The Magic of Ice Cream

Greetings my appliance-minded friends. I hope the summer has treated you well. Here in Ohio we are approaching what some call Fall. In Ohio, however, we call it Second Summer. We’ll have a few weeks of actual Fall here in October and then around November, we’ll slip into Practice Winter before actual Winter comes in and sets up camp until about April.

Speaking of Second Summers, one thing that hits the spot is a Frosty. If you don’t happen to have a Wendy’s Restaurant near you, you might not know what a Frosty is.

It’s not quite soft serve ice cream, and it’s not quite a milkshake. It’s something in between. And it’s delicious. Simply delicious. 

For me, it’s something else. It’s a connection to my grandfather. My Gramps is an amazing man. In his 90’s, he’s still going strong. Gramps has an apartment at the same independent living center that I worked at in high school (how’s that for synchronicity?). 

You see, Gramps loves Frostys. Once a week, I’ll hit Wendy’s and pick up a couple of Jr. Frostys and go visit Gramps. I leave my cell phone in the car, there’s no need for it. 

When I walk in, Gramps always has the TV on, but always with the sub-titles. On a good day, he still has his hearing aids in. When he doesn’t, I just have to be more deliberate with my words. 

The best visits, though, are the ones where I barely talk at all. These are the visits that Gramps tells me stories. I learn about his visits all over the world. I learn about relatives I’ll never meet. I learn about things that become more real in that little apartment than they ever could anywhere else. I could probably watch a video on YouTube about riding an elephant to the top of a mountain in Nepal. About how, from the top of the mountain, their tour bus looked no bigger than an ant. 

It’s a reminder that sometimes you don’t need to hit the interwebs for those wonderful and amazing stories. Sometimes all you need to do is find one of your relatives-a parent, a grand-parent, aunt or uncle, and talk to them. Or better yet, grab a treat, go visit them and just listen. 

-Todd Skaggs

3 Delicious & Easy Pasta Recipes

I am always on the lookout for the tastiest and easiest recipes I can find during the Fall! This is the perfect time spent with loved ones, cozied-up around the fireplace, eating delicious food. One of my favorite meals is pasta, as the Italian in me has to love. I absolutely love anything and everything that has pasta in it. Honestly, I think I like it so much because you can keep pasta so simple, or make it super intricate. It is all up to you! Here are some amazingly, delicious and easy recipes I found from Delish that will be winners for you this Fall season! **ALL RECIPES COURTESY OF DELISH**

Judy Kim / Delish

Sloppy Joe Mac And Cheese

kosher salt

1 lb. Macaroni

1 lb. ground beef

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2 c. crushed tomatoes

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 c. freshly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

2 c. grated mozzarella, divided

For the full recipe, click on the link here

Judy Kim / Delish

Cauliflower & Broccoli Carbonara

kosher salt

1 lb. Macaroni

2 c. small broccoli florets

2 c. small cauliflower florets

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 egg yolks, at room temperature

1/4 c. heavy cream, at room temperature

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

For the recipe, click on the link here

Judy Kim / Delish

Cajun Angel Hair

kosher salt

12 oz. angel hair

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb. chicken sausage

2 tbsp. butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 c. sliced green onions, plus more for garnish

1 tbsp. Cajun seasoning

2 tsp. paprika

1/4 c. dry white wine

1/2 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

1/3 c. shredded Cheddar

For the full recipe, click on the link here

Judy Kim/Delish

If you are in the market for some easy, yet delicious recipes to use this fall, I highly recommend checking out Delish!

If any of your appliances ever seem to just not be working quite right, please give us a call today! We will set up a service call to come check it out and fix it for you in no time! Appliance Rescue Service is here to help!

5 Must Have Kitchen Essentials for this Fall

I don’t know about you, but I am SO excited for Fall this year! September 24th is the first day, and you all know what that means: Warm soups, hot chocolate, cuddly blankets, and that is just the beginning. With this cozy season being just around the corner, all the festive Fall recipes are coming out! Here are the must have kitchen essentials you will need to create those dang-good recipes!

Crock Pot or Slow Cooker

No matter what age you are, a CrockPot or slow cooker is one of the easiest appliances to have. Seriously, all you do is throw all the ingredients in, walk away, and let it do the rest! As a college student, this was my favorite appliance to use! Some of my favorite recipes I have done are beef stew, chicken tortilla soup, and macaroni and cheese! Yes, you heard me right. Macaroni and cheese. You can get a slow cooker at almost any home store, like Wal-Mart of Target. I will link where I got mine here!

