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When Is a Fever Too High?

FitSugar — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:49:00 PST

With the nasty flu bug making its rounds, there's only so much eating healthy, getting enough rest, washing your hands, getting a flu shot, and avoiding germs one can do. If you're unlucky enough to get the flu, your body will hike up your body temperature to boil away all those germs. So is there a point when your temperature can get too high?

When you get the flu, a sudden high fever is totally normal, and it can get as high as 104° F and last for three to four days. The best thing you can do is to rest and drink plenty of fluids, since a fever can cause you to become dehydrated. Don't attempt to cool off your skin with cold packs since they'll just make you shiver, which will end up raising your body temperature. Instead you should alternate between taking Tylenol and ibuprofen every four hours to help reduce your fever. Alternating these meds will help to prevent accidental overdose, and sometimes the combination of the two will be more effective in bringing down your fever. But if your fever persists for more than five days or goes over 104° F, call your doctor and get some medical advice immediately.

Do You Have an Oven Thermometer?

YumSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:00:16 PDT

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?

Product of the Day: SpongeBob Musical Thermometer

GiggleSugar — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 08:00:00 PST

I can't think of anything more miserable than feeling under the weather, shoving a thermometer up your rear (you know, it can go there) and then hearing: "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? SpongeBob! SquarePants!" That's exactly what the Musical SpongeBob Digital Thermometer does. It takes your temp and concludes with a musically-induced headache. Some may confuse this for a kiddie thermometer, but last I heard, child abuse ain't something we encourage in these parts. Click here to hear Bob the temp-taker in action.

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Off To Market Recap: Candy Thermometer

partysugar — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 01:12:19 PDT

Last week YumSugar and I got into a heated discussion about candy thermometers. We both have candy thermometers that we use but are totally disappointed with. I've purchased several of the same one and it breaks every time I use it. YumSugar's thermometer isn't specifically for candy and lacks a fixture to clamp it to the side of the pot. So I asked you to help us out and find the most efficient candy thermometers. I told you it had to be a reliable gadget that actually works. You saved your candy thermometers in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag, Candy Thermometer.

The thermometer that gets me the most excited to make caramel is this digital one found by daddio49. Battery operated and easily attachable to a pot, it can be set for a specific sugar or deep frying temperature. Once the desired temperature is reached, it flashes and beeps-this is a candy thermometer that would make geeksugar proud. Take a look at all of the tools you found by scrolling through the list below.

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To learn more about TeamSugar's fabulous bookmark capability, refer to geeksugar's how to.

The Ultimate Kitchen: Instant-Read Thermometer

YumSugar — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 04:19:32 PDT

A good instant-read thermometer is one tool that is really great to have around the house. I can't tell you the number of times it has saved me from serving undercooked meat or chicken. When choosing a thermometer you want to make sure you get one that is easy to read, has a great response time, is accurate (this should be priority one), and has a well thought-out design.

The thermometer that gets all the praise (you'll see the chefs on America's Test Kitchen touting this one, as well as Alton Brown) is the Thermapen thermometer. It's well known for its super-fast speed and accuracy, plus the probe portion is quite long (you'll be able to get to the true center of a pot roast) and conveniently folds in. It's available in several different colors, however it doesn't come cheap. This guy is the king of thermometers and its price tag shows: $84.95.

Two more that won't break the bank, including one that will let you know when things are done, so

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The Taylor High-Temp Thermometer is a reliable instant-read thermometer that should last for years. The large digital face allows for easy reading, and it has a switch that will convert from C to F. It also has a wide temperature range (-58F to 500F) and is available for $12.99.
Finally, if you're working on a large pot roast, or whole chicken, it's really great to know when something is done. If you constantly have to open the oven door to check, you're letting all that warm air out. To prevent this problem try a programmable cabled thermometer. This one by CDN has a thermometer portion that is on a stainless steel cable and can withstand high heats (just don't put the tip directly on a hot surface). Stick the thermometer into the roast, trail the cable out the door, close the oven and plug the thermometer into the base. The base, has a large digital display and can be programmed to beep once it hits a certain temperature. Now you really can set it and forget it! This model is available for $29.95 and comes with a 5-year warranty.

