The Frightful Feast Continues

Halloween Themed Meals

Last week we made you a promise: real food ideas for dinner, but with enough of a Halloween twist to distract the kids from the impending sugar rush (at least momentarily).

This post brings you three entrees full of creepy, spooky, tasty Halloween goodness.

We do use shaped molds in one recipe. If you opt to use that recipe, be sure to get metal or heat-resistant silicon molds so you'll be able to put them in the oven. They're available at your local Target or Wal-Mart for between two and twelve dollars, as store brand or name brand. Wilton makes the best, in our opinion - the cutest for sure, but also the most expensive.

If you don't want to spend the extra time or money on shaped molds, we've provided a couple of "handy" alternatives at the end.

Fried Worms and Stranglevine Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 package hot dogs or Polish sausages

1 jar mild pickled pepper rings or slices

1 Tablespoon olive oil

8 slices wheat bread

Ketchup, mustard, relish, etc., to taste

Tools:

Frying pan, cutting board

Step One:

Cut your hot dogs or sausages into quarters. Sometimes we feel quarters are a bit too broad and cut them into eighths, which cook quicker anyway.

Step Two:

Drain the vinegar from your pepper rings and rinse them off so the pickled taste isn't quite so strong.

Step Three:

Put your bread into the toaster. Crispy slices hold up much better; you may wish to toast them a little longer than your usual setting.

Step Four:

Heat the olive oil in your frying pan and toss in the sausage and peppers to sear.

Step Five:

Scoop a generous helping of "worms and vines" onto your toast, and garnish with your favorite condiments before serving.

Brain Loaf

Ingredients

2 lbs fine ground turkey or ground beef ( it’s up to you)

1/2 cup chopped, steamed cauliflower (cooled)

2 eggs

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup minced onion

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

BBQ sauce or ketchup for decorating

Tools:

Two small aluminum mixing bowls (the rounder the better), large mixing bowl, baking sheet

Step One:

Preheat your oven to 375. While it's heating, mix your turkey - we like to use Honeysuckle White brand Italian seasoned turkey link sausage, but remove the casing - with your cauliflower, egg, breadcrumbs and spices in a large mixing bowl.

Step Two:

Grease your two small aluminum mixing bowls lightly with nonstick spray, butter or oil - whatever you have on hand. Fill them to about 3/4 full with your turkey mixture.

Step Three:

Place your two mixing bowls onto a baking sheet and slide it into the oven. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Test with a meat thermometer if you're not sure whether or not they're cooked through.

Step Four:

Loosen around the edges with a butter knife and turn the bowls upside down onto the dish you'll be serving from.

Step Five:

Use your ketchup or BBQ sauce to draw squiggles on your "brain" before cutting to serve.

Pirate Bones in Seaweed

This is the recipe where those shaped molds come into play! Skulls and crossbones are ideal for what we've called it here, but feel free to make up your own fun name to go with jack o'lantern, brain, bat or ghost shaped molds, or whatever else you can find. Get creative! And don't forget to poll the kids if you have them around - they often have brilliant ideas.

Ingredients:

Pirate Bones:

[Use the same recipe from "Brain Loaf" to make your skull and crossbones meatballs]

Seaweed:

2 yellow squash

2 zucchini

2 carrots

2 Tablespoons butter

Tools:

Shaped silicon mold(s), vegetable peeler or spiralizer, baking sheet, large skillet or pan

Step One:

Preheat your oven to 375. Load your silicon mold(s) full of the meatloaf mixture from the previous recipe. Fill the hollows to the top, and make sure to squish the mixture down into the little details. Having two or more molds is optional, but having more streamlines the process (and you'll only have to get your hands dirty once like that).

Step Two:

Place your silicon mold(s) onto the baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the visible edges of the meat mixture have browned.

Step Three:

Heat the butter in your skillet or pan on low.

Step Four:

While your meatballs are baking, use a spiralizer or a vegetable peeler to either spiral cut or shave thin slices of your vegetables into the melted butter.

Step Five:

Once all the vegetables have been sliced into the pan, turn the heat up and saute them lightly. Season to taste (we like garlic or lemon-pepper seasoning) and arrange into a nest on each plate.

Step Six:

Pop your shaped meatballs out of the molds and divide them up between the dishes of vegetables. Sauce is optional.

Hand Steak and Veggies

Here's the alternate idea we promised you, in the event you weren't interested in the shaped meatballs from the last recipe.

Utilize the meatloaf recipe once more and arrange it into a large hand shape on a baking sheet or in the bottom of a large skillet, and either bake or pan fry until done.

