QUESTION: I’m trying to figure out how much weight I will lose if I use walking as my primary form of exercise. Do you have any charts or other information on this subject? K.C., Anniston. ANSWER: You will lose — so start walking. Don’t delay; time’s ‘a wasting. Now, how much will you lose? It depends on your weight. A person weighing 120 pounds will burn approximately 4.0 calories per minute walking three miles per hour (mph). That’s what that person would do by taking 20 minutes to walk one mile. Walking four mph that same person would burn 5.8 calories per minute, according to the chart we consulted from the Human Performance Research Center at Brigham Young University. A person weighing 220 pounds will burn 5.9 calories per minute walking at three mph or 8.5 per minute walking at four mph. Using the above information as a guide, you can probably figure out a good estimate of the calories you burn per minute based on your specific weight and the speed at which you walk. If you have access to the Internet go to http://www.preventdisease.com/healthtools/articles/while_walking200.html, for detailed information. For even more charts and features on this subject go to www.google.com and search for "calories burned walking."
Some cooks say parchment paper is the best
QUESTION: Tell me how to use parchment paper. My neighbor who moved left some for me in a box she gave me containing other kitchen articles. I’ve never used parchment paper. Do you use it like wax paper or foil, of which I have plenty and use all the time? T.C., Oxford.ANSWER: Don’t get rid of your wax paper or foil, but cooks we contacted who use parchment paper say it’s their favorite paper in the kitchen. Here’s a list of the ways they use it: Line cake pans to keep the batter from sticking. It can be peeled off with no problem. Makes baking more even. Cookies turn just the right color on top and bottom. Put it under casserole dishes that may create spills in the oven. Use it to protect baked goods from direct heat when necessary. Parchment paper cleans up easily, just wipe it clean with a warm, soapy cloth and rinse. Use a piece again and again. When you’ve used a piece for several times, don’t toss it. Use it as freezer wrap to protect frozen food from freezer burn. Start using it for the above purposes and you’ll soon find other uses yourself. You’ll never want to be without parchment paper once you use it, say the cooks.
Use vinegar to clean gas oven
QUESTION: I have always cooked on an electric stove and kept the oven clean by using ammonia rather than commercial cleaners. Now that we’ve moved and the house has a gas stove in it I’m wondering if I should use the ammonia in the presence of a gas pilot light. Can you find out for me? P.W., Anniston.ANSWER: A spokesman for AlaGasCo warns not to use ammonia to clean a gas oven with a pilot light. You can, however, use vinegar in lieu of ammonia. Pour a cup of vinegar (preferably white) in a flat casserole dish or pan, set it in the oven and leave it overnight or at least six hours. Take an old terry bath cloth or piece of an old terry towel and scrub away as much of the loose stuff as your can. Then mix together a paste of baking soda and vinegar and use a soft scrubber — not a metal or extremely abrasive scrubber— to clean away the burned on stuff. If the oven has excessive amounts of burned on food, you may have to repeat this cleaning method more than once. Or, just throw up your hands and buy a commercial oven cleaner that is safe to use in a gas oven with a pilot light. Read container labels to choose one you think will best handle the job ahead of you. Good luck.
Tuck in caladiums for a warm winter
QUESTION: My sister and I planted a whole lot of caladium bulbs in this past spring and we’ve really enjoyed them all summer. Must we dig them up to protect them from freezing in the ground during the winter or will mulch offer them enough protection? D.R. and E.R., Anniston.ANSWER: The Master Gardener we spoke with said if you’ll spread on your caladiums a layer of at least six to eight inches of mulch, either crushed leaves, pine straw, grass clippings or a mixture thereof, they should make it through the winter. Next spring, after the danger of frost has passed, usually about April 15, rake the mulch away to encourage the bulbs to sprout new growth. To be on the safe side, if you want to dig up some of the bulbs for safe keeping, do that after the first frost (in November), which will kill this year’s foliage, but not harm the bulbs. Spread the bulbs on newspaper in a safe place until the dirt dries and can be brushed off. Store the bulbs in empty egg cartons, labeling each container with the color of the caladiums you’re housing there for the winter. Store the cartons in a cool, dark place until planting time next spring.
Tips
As a consumer, you may already be aware of the many soybean based food products on the market. But what you may not know is how many other products are made from soybeans, according to the Ohio Soybean Council. Investments in research by the soybean industry have enabled important innovations to take place. It’s these innovations that are helping to improve the quality and efficiency of many industrial products, while conserving our limited resources and remaining:
* biodegradable
* friendly to our environment
* renewable
* an agriculturally derived resource
In processing, soybeans are cleaned, cracked, de-hulled and rolled into flakes. This ruptures the oil cells for efficient extraction. After removal of the soybean oil, the remaining flakes can be processed into various edible soy protein products or used to produce protein meal for animal feeds. Soybean oil finds its way into many edible products, such as mayonnaise and salad dressing, and industrial products such as Biodiesel, Soy Ink and Soy Crayons, just to name a few. Lecithin, a natural emulsifier and lubricant extracted from soybean oil, is used for everything from chocolate candy to pharmaceuticals to protective coatings. Next: The immediate future of soybeans and beyond.
