oven

Simple Tip: Cook Bacon in the Oven
baking

Simple Tip: Cook Bacon in the Oven

Photo: Lauren Hendrickson A couple of years ago I watched the Barefoot Contessa roast bacon in the oven.
by


Photo: Lauren Hendrickson

A couple of years ago I watched the Barefoot Contessa roast bacon in the oven. She was making a BLT and didn't need the bacon fat. I had never thought to bake bacon, and the idea has changed my life! Now, I roast bacon all the time. It's an easy, convenient, and splatter-free way to cook it. Here's what you do:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.
  2. Place the raw bacon in a row on the parchment paper.
  3. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until bacon is crisp and cooked.
  4. Remove bacon to paper towel lined plates, pat dry, and use however you want.

Do you ever cook bacon in the oven?

Use Baking Soda to Eco Clean Your Oven
oven

Casa Quickie: Easy, Eco Oven Cleaning

If you're intent on keeping your casa as eco as possible, you'll want to avoid commercial oven cleaners.
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If you're intent on keeping your casa as eco as possible, you'll want to avoid commercial oven cleaners. Most oven cleaners are chock-full of nasty ingredients, including ethers, ethylene glycol, methylene chloride, and other harsh products. These ingredients are a potential poison hazard for kids and pets, and they can also irritate your eyes, skin, and lungs. Yuck!

So instead, try this nontoxic oven-cleaning trick. Stir baking soda and water together until you've formed a paste. Then coat the inside of your oven with the gooey mixture, and let it sit overnight. The next day, simply scour away the paste. To get your oven looking picture-perfect, spray a cloth with a little bit of all-purpose eco cleaner, wipe down, and call it a day.

Does Your Oven Heat the Whole Kitchen?
kitchens

Does Your Oven Heat the Whole Kitchen?

Now that I've been living in my apartment for a few months, I've learned some things about it.
by partysugar

Now that I've been living in my apartment for a few months, I've learned some things about it. For example, the entire kitchen gets extremely hot when the oven is on. I've never experienced an oven like it. When doing a lot of cooking for a dinner party, I have to put on shorts because I get so hot and sweaty with the oven on! I know turning an oven on will generally heat a kitchen slightly, but mine is pretty severe. Does anyone else have an overly active oven?

How to Put Out an Oven Fire
How To

Simple Tip: Close Oven Door to Put Out a Fire

The other day I was baking a cake and accidentally filled the pans with too much batter.
by partysugar

The other day I was baking a cake and accidentally filled the pans with too much batter. They over flowed while cooking and the batter fell to the floor of the oven and started a fire! Luckily, thanks to my ex-fire-chief father, I knew exactly what to do. Instead of panicking, I removed the cakes and closed the door quickly. I turned off the oven and left it alone for about 10 minutes. This removes the air from the oven and in turn, puts out the fire.

Have you ever had a kitchen fire? How did you deal with it?

Do You Have an Oven Thermometer?
baking

Do You Have an Oven Thermometer?

While I might be a late-night baker, I have never trusted the temperature of ovens.
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While I might be a late-night baker, I have never trusted the temperature of ovens. Instead I rely on a trusty oven thermometer. My somewhat new oven is about 25 degrees cooler than what the knob says, so with my thermometer, I can adjust the temperature and cook time correctly. With Fall in full swing and baking on the brain, I'm wondering, do you use one?

Have You Ever Left the Oven On?
Poll

Have You Ever Left the Oven On?

popsugar pollHave You Ever Left the Oven On?
by partysugar

Casa Quickie: Steer Your Plants Clear of Heat
plants

Casa Quickie: Steer Your Plants Clear of Heat

It's one thing to place your houseplants in direct sunlight, but you won't do them a favor by putting them near a direct heat source (radiator, duct, oven).
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It's one thing to place your houseplants in direct sunlight, but you won't do them a favor by putting them near a direct heat source (radiator, duct, oven). Doing so will dehydrate your beloved plant quickly; even if you water it diligently, the leaves will dry out. The same goes for air conditioners and vents. Plants can't handle extreme temperatures, so consider where you place them. If you happen to live in a professional kitchen, or some sort of sweatbox factory, at the very least make sure to insulate the plant by placing a thick board between the pot and the direct heat source.
Source

Does Your Kitchen Have Two Ovens?
Poll

Does Your Kitchen Have Two Ovens?

Does Your Kitchen Have Two Ovens?
by partysugar