to display the lovely layers it is made of.

One of the utensils you will need to have is a sharp bread knife, which may well be included in your knife block set if you have one. You may use another type of knife, as long as it is able to slice neatly through soft cake. You will also need a large cutting board to work on while making the trifle.

The proportions of ingredients used in a trifle are not critical, and the ingredients themselves may be varied depending on your taste or what you happen to have on hand. Basically what you will need is some type of cake, such as pound cake, lady fingers, sponge cake, or even sweet muffins or cupcakes. Whatever cake you use should be cut into approximately 2 inch cubes or small slices. Spread the cake pieces with your choice of jam, and make a layer of them in the bottom of a glass bowl or trifle dish.

Sprinkle the cake layer with your choice of sherry, liquor, liqueur, or fruit juice. The next layer should be one of custard or pudding, either vanilla or other flavor depending on your preference and the flavors of your other ingredients. There are endless variations of flavors possible in a trifle, including chocolate, peanut butter, mocha, and others, so you can be as creative as you like.

Repeat the first two layers, of cake and custard, including the jam and liquid on the cake layer. If you like, a layer of sliced fruit may be included between the layers of custard and cake. To prepare the sliced fruit, a good sharp paring knife is ideal. A good cutlery set, such as a Wusthof knife set, should include at least one paring knife that will do the job.

The uppermost layer of a trifle is usually composed of whipped cream. Start with the cream in a well chilled bowl to ensure easy whipping. It should be beaten at high speed until it becomes thick and holds its shape. The ideal appliance for this is a lightweight yet powerful one, such as a Kitchen Aid hand mixer. You may sweeten and flavor the cream during the whipping process. Be sure not to beat the cream too long, as it may turn into butter if you do.

Top the custard and cake layers with the whipped cream, being sure to spread it across the entire top and seal it to the edges of the bowel. If you like, garnishes may be sprinkled on the whipped cream, such as nuts, coconut, sliced fruits, shaved chocolate, or whatever you prefer. Trifles usually improve with refrigeration for at least a couple of hours or overnight, so all the textures and flavors can combine and enhance each other. Now the only thing remaining to do is to serve the trifle and enjoy it.

Cake decorating is not a very hard thing to do. It takes a bit of practice and some imagination but it can be done easily. One of the best ways to get ideas is from one of the many cake decorating books available at local book stores. You can start decorating any way you would like.

Although it might not look like it but the beginning to answering how to decorate cake is in choosing what to bake it in. There are many different shapes and forms you can use. You first will want to consider what your overall goal is going to be then choose a pan to fit that design.

For round cakes a traditional round cake pan will do. There are other nontraditional cake baking shapes as well. There are ovals, stars, rectangles and just about any other shape you can imagine. For a rectangular cake you can even use a roasting pan. You can also use various other cooking tools and pans to get different shapes or patterns on your cake.

Once you have your shape and size you will want to figure out how many tiers you will have. Remember the taller the cake the hard it will be to move or even keep together. Then after it is baked you can begin to decorate it. This is done with various frosting choices and icings. You will want to choose carefully to make sure that it fits the climate the cake will be in. A lot of the different frosting and such will melt in heat.

They make frosting in just about any color you can imagine. Those that are not available off the shelf can be made by combining existing colors. Each frosting is different and has different qualities, textures, and flavors. You can also add small decorations to your cake.

These little decorations come in editable and plastic. They can easily be put on a cake anywhere with a bit of sugar cement. This is a product made of sugar that acts like glue. It is available in most grocery stores and bakeries. These decorations are usually small roses, toys or anything else you can think of.

Cake decorating for every occasion is not hard. You need to plan a little bit and have a lot of patience when attempting to decorate a cake. You just have to know what you want and plan it out.

Aluminum or stainless cookware? Aluminum is preferred by some people, while others are more enamored with stainless. This article will provide an overview of the stainless and aluminum cookware pros and cons to assist with your decision making process.

Stainless Steel Pros

Essentially, stainless steel is iron with the addition of as many as eight alloys. The more alloys included, the higher the quality. Chromium must make up at least 11% of the metal for it to qualify as stainless steel. Rusting is not as likely because of it, since moisure or air can cause it.

