The Daily Kool has fallen in love again...with hot dogs! Hot dogs, you ask? We recently took a trip back to New York City and relived a tradition from our younger professional days. You guessed it. The "dirty" dog. You know what we're talking about. Those amazing hot dogs you get on the street corner for a couple of dollars...piping hot dog, freshly steamed buns and all the luscious toppings you can get on top. Getting hungry yet? There's just something about the "dirty" New York City water that makes those hot dogs taste absolutely amazing. We can't figure out what it is, but a "dirty" dog is an experience that everyone who visits the city should have. Your life will never be the same. We just wish we could recreate this hot dog nirvana at home.
Thanks to a local Atlanta inventor, now we can get pretty close. We came across Chris Schutte on QVC last week, demonstrating his innovation, the EZ Steam Grill universal steaming insert. We were intrigued enough to go out and do a little more research. Frankly, the man himself is as inspiring as his invention. It seems that after becoming a victim of today's struggling economy in 2008, the suddenly unemployed father of two was able to turn adversity into profit with a dream fifteen years in the making. And it all started with a typical man's love for the stadium hot dog.
This two-piece combination set comes with two universal steaming inserts (6.5" and 8.75") that are adjustable to fit any medium to large pot to make a perfect hot dog in less than five minutes. Simply place the insert in the pot and boil some water. The "grill" rack design allows you to slip a couple of hot dogs into the water through the cross-shaped center opening to boil, place the buns on top of the EZ Steam Grill, cover and cook for a few minutes. That's all there is to it, folks.
Not ones to be impressed with a one dish wonder (no matter how addicting), it's nice to know that we can use the EZ Steam Grill universal steaming insert to prepare a host of delicious meals besides the hot dog. Imagine the ease of preparing a yummy dish of steamed salmon, tender-crisp broccoli and fettuccine alfredo in a single pot. Or spice up some chicken and asparagus to steam and plate with already prepared brown rice. Love steamed lobster tails with melted butter? A little creativity is all it takes to get a beautiful and healthy meal with the EZ Steam Grill. We love how much versatility this product adds to our existing pots. Keep in mind though, this product does not seem to be designed to feed a larger family at once. Plan on cooking for about 2-3 people for the more complex meals, unless of course you use two pots and both inserts. Hot dogs only take a few minutes, so you could probably do a quick batch for a larger crowd, doing two or three at a time (per insert).
The EZ Steam Grill universal steaming insert guarantees a perfect hot dog every time. Easy to use, reasonably priced (around $15 for the set of two) and oh, so convenient, this "kool" idea is the next best thing to having your very own New York or stadium hot dog vendor. Now, if we could only arrange to have the city's "dirty" water shipped to us regularly, our lives would be perfect...well, almost.
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Fall is a busy time for The Daily Kool family. This is the time of year that we celebrate the season with large dinner parties. Oh, and we invite everyone! Ah, yes...food is definitely the catalyst that brings us all together. Always has been. It's nothing for us to expect 30-40 guests in our admittedly small home for an elaborate dinner. Over the past ten years of our marriage (yikes!), our household has truly become the destination for meals galore. We only have one rule...no one brings food. Bottles of wine? Sure. Soda? Absolutely. The food though, is our domain, and we always look forward to testing out new and exciting dishes on our more than willing company. Have we mentioned how much we love to cook?
We live for the moment when our guests marvel at the sheer genius of our culinary skills...not that it happens often. Okay, we admit it...we always mess a couple of things up with every dinner. We have so many dishes in various stages of preparation, cooking and plating, at least a few of them always fall through the cracks. Over-boiled soup, scorched veggies, mushy risotto and dry (we sometimes forget to baste) turkey are just a few examples of the disasters we've encountered over the years. It's not easy staying on top of everything all at once.
Thank goodness for our cousin. Last time she came over, she gave us this absolutely adorable Done Right multiple cook time kitchen timer as a hostess gift. Check it out...there are five (count them) separately functioning timers in one oven-shaped package. Each of the five timers gives off a sound flashes with a light when ready. This little guy is just what we need to stay on track! We love how we can correspond the stove top timers with each of our burners, while the front timer reminds us when to check the oven. We were actually amazed how easy the Done Right timer was to program, even for us technically inept folks. Just press the 1 or 5 minute increment button until the desired time is reached and press start...it's that simple. Seriously, how great is this little gadget? And, why didn't we think of it first, darn it?
There are a couple of things that we've noticed with our own Done Right multiple cook time kitchen timer that we wanted to pass along. First off, the alarm itself is fairly low, which is why they've added the flashing light component, we suppose. It would have been nice to have a volume adjustment option. Honestly though, it's not much (if at all) lower than our regular oven timer. Plus, one of us is always in the kitchen, so it's not particularly a problem for us. Also, we always use the company's suggestions for prolonging battery life. When we aren't cooking up a storm, we remove one of the four AA batteries, and usually make sure to stop the flashing light before its one-minute automatic shut off. You can find this kitchen timer at several websites, including Amazon, Target and Walmart. Our research though, shows that QVC seems to currently have the best price at just under $20 (plus shipping)...this the the main link we've provided throughout the post.
