Wolfgang Puck Electric Wok Stainless Steamer Insert

Take your favorite countertop wok to new heights with this Wolfgang Puck Electric Wok 14" Stainless Steel Steamer Insert. Custom designed specifically for the Wolfgang Puck Electric Wok this impressive cooking surface lets you cook family size portions of a variety of vegetables without losing flavor, freshness or nutrients.What is Refurbished? When a product is refurbished, it is made to look like and operate as a brand new item should. Many times it is as simple as the box being opened by mistake or for quality checks. Once the box has been opened, that item cannot be sold as new. Items with serious malfunctions are not refurbished, it would cost too much to refurbish them to 'like new' condition. Each refurbished item we feature is completely inspected, rerun down the production line and triple checked for quality before being packed and shipped. Most of the time the only difference between new and refurbished is the brown box and the lower price, which is your gain as an educated consumer. We are so confident with the quality of our refurbished items that we offer a full 30 day return policy with every purchase, so buy with confidence!

Taking good care of our bodies is something that many of us do without giving it a second thought. We may eat properly, go to the gym, play squash, swim or take part in any other kind of exercise that is good for us. Eating correctly doe not really throw that many problems up at us, there may be the odd thing here and there that may not agree with us but on the whole eating well and healthily is a good starting point on the road to be fit and in good condition. The body however is a complicated piece of machinery and although it needs both fuel from food and exercise to stay healthy there is a very fine balance between too much of either aspect of this.

We need to exercise to strengthen and develop our muscle group as well as to keep our vital organs strong and healthy, such as our heart and lungs, but too much exercise can be harmful to the body if not understood correctly and approached in the correct manner. Each sport that we participate in uses some kind of muscle strength to complete tasks, whether it be golf, soccer, swimming or cycling, all require a certain amount of muscle strength but each sport uses different muscles and uses them in a different way to the way they may be used in another discipline. For instance an athlete who runs in the 100 meters at the Olympics uses his muscles in a totally different way to the way a 1500 meter runner would use and develop his. Both are using leg muscles and arm muscles to propel themselves but in a totally different way.
This is the same with each sport, and to ensure that we stay injury free when playing sport or keeping fit it is important to understand what muscle groups we are using, how much we need to train them and how to ensure that we do not injure those muscles.

An effective warm up routine is always a wise idea no matter what sport you will be taking part in, stretching the relevant muscle groups that are going to be used is vital to ensure that you do not tear any muscles. But do not think by doing a quick stretch that everything will be ok, you need to stretch thoroughly and not only the major muscle groups that are being used but the stabilising muscles also. For instance a golfer should stretch his shoulders, triceps, biceps and forearms before taking his first swing of the day and then take a few slower swings to give the muscles that extra stretch.

The same goes for all sports, common sense must prevail before starting. But taking care of your muscles is not the only thing that need that you should be aware of to prevent injury in sport. Your eyes are possibly more important than any muscle group in the body, you can recover from a torn hamstring but a golf ball or hockey puck to the eye is a totally different thing. In any activity where it is possible to wear protective eyewear you should do so. Even where there is not an inherent danger of getting hit in the eye from a flying object the rays from the sun can still do hidden damage to your eyes that over a prolonged period of time can result in severely impaired eyesight. Sports eyewear has come a long way over the past ten years, sports glasses are now more fashionable, lighter and more comfortable to wear than ever before so you should have no excuse for not putting on the correct eyewear as soon as you have finished your sports warm up.

For more info on all things protective eyewear and sports please visit our site - http://www.sports-shades.com
Protective Sports Eyewear
Please feel free to republish this article provided a working hyperlink remains to our site
Harwood E Woodpecker

puck electric wok

puck electric wok

puck electric wok

You know those perfect fitting black pants and that really cute and expensive top you just bought? Or wait... What about that sexy black dress that just hangs in your closet? I know you know what I am talking about. Well what if I told you that I found the perfect excuse for you to show off those fabulous abandoned clothes? Its really simple actually. All you need to do is host an elegant cocktail party at your home. If you do this the right way, then it shouldnt be that expensive but it will look it.