Cast Iron Skillet

Honestly, before I met my husband, I had never used a cast iron skillet before. When we moved into our fully furnished home, we had a cast iron to use. And I had no idea what to cook in it! Fun fact about these, is you season them prior to cooking. You first clean them well with hot soapy water. Make sure it is fully dry. Then coat the skillet with vegetable oil. Just a thin layer! Then bake it in your oven at 375 degrees for an hour and voila! One of our favorite recipes to make in these is a nice steak, with butter and garlic! We loved using it so much, we bought our own! I will link where I got mine here!

Bread or Loaf Tin

If there is one dessert I love to have in the Fall, it would have to be banana nut bread! Having a loaf tin around is handy all the time, but having it for the fall especially is great! The great thing about this tin, is there are SO many recipes you can make in one. Meatloaf, pumpkin bread, fruit cake, and seriously so much more! Here is where you can get yours for only $2!!

Pie Tin

Going right along with a loaf pan, having a pie tin almost seems necessary during the Fall season! Especially during Thanksgiving time! Growing up, we always had pumpkin and pecan pie during Thanksgiving, and the same for Christmas! But not only can you make these sweet dessert pies, you can make other kinds too! Shepherds pie, chicken pot pie (one of our favorites), and turkey pot pie! The best part is you can get the disposable ones, or one to keep for however long! Here is where you can get disposable for only $12 for 50, and here is where you can get a more permanent one for $5.29! 

Electric Kettle

This has got to be one of the best appliances I have ever used before. If you are a tea or hot chocolate lover, then this is definitely for you! Not only that, I was able to use one of these in college for things like top ramen and instant mac and cheese! You simply fill the kettle, place it on the pad provided, and the water gets boiling hot (be careful) within minutes! Perfect for those who want a quick fix without waiting over a stove top! Here is where I purchased mine from.

Now this is definitely not the full list of the perfect items you will need this Fall, but it a great start! I honestly got most of these items from Target, but you can get them at most home goods stores! What is your favorite appliance to use in the Fall? 

If you are ever having troubles with your current kitchen appliances, contact us today to set up a service call. Appliance Rescue Service is always here to help!

How To Baby Proof Your Kitchen

For anyone who has had children before, you know that ‘baby-proofing’ the house is an absolute must! Children, especially babies who have now learned to crawl/walk, love exploring the home and getting their hands on any and everything they can! As a new mom myself, my son is now at the stage of a super fast crawl, attempting to walk when he wants. So baby-proofing my whole house is absolutely necessary! One of my last rooms I need to proof is my kitchen. But what exactly do I need to lock up?? This was my next mission!! Thanks to some helpful advice of friends and family, I think I have mastered the kitchen with making it completely baby-friendly! (As in, babies can go in and not get hurt! Here are some things that I have done to ensure my kitchen doesn’t become a danger zone for toddlers!

1) Cabinets & Drawers

The number one goal of my son’s is to get into every single drawer and cabinet he can find. Especially the pots and pans cabinet! So this was my first goal to tackle! Not to mention, we carry all our cleaning supplies under the sink, so that is a definite must! We fortunately have the slow closing cabinet doors, but we needed something a little better. We invested in those adhesive cabinet locks (Target , $9.89)  that you stick to the back of the door, with a little latch on the back! And Boom!! Our cabinets can’t get into anymore! (Besides us) 

2) StoveTop & Oven

The next item to lock up was our oven. The oven in our home is directly next to the entrance into the kitchen, so that is one of the first things my son goes for. He enjoys standing up, and tapping on the glass as if someone was in there, and he wanted to say ‘hello!’ However, I always worry that he is going to pull down on the handle and hit his little noggin! I didn't even know that an oven lock was a thing, but apparently it is! These locks, which are actually all purpose locks, look like a little latch that keep the items shut! It can be used on ovens, microwaves, dishwashers, etc. We got ours at Target for $9 and it works wonders!

3) Trash Cans

So this may not seem like something you would need to proof, but for our son we did! He is at the age of trying to stand up by grabbing onto things. So he will try to grab the trash can and stand up, but the bin isn't heavy enough to hold his weight from pulling! The only thing we could think of is getting a better trash can, or ensuring the trash can has a lid on it! If not, we always just put the trash in our garage!

4) Cooking Safely

Lastly, we have had to make sure that we are cooking as safely as possible. My husband’s favorite food is tacos, so we are constantly frying up some shells for them! One thing I have always made sure of is that we feed our son during the time we cook. So we bring his highchair into the kitchen, and feed him soft finger foods while we eat to keep him busy form exploring during cooking! This has been the best method for us!!

Honestly, being a parent is hard! And trying to protect our children from getting hurt almost seems impossible. But there are so many measures you can take to make sure that you can do what you can! 

IMPORTANT NOTICE: RECALL ON GLASS COOKTOPS

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2019/whirlpool-recalls-glass-cooktops-with-touch-controls-due-to-burn-and-fire-hazards