We love our Done Right multiple cook time kitchen timer so much, we leave it out on our stove top, even when we're not using it. Sure, it's a little larger than your standard kitchen timer, but talk about a fabulous conversation piece. What a wonderful novelty gift for anyone who spends oodles of time in the kitchen...particularly those of us who need a little help with the orchestration and execution of our larger dinner parties. Form and function are definitely the right combination with this super "kool" idea. Of course, we've just eliminated our best (and most plausible) excuse for a not-so-perfect meal. Aargh...the pressure!
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Guess what The Daily Kool found out? There is actually a National S'mores Day, and it's today (August 10)! Ah, s'mores...the delicious gooey campfire treat that is made up of graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows. These are even worse than those potato chips (sorry, Lays). There is no way we can eat just one...we need "s'more, s'more!" Hence, the name. Bet you didn't know that, did you?
We have to admit that we're a bit confused, though...it happens to us often, we're afraid (must be the sugar high). Why on earth is National S'mores Day in August when National Camping Month is June? Darn it...now we have yet another excuse to indulge in this decadent dessert. Our taste buds might be cheering, "Hooray," but our ever-expanding waistlines are shouting "No way." No doubt about it, taste buds win hands down. There's only one problem. How do we make s'mores at home without the benefit of a roaring campfire?
Check out the Micro S'mores microwave s'mores maker. We came across this nifty little gadget while watching the cooking show on QVC yesterday...Sunday's cleaning day, and we do need some non-cartoon entertainment every once in a while. Anyway, Micro S'mores (complete with recipe book) claims to make the most delicious s'mores you've ever had in ten seconds or less. The process is simple...just load the Micro S'mores with a graham cracker, chocolate and one marshmallow (don't forget to top with another cracker), pop on the lid and microwave on high for 10 seconds. The domed cover is apparently designed to ensure even microwave energy distribution from the inside out, keeping the graham cracker crisp while completely melting the chocolate and marshmallow. At the same time, the auto-plunger applies just the right amount of pressure to form the perfect s'more.
While it is unlikely that the Micro S'mores will yield that true roasted marshmallow flavor of a traditional s'more (really, how could it?), it certainly offers a yummy alternative. Plus, if it works as well as it seems to on television, The Daily Kool is absolutely sold. The overwhelming positive reviews suggest that the Micro S'mores is just as great as it seems. Sure, we could probably produce passable results with a simple tea light and save the $22 or so. But the Micro S'mores seems like a lot of quick, kid-friendly fun. Plus, it'll give us a great opportunity to experiment with different s'mores flavors, right in our kitchen. How "kool" is that?
We love that the order actually comes with a set of two individually boxed items. We'll probably give the second one as a housewarming gift. Think of how impressive it would be to fill a large basket with the Micro S'mores, surrounded by packages of graham crackers, cookies, marshmallows and different types of chocolate. Oh, yeah...our friends love us. In the meantime, try this twist (albeit extreme) on a genuine classic. Enjoy!Caramelicious Cookie S'moresIngredients
two oversized chocolate chip cookies
1 caramel-filled chocolate piece, your brand of choice (we like Ghiradelli)
1 large marshmallow
Directions: Place the caramel-filled chocolate piece on one cookie, top with a marshmallow, and top with the second cookie. Put it into the Micro S'mores and cook for 7-10 seconds.
Note: If you're going the traditional way, heat your marshmallow over a fire. Place the chocolate onto a cookie. Top one cookie with your toasted marshmallow and close like a sandwich.
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We know what you're thinking...why on earth would The Daily Kool be discussing a Christmas tree trim set in July? Well, ever loyal to our readers, we simply wanted to give everyone a heads-up to QVC's full weekend of everything you need for gift-giving and decorating. Hey, the big day is only five months away, and quite frankly...most of us are pretty broke in today's economy. We're all for preparing earlier this year and, of course, taking advantage of as many deals as we can get before the holiday season actually begins.
Let's be honest here...a bunch of Jews giving Christmas advice may sound kind of ridiculous. Hey, we can appreciate a beautifully decorated Christmas tree just as much as the next person! Besides, this particular Christmas tree trim set really looks amazing. Don't just take our word for it either. The 87-piece kit, put together by designer David Shindler is a customer top-rated item from QVC's Christmas collection. If you're looking for a truly professionally designed look, this set is definitely for you. Plus, it's on sale with five easy payments and no shipping costs. Sounds like a pretty great value to us!
We absolutely love the consistent reviews about the high quality of the ornaments that come with this complete Christmas tree trim set. The kit comes with everything you need to decorate a 6' - 7-1/2' tree, including a whopping 50 blown-glass balls that are either solid, hand-painted or marbleized. Add a bunch of winterberry decorator sprays, tassels, teardrops, blown-glass shapes, fabric garlands and a tree topper...you're all set to decorate the Christmas tree of your dreams.