For starters you need to know what your guests like to drink and come up with some sort of cocktail theme. For example, flavored vodkas seem to be popular, why not do a theme around that and have a martini night. Then you can easily pair up some appetizers that go well with this theme. The Tomato Vodka Aspic appetizer is a perfect pairing with Vodka martinis. Not only is this elegant looking but its one of the most unique appetizers I have run across.

Tomato Vodka Aspic

Ingredients

4 C. fresh or canned tomato juice

1/2 C. lemon juice

1/2 C. vodka, or substitute 1/2 C. additional tomato juice

1 Tbs. horseradish

1 tsp. celery salt

1 tsp. hot red pepper sauce

1/2 tsp. salt or to taste

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 envelopes ( 1/4 oz. each) unflavored gelatin

1/4 C. minced celery

1/4 C. minced green onion

2 Tbs. minced fresh basil, tarragon or parsley

1/4 C. thinly sliced olives, optional

Directions

In a large bowl combine the tomato juice, lemon juice, vodka, horseradish, celery salt, hot red pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Pour 1/2 C. of the tomato mixture into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the juice gently, scattering it evenly so it does not clump. Let the gelatin bloom in the bowl, about 5 minutes. Place the remaining tomato mixture in a non-reactive saucepan and warm it gently. Do not boil. Add the bloomed gelatin to the hot tomato juice and stir to dissolve it. Remove it from heat. Cool to room temperature. For a fun presentation, serve the aspic in martini glasses. Evenly divide the celery, onion, herb of choice and olives, if you use them, into 6 or 8 martini glasses. Pour the cooled aspic mixture over the top of the vegetables and refrigerate until its firm. The aspic also may be chilled in a 6-C. mold or bowl. If you use one mold, chill the aspic mixture in the refrigerator until it has a slushy texture, and then fold in the vegetables and herbs. Pour the mixture into a mold and chill until firm. Turn out the mold to serve.

If you decide to go for more of a Hawaiian themed party with frozen or iced mixed drinks, then something like the Hawaiian Sweet and Sour Meat Balls appetizer would work. For a cocktail idea try the Black Mango Screwdriver, this will surely impress your friends.

Hawaiian Sweet and Sour Meat Balls

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. ground beef

2 eggs

4 Tbs. cornstarch

1 onion, minced

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder or grated garlic

2 Tbs. salad oil

1 1/4 C. pineapple juice

1 Tbs. soy sauce

3 Tbs. wine vinegar

1/3 C. water

1/2 C. brown sugar

2 C. fresh pineapple and papaya chunks

2 green peppers, cut bite size

Directions

Blend together beef, eggs, 1 tsp. cornstarch, onion, pepper, nutmeg, salt and garlic. Form into 1-inch balls. Heat oil in skillet and brown meat balls on all sides. In a large saucepan, add remaining cornstarch to pineapple juice along with soy sauce, vinegar, water and brown sugar. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add meat balls, fruit and green pepper and cook 5 minutes or until fruit is well heated. Sprinkle with chopped Hawaiian macadamia nuts or slivered almonds.

If you decide to serve wine then the best pairing for this would be cheese. The Gouda Cheese Fondue would be perfect with wine.

Gouda Cheese Fondue

Ingredients

1 large clove garlic, sliced in half lengthwise

1/2 C. dry white wine

5 oz. mozzarella, shredded

5 oz. aged Gouda cheese, shredded

1 Tbs. cornstarch

2 Tbs. Kirsch

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

1 baguette or sourdough loaf, cut into 2-inch cubes

Crisp breadsticks

Assorted vegetables, cooked ham, and cured sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Set a fondue pot stand with a heat source, or an electric warming tray, in the middle of your dining table, and arrange around it individual serving plates accompanied by long fondue forks for dipping.