For a slightly less messy option, you could step over to the grocery store and pick up a ham steak or two. Trim up the edges and then cut short lines in from one side to make wide "fingers," and then pan sear.

Serve with your favorite sides, and enjoy your simple, spooky meal!

Happy Halloween!

What did you think? Are you as eager to get into the kitchen as we were?  We hope you’ll let us know over on our Facebook page, we’d love to hear your thoughts on Halloween traditions and food. In the event that one of your appliances has given up the ghost, or is just being ghoulish, you can always call or visit our website to make an appointment. 

Three Top Ovens For 2020

KitchenAid / Maytag / Samsung Convection Ovens Compared 

Prices / Features / How Well Do They Stack Up?

As fall is here many of us are thinking of cooking and baking and creating memories with our loved ones. The commonality with these things is your oven. Some of us have a fantastic relationship with our oven. Some of us don't. This week we are looking at the top three electric wall ovens for those of you who are looking to start a new relationship. Will be taking a look at KitchenAid, Maytag, and Samsung. All three are convection ovens. If you want to brush up on what that means you can check out our post here.

Along with the price and features for each oven we also had a set of parameters that they were rated on. The expected reliability or how often are you going to be calling your favorite repair people to come and fix something. Baking because you need to know how well it can handle Grandma's favorite cookies.  Broiling, how well does it handle cooking burgers, roasts and the like.  And how much does the company say it can hold versus how much it actually can, also known as oven capacity. We rated these on a system of five stars, based on how well they handle the various tests. 

KitchenAid KOSE500ESS 

The kitchen aid oven Is our first contender. It's called the Even Heat True Convection oven and offers up consistent heating for even cooking. 

• With a bow tie design for the convection element to ensure "no more burnt edges or undercooked center" . 

• The KitchenAid has a 5 cubic foot capacity. 

• It offers satin glide rollout extension rack and a system that KitchenAid claims takes the guest work out of convection cooking. 

• It also comes with a temperature probe to allow the accurate measurement of internal temperatures without having to open the oven. Personally we like that option. You don't have to risk ruining something just in order to check the temperature. 

• It also offers flexible design elements to allow it to match the height of your existing cabinets. 

The KitchenAid scored only a three for predicted reliability. Unfortunately KitchenAid does have a history of numerous issues. It makes up for it in the other three categories however. In baking, when testing both cakes and cookies on two different racks, it rated four out of five. They weren’t perfect, but very close. Broiling we had to give it a five. When broiling on high heat the KitchenAid did amazingly. Oven capacity also scored a five. You’re getting exactly what they say you are which for a price of $,2499, that’s not a bad thing.

Maytag MEW9530FZ

Our second contender is the Maytag. 

• It is 30 in wide and 5 cubic feet, the same as the KitchenAid. 

• It offers true convection with a single fan and a third element.

• It also offers the FIT system to ensure that it matches the height of your counters. 

• A key feature for this oven is the precision cooking. This combines precise preheat, precise bake, and precise broil. 

• It has a heavy duty rollout rack to ensure long lasting easy to use oven racks. 

• It also has a variable setting for broiling.

While the Maytag doesn’t have as many features as the other two on our list, what it does offer, it does well. It’s priced at $1730, which is less than either of the other two. It landed solidly at a four in predicted reliability, baking, and broiling, with a five for oven capacity. This model of the Maytag is a fantastic purchase if you are looking for a solid new oven that won’t break the bank. 

Samsung NV51K777OSG

Our final contender is the Samsung. Unlike our previous opinions on the Samsung refrigerators your blogger is very enamored with this oven. 

• The Samsung is 5.1 cubic feet in comparison to the previous two ovens. It might not seem like much but who knows that extra bit could be exactly what you need if you do a lot of cooking of poultry or large meats. We don't judge. 

• The Samsung offers a Flex Duo system. This enables you to cook two different dishes at two different temperatures at the same time. They manage this with a removal divider and dual temperature controls. 

• They also unlike the others offer a steam cook option with a compartment for water and a system to evenly disperse it. 

• It comes with two convection fans. 

• The knobs are illuminated when the oven is on which means no more asking “Is it on did I preheat the oven or do I just think I did.” 

• It does come with a companion asked and Wi-Fi connectivity which you know we're not too keen on. However the companion app does allow you to preheat the oven from anywhere, turn it off if you're not at home, or check and adjust the temperature if you're doing something else. 

• The one point of similarity to the other ovens is that it offers a heavy duty gliding rack which allows you to pull it out to almost full extension while it has something still on it.

•  And last but not least it has pre-programmed a recipe guide to help you and learning to use your convection oven to its fullest extent. 

