What a great and sunny day in the Northwest!!!  

Today is a day to send some Cool Tips Your Way!
Keep Your Cold Food Cold. 
After all we don’t want the milk curdling and the Ice cream too soft do we?  

Refrigeration

• Like other appliances that heat and cool, refrigerators are big energy users. If your refrigerator door does not shut tightly, check the door seal to see if it needs to be cleaned or replaced. A door leak allows cool air to escape, forcing your refrigerator to use more energy to keep food cold.
• Cleaning the condenser coils found in the back or bottom of the refrigerator will maximize its efficiency. A brush or vacuum can be used. Be sure to unplug the refrigerator before you start cleaning.
• When purchasing a new refrigerator consider a high efficiency model. Compare yellow Energy Guide labels and choose the unit that uses the least amount of electricity.
• A freezer’s efficiency is increased by keeping its compartment full. Be careful not to block the fan that allows cold air to circulate.

Check your refrigerator’s temperature settings for the most efficient appliance operation. Refrigerator temperature should be 36-38 degrees and freezer temperature should be 0-5 degrees.

When your all done checking the Fridge and Freezer how about making some Ice Cream?  

Celebrate National Ice Cream Month!!

NO-COOK STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM

Ingredients
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 (16-ounce) container fresh strawberries or 1 (16-ounce) package thawed frozen strawberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation
Whisk first 4 ingredients in a 2-quart pitcher or large bowl until blended. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Process strawberries, lemon juice, and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth. Stir into milk mixture.
Pour milk mixture into freezer container of a 1-quart electric ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. (Instructions and times will vary.)
Remove container with ice cream from ice-cream maker, and place in freezer 15 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container; freeze until firm, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used a Rival 4-quart Durable Plastic Bucket Ice Cream Maker and a Cuisinart Automatic Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker
Southern Living April 2009