Rub the inside bottom of a fondue pot or enameled cast-iron casserole with the cut sides of the garlic halves, then discard the garlic. Put the pan over high heat and immediately add the wine, stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon to dissolve the garlic residue.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, use your fingers to toss the two cheeses together with the cornstarch, until evenly combined. Reduce the heat under the pot or casserole to low and add the cheese-cornstarch mixture. Stir continuously until the mixture is thoroughly melted and smooth. Stir in the Kirsch and season with a little freshly ground black pepper and just a small pinch of nutmeg.

While the fondue is cooking, spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet. Put them in the preheated oven and bake just until they are lightly toasted, 5-7 minutes, taking care that they dont turn too brown or burn.

Carefully transfer the pot or casserole of fondue to the table, placing it above a gentle tabletop heat source that will keep the fondue warm during eating. Serve the fondue immediately, accompanied by the bread, vegetables, and meats, offering long fondue forks with which each person can spear bites of bread, vegetable, or meat and dip them into the cheese.

Yield: 4 servings

Even though this is suppose to be an elegant cocktail party, there is nothing wrong with having beer and what could be better then serving Beerballs to complement the beer?

Beerballs

Ingredients

3 slices dried bread

1 tsp. salt

3/4 C. warm water

1/4 C. olive oil

2 lb. ground beef

1 pkg. onion soup mix

1 egg

1 12 oz. can beer

2 garlic cloves

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1 C. sour cream

Directions

Soak bread in water; combine meat, egg, garlic, onion, Worcestershire, salt, pepper and soaked bread in a bowl. Blend and form into small balls (about 30). Heat oil and brown balls on all sides. Sprinkle soup mix over balls, add beer, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add sour cream, mix and heat until well blended and heated through. Serve with rice or noodles.

Yield: 6-8 Servings.

For more fun and fabulous appetizers, visit Recipe4Living.com

Now that this is accomplished there are still some other things you need to think about and prepare for before actually hosting this party.

Food Preparation

When it comes time to prepare the appetizers make sure they are all bite sized. This is a cocktail party, not a formal dinner so your guests will be walking around or sitting in your living room. None of your guests are going to want to spill anything on their dressy clothes nor do you want any of them to spill on your furniture.

Decorations

As far as decorating goes, the only thing you will really need to spend money on are candles. Since this is an elegant cocktail party you should dim your lights and place candles where ever you can., just dont over do it. If you decide to play some music, keep it low so your guest can have conversations with one another.

Invitations

Send out some fancy home made invitations and make it be known that the dress code is formal, but the party will be a night to unwind and have fun. You can find many homemade invitations on craft web sites.

All you ladies out there better take advantage of hosting a party like this. You need to dress up every once in a while and now I have given you the perfect excuse to! Dont forget to take plenty of pictures. It is not an everyday occurrence that you have all your friends in one place dressed up and smiling.

2007 Ampere Media LLC, All Rights Reserved Recipe4Living features more than 11,000 user submitted recipes, ideas and recipes from Wolfgang Puck, reference guides, healthy living advice, tips for kids, and much more. All of the recipes mentioned in this article can be found at http://www.recipe4living.com

puck electric wok

Halogen 2-Puck Linkable Starter Kit - White

Great for Your Designer Kitchen, Home Office or Studio! Brighten up your home improvement project Jascos GE Brand Under Cabinet Lighting Fixtures. They are easy to install and a great addition with your home decorating ideas!

So you think that Golf is easy?

O.K., So I toss a little white ball on the ground and puck it with a fat-headed metal stick till it falls in a hole..how hard can that be?