Rounding out our list, the Samsung is… a little weird when it comes to our ratings. It got three fours and one five, but it didn’t end up with the same spread as the Maytag before it. Instead, the fours are for predicted reliability, baking and the oven capacity of all things. The five is actually for how well the Samsung handles broiling. So, although the features list it as 5.1 cubic feet, we didn’t agree. If you can overlook that bit of fudgery, we think the Samsung is well worth its price of $2790. 

So if you're looking to get a new oven which one appeals the most to you? We'd love to get your thoughts over on our Facebook page. In the event that your current oven or one of your other major appliances is giving you trouble feel free to reach out. We'll help you figure out what's wrong and how to fix it. We're always here whether you want to make an appointment via phone or our website, if you need some maintenance tips or to figure out why your oven won't turn on. 

The Meal Opens On a Fright

Halloween Themed Appetizers  To Terrorize Your Guests

It is officially that time of year.

Many families love Christmas the most, and they put maximum effort into Christmas foods, decorations, films, music and traditions. We're not saying we dislike Christmas, or even that we don't put in that kind of effort, but... It's too early for that. Ignore the department stores.

In this house, Christmas is very closely rivaled by Halloween. We plan Halloween costumes several months in advance. We have Halloween traditions that we trot out every year, and specific decorations that have to make an appearance somewhere around the house, and movies we just have to see. And yes, we do have favorite Halloween recipes. We'd like to share some with you.

This post will only have appetizers. We'll be back again next weekend with some real food that comes with a Halloween twist. The point is, the recipes will be there for you when you'll need them - right about the time the kids are so obsessed with candy that the idea of meat or vegetables hasn't occurred to them for the last 48 hours.

These recipes are pretty simple. Feel free to get the kids involved! Extra hands can make this a lot easier.

Appetizers:

Mummy Fingers and Spider Guac

Ingredients:

1 bag pretzel rods

1 can pizza or crescent dough

1 container chunky avocado or 3 whole ripe avocados

1 small tub sour cream

1 jar salsa (purchased or homemade)

1 packet guacamole seasoning (or make your own)

Tools:

Baking sheet(s), cutting board, sharp knife, shallow dish (preferably a round one; pie dishes work great), sandwich bag, toothpick(s)

Step One:

Have a little helper break your pretzel rods down to finger size (halves or thirds work well). Remember - this is an exercise where imperfect is perfect, so don't worry about them being even.

Step Two:

Unroll your dough onto a cutting board while the oven preheats according to package directions. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into long, thin strips.

Step Three:

Wrap the dough around the pretzel rods as "mummy bandages" and bake according to package directions. (Brush with melted butter if you want some extra flavor, although we felt it didn't need it with the salty pretzels.)

Step Four:

While your "Mummy Fingers" are in the oven, mash your avocados (or just open up your purchased container of avocado) and mix in your seasoning.

Step Five:

Pour your salsa out into a shallow round dish, and spoon your guacamole over top of it. Make sure to put a thick, even layer of guacamole and smooth it out - it will be your blank canvas soon.

Step Six:

Drop a few spoonfuls of sour cream into a sandwich bag and seal it up. Poke a hole through a bottom corner with a toothpick. Test the width of your line on a paper towel if you're not sure about it - but start small. You can always widen it later, but if you start with too wide a line, you'll need a new sandwich bag.

Step Seven:

Use the sour cream to draw your web! Squeeze a circle of sour cream out on top of your guacamole just inside the rim of the dish. Draw a slightly smaller circle inside that one. Repeat the circles, smaller and smaller but not touching, until you reach the center of the dish. Use a toothpick to draw straight lines from the center to the outside of the guacamole, which will stretch and distort your sour cream circles into a web. We like to start with four lines and then split the distance between them to make eight even divisions. If you're so inclined, you could even toss some food coloring in with the leftover sour cream in the bag and draw a sour cream spider in a contrasting color.

Step Eight:

Remove your mummy fingers from the oven and enjoy with your spider guacamole!

Pumpkin Guts Dip

Disclaimer: No pumpkins were harmed in the making of this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 brick cream cheese

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar (preferably orange)

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1/3 cup Buffalo sauce (or more if you'd like)

3-5 Tablespoons heavy cream or ranch dressing

1/3 cup garbanzo beans, pureed

1 carrot, finely shredded

1 can chunk chicken breast, drained (optional)

Celery sticks ("pumpkin stems") for dipping

Tools: Fine grater, sauce pan, serving dish, platter

Step One:

Toss all of your cheeses into a shallow sauce pan and turn the heat on low. Cover with a lid and allow the cream cheese to melt, stirring every few minutes.