Well...maybe. It kind of depends on how professional you really want your style to be. We can certainly see this complete Christmas tree trim set being perfect for an office environment. But at The Daily Kool, we put our kids in charge of our holiday decorations, and spend weeks with them creating hand-crafted masterpieces. This set may be just a little too perfect for a family that prefers the construction paper garland and bead project look. Then again, what do we know (Jews, remember)? Keep in mind that if you're looking for a specific color combination, this style may not be for you. You should also expect that with such a large kit, there will be some pieces that just don't appeal to you...they can't please everyone, you know.
The complete Christmas tree trim set by David Shindler will undoubtedly allow you to create a beautiful focal point in your home this holiday season. Bold colors, rich fabrics and elegance galore, QVC has given its customers quite the value with this kit. This is a truly magnificent collection of color-coordination to help create a stunning masterpiece out of your Christmas tree. Definitely a "kool" idea.
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Sunday, our two boys decided to surprise us with a delicious breakfast in bed...a bowl of cereal is the extent of their culinary talents. As we were listening to them bustle about downstairs (yes, we know everything that goes on in our house), we had a debate as to who would spill milk all over the floor...yep, it was the seven year old! Poor things...they were so upset! Independence is always so important to little ones, but let's face it...those gallon jugs of milk are heavy! After we dried the kids tears and cleaned up the mess, we all sat down together for a family discussion...the thought was wonderful, but maybe next time they should surprise just one of us and recruit the other to help. Milk containers are just not designed with kids in mind.
Sometimes, life is full of strange coincidences. We were watching QVC later that afternoon (we love the kitchen shows), when they introduced the Pour Thing 1 gallon and 2 liter pouring device. What a "kool" idea! Simply place your 1 gallon jug of milk or juice in the container, take off the cap, and tilt it to dispense just the right amount of liquid...no strain, no spills and no more tears. Great for children, the elderly or adults with arthritis, Pour Thing's patented easy hinge swing design allows for perfect pours every time. The best part? It fits conveniently right on the shelf of the refrigerator...all pouring can be done right from there without any lifting. Just make sure you keep enough room to accommodate the swing as you pour.
We like that QVC offers both the 2 liter and 1 gallon pouring device in one package...plus, it's the best deal that we could find online. However, while watching the presentation, we couldn't help but coming up with a "wish list" for future versions of the Pour Thing. For example, 2 liter soda bottles are not used in The Daily Kool household, but we do have a preference for 64 ounce containers of juice. There should be a way to make the Pour Thing adjustable to accommodate a larger variety of containers, with perhaps a small bungee cord that hooks in the back to keep each one in place. What can we say? We prefer our products to be a little more adaptable.
Regardless, the Pour Thing is undoubtedly a "kool" idea and one we may well decide to get in our household. All this so our kids can succeed in their next attempt at breakfast in bed? Lightweight, durable and convenient, the Pour Thing will certainly help them gain the independence they so crave. It just might be worth it...we can always give the 2 liter device to our parents.
The Daily Kool kitchen is pretty small. It's one of those longer, narrower styles that doesn't exactly lend itself to more than one person at a time. Bottom line....we always seem to be running out of room, especially when we are cooking and preparing for company. Oh, how we wish our kitchen was large enough to have a big, beautiful island in the center of it!
When we saw this folding island kitchen cart with butcher block top on QVC a few months ago, we knew we absolutely had to buy one. What an attractive piece of functional furniture! We admit that the $190 price tag gave us a quick pause, but the free shipping and easy pay option convinced us to call and order it anyway. We have to tell you...it was so worth the purchase.
The folding island kitchen cart is not for the faint of heart...the durable hardwood construction with a natural finish and stainless steel frame makes this a really solid, sturdy and yes, quite heavy piece. The butcher block top can handle up to 80lbs while each of the other two tiers hold up to 30lbs each. In case you were wondering, the kids each loved the ride around the living room we gave them on it...definitely not recommended, but fun nonetheless. We love that it came beautifully packed and completely assembled. The company has certainly put a lot of thought and handy features into this product, including two stainless steel side towel bars with six movable hooks, a wine glass rack (under the butcher block top) and a removable three-bottle wine caddy. Plus, the caster wheels are super convenient...they swivel for easy steering and lock in place to help ensure stability. The best part? Although the folding island kitchen cart boasts nine-square feet of work space, it collapses down to a mere 5 1/2 inches wide for easy storage. We keep ours in that extra space between the refrigerator and the wall when we're not using it...although, the piece is definitely lovely enough to keep on display all the time if you have the room.
We have found so many uses for our folding island kitchen cart, but it's most often an extra space for food preparation in The Daily Kool household. The 36" height is perfect for the kids, providing an area where they can help without being in the way. When we have company, often use the folding island kitchen cart to bring all the hot food out at the same time...then it becomes our beverage station, making more room on the table for the food we've just served. Be careful, though...like with all quality wood furniture, make sure you don't slice vegetables or put hot dishes directly on the butcher block surface and tiered shelves...if you protect it with a cutting board and trivets, the folding island kitchen cart will undoubtedly last for many, many years.
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