Savory Sight: Cacao Nib Caramel Corn

Yum Community — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:02:41 PST

Cacao nibs are showing up all over the place these days. My Fare Foodie puts them to good use in a simple microwave version of caramel corn.

Cacao nibs are all-natural bits of ground cocoa beans that have a nice crunch factor, a major amount of antioxidants, and a subtle chocolate flavor. How about we nibble on these little nibs in a batch of homemade caramel corn? Caramel corn can be kind of daunting since candy thermometers, rapid boiling, and extended baking times are typically involved. For this recipe, though, everything is made in the good ole microwave.

Make a bowl of this sweet, crunchy snack for your next movie night. Find the recipe on her blog and upload your unique recipes in our Kitchen Goddess community group.

What to Wear Weather Thermometer: Ga Ga or Gag?

Anna Monette Roberts — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 08:08:55 PST

Especially during colder months when the heater is on full blast, it can be a difficult and exhausting battle to help your kids make appropriate clothing choices. Have your lil ones resisted putting on an additional layer of long underwear only to complain later about being cold? The Apparel Indicating Weather Thermometer ($21) is geared toward kids to help them learn how to read a thermometer and dress accordingly.

The dial features large, colorful pictures indicating the appropriate clothing to wear for the corresponding temperature. There are three regional face options, so whether you live in the north with colder weather, the south with hotter weather, or somewhere in between, you can help your kids make the right clothing choices. Do you love this thermometer or do you think it's unnecessary?

Organize Your Life: 6 Ways to Tame Your Kitchen Drawers

Anna Monette Roberts — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:38:53 PST

The New Year means it's time to start organizing the areas of your life you've neglected, including out-of-sight (but awfully cluttered) kitchen drawers.

Are you guilty of buying more than one measuring spoon set, just to avoid hopelessly digging around your disorganized drawers? Has your junk drawer reached capacity? Speed up your search time and make your kitchen drawers safer and neater with our quick tips. Better organization cuts down on cleanup time for the whole family - and you won't drive yourself crazy searching for the liquid measuring cup ever again.

Click here to check out our drawer-organizing tips.

5 Practical Items to Add to Your Baby Registry (Even Though They Don't Sound Fun!)

Rebecca M Gruber — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 05:31:01 PDT

Walking the aisles of a baby store, it's easy to get wrapped up in the plush towels, adorable mobiles, and the high-tech strollers. While moms-to-be ohh and ahh over all of the options available to outfit their impending arrival, they tend to skip over some of the more practical items that line shelves, thinking they'll get to them in the future. Nail clippers, thermometers, and humidifiers may not be the cutest things on a baby registry, but they'll probably get used more than anything else! Check these and a few other practical items you may have overlooked when building your registry!

6 Must-Have Utensils If You're Making the Turkey This Year

Susannah Chen — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 04:26:24 PST

There's a first time for everything, and for a few brave souls out there, 2011 will be the first Thanksgiving in which you claim responsibility for the turkey. If it's your turn to cook the big bird this year, and you're worried about how it's going to turn out, fear not: we've got answers to every question you may have, whether it's about thawing, pan size, cooking temperature, or brining.

Now that you're fully equipped with turkey cooking knowledge, it's time to ensure you're completely equipped with the right cooking utensils. When we spoke with the experts at Butterball, they emphasized that, if you're going to be presenting the star of the show and you want to do it right, there are six essential kitchen tools you'll need.

A shallow open pan as a roasting vehicle for the turkey.
A roasting rack to place the turkey on, inside the pan. This will lift your turkey away from the direct heat of the pan, and also hold the bird away from the drippings.
Aluminum foil for tenting the turkey. If you're cooking the turkey uncovered, you'll want to place a piece of foil over the top of the breast and drumsticks when the turkey is two-thirds done to prevent the meat from overcooking and drying out.

Find out what the three other must-have tools are when you keep reading.