The Journey Begins:

A friend of mine contends that every round of Golf is different even if played on the same course on the same day in the same conditions and I agree with him 100%. Golf is one of those sports with so many factors involved so as to make it almost quantum and chaotic by nature. I have often felt like a sea captain, driver in hand standing two meters behind a teed ball and overlooking the sea from the port as I prepare to launch my vessel on a fantastic journey. Bending to the ground to remove a pinch of grass between thumb and forefinger then standing erect to momentarily survey the terrain before tossing the light green strands skywards to get some indication of the winds movement. This ancient ritual alone bonds me with my long dead ancestors who lived before our advanced tools of navigation. Watching the grass gives the golfer and idea of the winds strength and direction. Do these current wind conditions allow me to drive straight or should I play right and let the ball be carried back around by the strong breeze? The Golf game now enters the realm of applied mathematics or physics. Each Golf club representing a different distance and height depending on the stance one takes, the individual grip and swing of the golfer (and strength thereof) and the pivot or openness of the golf club face etc. Another factor could be the mental or nervous stress. Are you playing alone or in a tournament? The patience of a vicar and the courage of a G.I. can also be invaluable assets in your Golf arsenal. Relatively happy with your drive you leave the safety of the tee and the voyage begins.

In Full Sail:

Personally I find electric Golf carts a nuisance and distraction unless of course you are handicapped or elderly but Golf trolleys are fine in order to avert back damage through long years of carrying Golf clubs for hundreds of miles. So being in a good health condition is also a requirement for the game of Golf. Striding down the fairway you reach your golf ball and it is plugged in sponge-like ground. Taking out your archeology tools you begin to excavate. Then enters the new aspects of law and conscience as fair play and sportsmanship are required dropping the Golf ball the prescribed distance in accordance with the rules of the game. How good is the new placement and how far away from the green are you? Has the wind changed? Oh! Oh! A wide bunker and tall tree stand in the trajectory path so I need to play a high Golf shot. I don my aviators cap and prepare for flight. Having plotted in a course both long and high the Golf ball leaves the grass runway and sails high out of the metaphoric airport. Pausing momentarily I watch as it lands safely on the green.

Reaching Your Destination:

The adventure so far has proved rather predictable leaving you with a comforted feeling of smugness. Arriving at the green you prepare to enter the next phase of this multi-personality game of Golf. Bending to one knee you survey the grooves and texture of the landscape like an experienced engineer. Walking the distance between Golf ball and pin to check for any obstacles that may be laying on the surface the physicist/mathematician returns to calculate the angles and force need to complete the journey. The putter strikes the ball firmly and the echoing hollow plink sound closes a chapter in the days book.

Epilogue:

True, you may be familiar with every ridge, nook and cranny of a course which you regularly frequent but the constantly changing conditions such as weather, seasons, personal fitness/mental level, course upkeep (pin position/tee distance changes), skill level, playing style, Golf club brand etc. can make each round of Golf a unique experience.

Nigel Nix has been playing Golf on and off since he was 5 years old. He is now 42 and runs a humorous Golf blog. Golf Mad Blog For Golf Mad Golfers

puck electric wok

Wolfgang Puck Electric Wok Stainless Steamer Insert

Take your favorite countertop wok to new heights with this Wolfgang Puck Electric Wok 14" Stainless Steel Steamer Insert. Custom designed specifically for the Wolfgang Puck Electric Wok this impressive cooking surface lets you cook family size portions of a variety of vegetables without losing flavor, freshness or nutrients.What is Refurbished? When a product is refurbished, it is made to look like and operate as a brand new item should. Many times it is as simple as the box being opened by mistake or for quality checks. Once the box has been opened, that item cannot be sold as new. Items with serious malfunctions are not refurbished, it would cost too much to refurbish them to 'like new' condition. Each refurbished item we feature is completely inspected, rerun down the production line and triple checked for quality before being packed and shipped. Most of the time the only difference between new and refurbished is the brown box and the lower price, which is your gain as an educated consumer. We are so confident with the quality of our refurbished items that we offer a full 30 day return policy with every purchase, so buy with confidence!

Theres nothing like a good party game to break the ice and add sparkle to a party even if the party has serious business intent. Every distributor knows that a Tupperware party game can get people laughing and having fun. A Tupperware party game can loosen them up and get them ready ready to buy!

Traditional Tupperware Party Games

Tupperware distributors can choose a Tupperware party game from more than 200 games that focus attention on Tupperware.