This king of metal is very resistant and durable and resists to almost any kind of scratches. Stainless steel cookware is also easy to clean.

Stainless steel is very durable and is almost completely resistant to scatches. Cleaning it is also easy and doesn’t take long to do.

Stainless steel cookware sets are preferred by cooks over aluminum. Why? Acidic or alkaline foods aren’t responded to by stainless steel when cooking them.

Aluminum Pros

The end of the 19th century was when the production of aluminum cookware began, but took awhile before it became popular. Aluminum cookware accounts for over 50% of all cookware sales. It’s ability to quickly heat and being inexpensive has been the source of it’s popularity.

Aluminum cookware comes in 3 different types: anodized, cast, and pressed.

Anodized is considered to be the best, but as you would expect costs more than any other too. They are non-stick, resistant to scratching, and go through a electro-chemical process when produced.

Cast is more porous and thicker than pressed, but heat is better retained.

The least expensive is pressed, but is not nearly as durable either when compared to the others.

Stainless Steel Cons

The primary criticism of stainless steel cookware is that it’s a poor conductor of heat and doesn’t distribute it evenly. Though, aluminum or copper is added on the higher quality stainless cookware along the bottom and sides.

Another downside is possible discoloring when exposed to high temperature levels. When exposed constantly to salt, the surface may be affected as well. Of course, stainless steel cookware can be pricey as well.

Aluminum Cons

The biggest complaint about aluminum is that it reacts with certain foods, specifically those that have acidic or alkaline elements. For instance, cooking tomato sauce in aluminum cookware may not be a great idea since the food could get particles from the cookware in it..

Alzheimer’s disease is believed by some to possibly be caused by aluminum. While scientists and the FDA have shot down this theory, the truth is there has been some evidence to support it.

How to Decide?

If money is not a factor, then stainless cookware sets are the best way to go. If money is a factor, then a more cost effective solution is aluminum. Both are rather easy to clean and overall represent quality. What’s important is to find cookware that fits your situation and needs the best.

She couldn’t seem to find the recipe for lemon cake and cake decorating books with instructions for the cake that was her mother’s favorite. She really wanted to serve it at the picnic. She smiled, glancing out at the new patio set with its umbrella and six chairs. It was the perfect color blue to match the gray brick patio they had finished last summer.

She admired all the colorful flower beds. She had planted most of them and they looked good. They came in convenient little plastic cartons, like egg cartons. They were easy to take out and plant in the soft soil. It had been a wonderful afternoon when they planted the gardens.

The hedges were trimmed, the grass was cut and watered and all the flowers were in full bloom. It was going to be the perfect setting for their small family reunion. She could hardly wait to have her mother and father see the improvements on the house and yard.

Now she locked up the house, waved hello to the neighbor and rode her Schwinn mountain bike to the store. She always took a backpack for the groceries. Even if she had to make two trips, it was good exercise and good for the environment. As she rode, she wondered how much green space would be left in fifty years.

Her dedication to recycling included buying her food in recycled paper cartons and biodegradable plastic containers. The last bag of potato chips she bought had been sold in a biodegradable bag. Some other biodegradable materials had been around for some time. It was mandatory in many states.

It would be of great benefit to the environment to have a plastic water bottle that was biodegradable. So many people carried a small water bottle around made to be disposable. Everyone knew it was healthy to stay hydrated during any form of exercise or sports.

She felt happy about her decision and of the day she spent buying mountain bike. It was fast and light and looked slick going down the road. It exactly matched the blue helmet she bought. On weekends she now had no trouble riding up inclines on longer trips. She wore sunglasses, sunscreen and carried her water and a small cloth for wiping her sweaty forehead.

It was all part of being a neat and health conscious person. She contributed to abused animals, despised puppy mills and sent money to save the rain forests. It seemed as if she and Betty White were both animal lovers. She thought about the marvelous things Betty White could still do at the age of 87. It was nothing short of amazing and she hoped she would be as cool as a senior citizen.