Step Two:

As your cheeses melt, pour in your Buffalo sauce and cream or dressing. Stir well to incorporate.

Step Three:

Add your pureed beans and stir. Grate your carrot directly into your sauce pan, stirring occasionally to prevent mounds of carrot lumping up in the middle of the pan. If you're also using chicken, now is the time to add it. After stirring everything well, cover the pan and increase the heat to medium-low.

Step Four:

Cook over medium-low heat until bubbly. While it's cooking, wash and chop your celery and arrange it on a platter.

Step Five:

Have your little helpers, if present, taste test. Add more cream or dressing or cheese if it's too spicy or too thick, and add more Buffalo sauce or a dash of Tabasco if it's too mild.

Step Six:

Pour into a serving dish, add it to your platter of "stems" and dig in!

What did you think? Are you as eager to get into the kitchen as we were? We hope you’ll let us know over on our Facebook page, we’d love to hear your thoughts on Halloween traditions and food. In the event that one of your appliances has given up the ghost, or is just being ghoulish, you can always call or visit our website to make an appointment. 

Fire Dangers : What Are You Looking For?

Electrical Fires and How You Can Work To Prevent Them

Did you know that electrical fires are one of the top causes of the over 24,000 fires reported every year? October is Fire Safety and Awareness Month and we at Appliance Rescue Services wanted to do our part to keep you and your families safe. We'll dig in by talking about what are some of the most common causes, how to prevent them, and gear you should have in your home.

Fires: The Facts

Out of the 24,000 plus fires every year, Texas is one of the three leading the nation in fire deaths according to the US Fire Administration. The other two are California and New York. We will point out that these are fires caused from within the home rather than outside sources such as wildfires. Appliances are the number four cause of electrical fires within the home. 

Some of the top causes for electrical fires are wiring, overheating, and improper use of power cords. 

The wiring is the one that is the most clear cut. If cords are frayed,, exposed, or otherwise damaged the possibility of sparking and causing fires is a logical possibility. Some examples are inside of an appliance such as your oven or your dryer,or inside of an outlet that hasn't been properly grounded. 

When it comes to our homes, every year we add more electrical items. Naturally they require more power but we don't always have the number of outlets that we need for our new toys. So instead we might hook extension cord into extension cord and overheat the wiring by drawing too much power through it all. That can cause the internal wires to melt and allow the outer casing to deteriorate which can then cause fires.

Fires: Prevention

So how do you go about preventing these? For the first one, going over cables regularly is a good idea. You should also have your appliances checked out, in addition to the outlets that they hook into. 

It's also a good idea to clean out your dryer every 6 months to get rid of all the built-up lint. (Note that we're not talking about the lint-catch there. We're talking about the outtake duct. Your lint-catch should be cleaned out after every load.) 

Another thing to keep an eye on is if lights start to flicker. This could mean that the wiring from the switch to the light is damaged in some way. If your outlets have an odd smell when running you might look into how they're doing.  As for not having enough outlets; we suggest either having an electrician install new ones or carefully moving items around the room to make best use of the outlets you do have. Hooking extension cord into extension cord is never a good idea. 

Fires: The Gear

Now that we've covered the scary stuff, and the boring stuff, let's get into how to deal with fires. 

In this case the old adage a good offense is the best defense holds true. Your best bet when it comes to fires is to have tools and systems in place well before a fire ever breaks out.

When it comes to a fire it's not just the smoke and heat that are an issue but also carbon monoxide.

Installing dual sensors for both carbon monoxide and smoke is a first and basic step. You should test the batteries monthly and replace them yearly to ensure they stay in working order. The great thing about modern dual sensors is that many of them will be part of a system that you can have send information either to your local fire department or to your home monitor system.

You should also consider a home fire sprinkler system spread throughout your house. 

They can extinguish a fire if it's a small one . They can prevent it from spreading to other areas of the home. And most importantly they can decrease the chance that smoke and deadly gases will reach your family. 

If you're like many of our clients in the Frisco and McKinney areas then you probably have a two-story home. Every bedroom should be equipped with a fire escape ladder. This way in the event of a fire on the first floor you still have a way to get out. The good news is that these are collapsible and easily put away.

Having a fire blanket or two such as in your kitchen or in your garage is a good idea. These are useful for minor fires such as in the kitchen. they can also be wrapped around someone if their clothes have caught on fire.

Fire extinguishers are also something to have scattered throughout your home. You can get training from either your local fire department or a manufacturer. They'll walk you through both the PASS system as well as a few tips for before you use one.