* Concentration Tupperware Party Game

Prepare 2 identical sets of 12 square photos of Tupperware products. Paste the photos on plain white cardstock. Arrange shuffled photos upside down on a table: 6 across and 4 down. As guests select two squares at a time, you turn them over. If they are a match, leave them turned. If they do not match, turn them upside down again. Guests must concentrate on where they saw the photos. The person who matches all the photos wins. You can limit the number of guesses permitted to make this Tupperware party game more challenging.

* Word Search Tupperware Party Game

This Tupperware party game is like the word searches you see in word game books except that it uses Tupperware product names. Prepare your word search by arranging letters on a paper in 15 columns and 15 rows. This is done easily on a computer. Among the letters, hide the names of Tupperware products in such a way that they can be spelled out vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Give each guest a copy of the puzzle and a list of the hidden word. Ask them to find and circle each word in the puzzle. The one who finishes first wins a gift.

* Gift Bag Tupperware Party Game

Each guest is given a small gift bag in this Tupperware party game. You announce that you are going to read a story, and when they hear the word right or left in the story, they should pass their gift bag in the correct direction while you continue reading. They should never have more than one gift bag at a time, and when the story ends, they keep the gift bag they are holding.

Whatever Tupperware party game is used, the winner often receives a gift-wrapped Tupperware product.

New Tupperware Party Games

Tupperware distributors may use other games at their parties, and some christen their new games as Tupperware party games.

* Parcel-passing Tupperware Party Game

Place a small Tupperware gift in a box. Warp it in a layer of paper. Now wrap it in another layer, and repeat until you have about 10 layers. Finally wrap it in gift paper so it looks nice.
Seat guests in a circle, and play a snippet of music. When the music stops, the person holding the parcel removes ONE layer of wrapping. Repeat until the box is unwrapped. The winner opens the box and keeps the gift.

* Mimes Tupperware Party Game

Several women are taken from the room. Those remaining are warned not to say a word. One is returned, and told to mime something. Example: putting 6 wet eels into a Tupperware bowl and closing the lid securely. Before she starts miming, a second woman is brought into the room and told to watch. When the first woman is done miming, she sits down, and the second is told to do what she just saw. Before she starts, a third woman is brought in to watch, etc. When the last person has done the mime, ask her what she just did. Chances are it will NOT be what the first was told to mime. This Tupperware party game has no winner, so no gift is given.

* Memory Tupperware Party Game

On a tray, place about 10 to 15 Tupperware items (e.g. key chain, midget tumbler, garlic keeper, spatula, salt shaker, ice cream scoop, etc.). Cover the tray with a cloth. Seat guests in a circle.
Place the tray in the middle of the circle and tell guests they will have just 60 seconds to look at whats under the cloth. Remove the cloth for just 60 seconds. When the time is up, replace the cloth. Now ask each guest in turn to name an object on the tray. The first person who fails to name an object, repeats an object that has already been named, or names something not on the tray is out. The tray is then removed, some or all of the objects replaced and rearranged. The game is re-started with the person following the one who is out. The last person to go out is the winner and receives a gift. If this Tupperware party game is too easy for the group, add more objects or reduce the time.

* Chubby Bunnies Tupperware Party Game

Guests try to see how many marshmallows they can stuff into their mouths and still say Chubby Bunnies. The winner is the one who can manage the highest number. This Tupperware party game shows how fresh and soft marshmallows are when kept in Tupperware.

* Improvisation Tupperware Party Game

Pair guests into teams of two. Give each team a Tupperware object with which to perform in as many creative ways as possible. Example: a double colander. Hold the white part in front of your face, and say, Your puck will never get past me! or Scalpel, please. Place the red part on your head, and speak in a robot-like voice. When every team has performed, vote on the best and give both team members a gift.

No matter what Tupperware party game you choose, it is important to prepare before your party. Be sure you have the rules written out in a way that is easy to understand. Try reading them to a 9-year old to be sure you havent left out an important point. Have all equipment ready to go all prizes wrapped.

