About
Toaster Ovens

     The little chick arrived last spring /twas cute as it could be / It picked away at everything/ To see what it could see.

     Its fuzzy down did not last long/The feathers came on fast/The happy chicken clucked its song /A grown up hen at last.

     The only problem was you see /She was living in her prime /Her future just was not to be/Her life ran out of time.

      She ended up a Sunday treat /That is to say for dinner/A tasty piece of chicken meat/That made the meal a winner.

      A toaster oven did the trick/It baked her to a T./ A better tasting piece of chick/Was never had by me.

    Apple picking time will soon be here.  Happily your toaster oven is made to order for baking fresh apples.  The key to making the best baked apples is apple selection and preparation.  A lot of apples lose their shape when baked.  I found the best variey for baking is the golden delicious.  First peel off a strip around the stem, then remove the core, being careful not to puncture the apple all the way through.  This will allow you to stuff the apple with brown or maple sugar, with nuts and/or raisins, and prevent the filling from leaking out of the bottom of the apple.

     For 6 apples, use 1 cup of brown or maple sugar, adding a tablespoon of nuts or raisins if desired, with l cup of watter, a dab of butter, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tsp ground nutmeg and a pinch of salt.  Place apples in baking pan. Sprinkle with salt to bring out the flavor. Combine the sugar water and spices in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and pour over the apples.  Place in a pre-heated toaster oven at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, until skin can be pierced with a fork.  Enjoy your fall toaster oven treat.

It’s amazing how toasting a sandwich can make it taste much better than it would have tasted untoasted.  Whether it’s because the cheese melts into the other condiments or just the extra crunch of the bread, toasting a sandwich always makes it better.  The best method to toast a sandwich is to use a toaster oven.  While less common in the past, toaster ovens have become an essential cooking appliance on the countertops of millions of people around the world.  Toaster ovens, depending on their size, can also be used to cook pizza, chicken, and even cookies.  For aspiring cooks, a toaster oven provides an alternative to using the oven, which is great when it’s necessary to cook two different dishes at different temperatures.

Toaster ovens are also much easier to clean than a standard oven, and because of their versatility, many cooks prefer to use their toaster ovens over their conventional ovens for meals.  For all their benefits, toaster ovens do have one drawback, and that is it’s more important to be careful when taking hot plates out because of the narrower surface.  It’s possible to burn the top of your hand when taking food out of the toaster oven. 

Nothing’s better than a sweet surprise after dinner.  Here’s a delicious recipe for baked apples that can be cooked in your standard countertop oven.  Whether for you or a herd of guests, this dessert is sure to be a real treat!

Ingredients:

2 Fuji apples
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ cup water
1 tbsp. melted butter

Directions:

Preheat your countertop oven to 375 F.  First you will want to core your apples, don’t peel or slice them.  Next you want to place them in a small baking tray suited for your toaster oven.  In a small bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and sift on top of the apples.  Sprinkle water over the ingredients and put a little in the bottom of the pan.  Drizzle butter over the top of the apples, then place the tray in the countertop oven set at 375 F.  Bake for 30 minutes, and serve

Have you seen all the toaster oven recipes that are out there? Books by famous toaster oven chefs such as “The Gourmet Toaster Oven” by Lynn Alley or “Pop It In The Toaster Oven” by Lois Dewitt are two of my favorites.

These toaster oven “How To” books are found at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. 

Blizzards and ice storms in winter, hurricanes and tornados in summer result in power failures that can put you back in the stone age. However, with a portable generator, a toaster oven gives you the ability to cook food after devastating storm providing immeasureable comfort and relief to loved ones.

Conventional electric ovens are energy hogs beyond the capability of a portable generator. If necessary, the versatile toaster oven can be directly plugged into a generator’s outlet at any location. BE PREPARED!