P- pull the pin

A- aim at the base of the fire

S -squeeze the handle slowly and evenly

S- sweep from side to side

Some basic tips:

  Ensure that it's properly charged. This should be something you check once a month along with testing your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Make sure that your back is to an exit before using, you want to make sure that you can get out.

Make sure that everyone either is leaving or has left the house before using the fire extinguisher.

Even with all of this we know that we plan to start a fire in our backyards as the nights get cooler. Fire and electricity  are  like many things we've discussed, a tool to make our lives easier. So as we turn up the heat as temperatures get cooler, remember the boundaries of these tools. Keep your home and family safe and be aware of the way you use electricity. 

If you have any tips that you think we missed or tools that you'd like to recommend for fighting a fire please let us know over on our Facebook. And if you think that there might be an issue with one of your appliances you can always call us or go to our website to set up a maintenance appointment.

What you want to know about speed ovens

The best of both worlds or too good to be true?

How often do you rush home after work fighting to try and figure out something that you can make that won't take all of your remaining free time and is still healthy? How often does that end up being a meal you toss into the microwave and choke down because it's been turned to mush, cardboard, or rubber? Would you believe us if we said that there was a way to cook without spending hours or eating cardboard afterwards? Today, we're talking about speed ovens. A speed oven is a relatively new type of appliance in the realm of cooking. What are they really, are they worth the hype, and how much would you be spending if you decided to put one in your kitchen.

What is a Speed Oven? 

Let's start off with what they are. Speed ovens combine a convection oven, a microwave, and if you choose, a grill element. They're supposed to be able to reduce the amount of time it takes to cook with a conventional oven, while also avoiding dehydration of food like a standard microwave. They take very little if any time to preheat, which is a drawback of most standard ovens.They often come with a variety of different pre-programmed modes or recipes to make things even easier.

A typical program for example would be baking. Most of us bake even if it is just around the holidays or special occasions. Something that would typically take you say an hour to bake in a normal oven would take roughly half the time using a speed oven. (Depending of course on the model.) This would be something wherein you would have 90% convection and 10% microwave. This innovative combination of different methods of cooking allows the speed oven to shorten the amount of time it takes to make your food. Some people swear by them, some people hate them. We think it's best to keep your manual nearby so that you can learn the different modes and cooking methods and make the best of this nifty appliance. 

Most of them are built and modeled after wall ovens. While some do come with the option to be freestanding, the larger majority of them are meant to be built into your existing cabinetry.

Who makes them? 

The three top speed ovens currently in the field in our opinion at least are made by Miele, Wolf, and Thermador. 

Miele H6700BM Built In Stainless Steel 24” ContourLine

1.52 Cu Ft

M Touch Intuitive Controls

19 Operating Modes

Rapid Preheat

Roast Probe

Over 100 MasterChef Menu Options

Comfort Swivel Handle

Clean Touch Steel

Stainless Steel 

Price: $ 3899

We think this model is best if you regularly host small dinner parties or cook just for your family. This is great for those of us that could use a hand in learning to make more of our ovens

Wolf SPO30CM/B/TH 30” Built In Speed

Dual Convection

10 Cooking Modes

All in One Oven Versatility

Astounding Capacity 1.6 Cu Ft 

Stylish 

Quick Start Controls

Gourmet Mode

Convection Mode

Quartz Broil Element

Keep Warm Mode

3.5 Watt LED Light 

Approximately $ 2580

The Wolf model is something we think best fits the hostess. You're regularly hosting large dinner parties or called on to bring baked goods for PTA meetings and your kids bake sales etc. You know your way around the kitchen and you need an oven that can keep up with you and your demanding life.

Thermador MC30WP  30” Professional Series

1.6 Cu Ft

10 Microwave Power Levels

36 Cook Smart Auto Programs

2 Knobs

Kitchen Timer

Panel Lock

Touch Screen

Standard or Flush Install 

Rounding out our list is the Thermador. We include this one for the professional chef or Baker. You know what you're doing and how to do it and you need a tool that won't flinch at the amount of cooking you plan to do. The Thermador is built for professionals designed by professionals and is just what you're looking for.

So do you have any experience working with a speed oven? Do you think you would benefit from adding any of these to your kitchen? Let us know in the comments down below or over on our Facebook. We would love to hear from you. Although we hope that you've chosen a model that won't give you any issues.

 In the event that you have a speed oven and it's giving you trouble, we do service them. You can always reach out to us via our website or you can call ((214) 599-0055 ) and set up an appointment. We are here to keep  your home in tip top shape.

*Disclaimer: All images belong to their respective companies.