Tupperware party games are so great at Tupperware parties, you may want to use them at your next birthday party, too.

2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about Tupperwares products and services at http://www.tupperware-blog.com. Anna has also posted additional information on that site about Tupperware parties. If you are eager to learn more about how easy and fun a Tupperware party can be, you won't want to miss her articles.

puck electric wok

Wolfgang Puck Electric Wok Stainless Steamer Insert

Take your favorite countertop wok to new heights with this Wolfgang Puck Electric Wok 14" Stainless Steel Steamer Insert. Custom designed specifically for the Wolfgang Puck Electric Wok this impressive cooking surface lets you cook family size portions of a variety of vegetables without losing flavor, freshness or nutrients.What is Refurbished? When a product is refurbished, it is made to look like and operate as a brand new item should. Many times it is as simple as the box being opened by mistake or for quality checks. Once the box has been opened, that item cannot be sold as new. Items with serious malfunctions are not refurbished, it would cost too much to refurbish them to 'like new' condition. Each refurbished item we feature is completely inspected, rerun down the production line and triple checked for quality before being packed and shipped. Most of the time the only difference between new and refurbished is the brown box and the lower price, which is your gain as an educated consumer. We are so confident with the quality of our refurbished items that we offer a full 30 day return policy with every purchase, so buy with confidence!

Laredo and its neighboring Nuevo Laredo thrive on another industry, called drayage. Truck tractors pick up truck freight arriving in one country and transport it across bridges to the other country, where a new carrier completes delivery.

Laredo business leaders are not concerned, however, about the test program for cross-border trucking that started in Setember 2007, where the same driver and same truck can make the crossing and deliver freight in the interior of the other nation.

So far, only about 10 to 20 trucks a day crossing in Laredo are participating in the test program.

Cross-border trucking never will become a widespread practice, because of rules that prohibit Mexican drivers from making another delivery within the United States after making a U.S delivery from Mexico.

Cross-border makes sense only when Mexican drivers can puck up another Mexican-bound load after making a U.S. delivery, Wade explained. Warehousing and logistics operations will not move out of Laredo because the border, where Customs inspections occur, never will move.

FMCSA Administrator Hill said drayage will remain a strong Laredo industry as long as distribution warehouses operate there.

"But for all the goods delivered away from the border, the border system is cumbersome, inefficient and unfriendly to the environment," Hill said. "We want to evaluate the cross-border program with a good sample of vehicles and go from there."

Wade said Laredo's business community wishes the U.S. and Mexican government would make cross-border trucking permanent making the border open to same-driver, same truck deliveries.

"That way everyone will see that it's no big deal," Wade said.

As long as U.S., Mexico, and Asian trade continues to grow, Wade and his Laredo colleagues figure, the big deal on the border will be Laredo.

puck electric wok

GE 54807 Push On/Off Round Closet Light - Battery Operated

Hockey is one of the most popular contact games played in the US, probably next only to soccer and rugby. There are several versions of hockey played such as field, inline, rink and ice hockey. All use specialized gear and equipment.

The basic equipment of hockey is a stick, which may be about three feet long. Hockey sticks are round and generally made of wood covered with fiberglass; aluminum sticks are also used and both varieties feature suede and rubber grips. Field hockey sticks have hooked bases, which are rounded at one end and flat at the other to accurately smack the ball into the goal. Ice hockey and inline hockey sticks have broader bases and most are designed for right-handed players. When holding the upper portion of the stick with your left hand and the lower portion with your right, the base curves forward, forming a shallow scoop for catching and guiding the puck.

Field hockey uses a molded plastic ball. Ice hockey and inline hockey use hard, vulcanized rubber discs called pucks. Both balls are sized according to hockey associations. The objective of any version of hockey is to guide the ball or puck towards the goal net. Goal nets are supported by steel frames and have durable synthetic nylon nets.

Protective gear and team jerseys are just as important as the skates or footwear, the stick and the puck. Protective hockey gear is comprised of a chest protector, a helmet, large padded shorts, shin pads, a neck protector, and other gear. Make sure you use all protective gear whenever you play hockey. Some pick-up games of hockey are not played with protective gear, but safety should come first.

Hockey Equipment provides detailed information on Hockey Equipment, Ice Hockey Equipment, Ice Hockey Goalie Equipment, Field Hockey Equipment and more. Hockey Equipment is affiliated with Hockey Tickets.

puck electric wok

The great mug-wump: Canto I., Pan-Electric sale of government property. To be followed by "Parthenon," "Congressional whitewash," and "The last of the dog carts."

A few weeks ago I was researching the KitchenAid stand mixer and I came across a blog post by someone that I thought was not the best advice. The blog post was all about making pancakes with your mixer (or any stand mixer really). Now the recipe was probably pretty good but the process is what was flawed in my opinion.

For me pancakes are all about being soft and light and fluffy. They should not be dense or chewy or gummy in any way. If I wanted that, I could make a trip to one of those all night breakfast joints and get a stack of hockey puck flap jacks.

No, for me pancakes need to be handled with care and attention. The reason is gluten. Now for a bit of food science. Gluten is a protein, actually it is a composition of 2 proteins named gliadin and glutenin. When water is added to wheat flour and then mechanically mixed, gluten forms. And it is this wonderful gluten that gives bread dough and pasta their chewy and elastic characteristics. But since the gluten content is increased by mechanical mixing or kneading, it is not something we ever want to do if we desire to have light and fluffy pancakes.

So, the next time you want to enjoy some pan fried goodness for breakfast, leave your mixer tucked neatly away. Instead, follow this basic cooking process.

You can use any basic pancake recipe that you like. The key to a great result is in the mixing. What you want to do is mix all the dry ingredients first in a bowl that is large enough for your batter. Next, mix all the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.

Now, before you add the wet to the dry, get prepared. An electric griddle is probably the best appliance for cooking pancakes at home but if you have to use a frying pan, that will also work. There are 2 differences. An electric griddle has a built-in thermostat which means the heat will remain more constant than with a pan on the stove. Second, the griddle means you can cook a lot more pancakes at the same time. I use a pan on the stove myself but I never cook more than one pancake at a time and I keep them warm in the oven till ready to serve. It's not the best but I have no more room to store a griddle so I chose not to buy one. Using my stove, I heat the pan for 2 minutes at level 5. Then I turn down the heat to 4 when cooking. If I notice that things are taking too long, I increase the heat for about another minute and then lower to 4 again.

Now that you have a hot cooking appliance ready, it is time to mix the batter. You want to achieve the mixing as fast as possible without activating too much gluten. So, take the wet ingredients and literally dump them into the dry. Then take a spatula and fold in the wet ingredients for 10 to 15 seconds. That is it. Some of the dry may not be perfectly mixed but that is all right. I have never had a lumpy pancake using this method.

Next, place some batter on the griddle or in the frying pan and wait. You want to see the bubbles forming all around the outside of the pancake. That is the sign of a flapjack that is ready to be flipped. If the heat is high enough the bottom will be nice and brown. If it is too low it will be pale in color and conversely if it is too hot the bottom will be very dark. So as gently as possible flip the flapjack and continue cooking the opposite side. Normally the second side will cook in half the time as the first.

When serving the pancake always have real maple syrup on hand. It can make all the difference in the world and the taste is like no other. Since you put all this care and attention into making the best pancakes you could, you deserve to have them sweetened perfectly with a little maple syrup.

There you have it. Next time you get a craving for some flapjacks, keep the KitchenAid mixer covered and instead use the dump and fold method for the lightest and fluffiest pancakes you can make at home.

Marcy Givens is a cooking and baking enthusiast. She never had much luck when it came to baking at home so she decided to get educated by watching shows and reading books about cooking. She has discovered some useful tips and secrets for selecting the proper Kitchen Aid stand mixer which she freely shares with her readers.

puck electric wok