How To Use Alcohol Inks

Using alcohol inks is something I have not tried before and to be honest I was a little apprehensive, looking at all the different pots of inks, mixers and blending solutions it appeared to be a complex and difficult craft to master.

How To Use Alcohol Inks

How To Use Alcohol Inks

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How To Use Alcohol Inks

How To Use Alcohol Inks

Alcohol inks are dye based multi surface inks that can be used on a variety of surfaces including glossy paper, dominoes, plastic, metal, shrink plastic metal foil, glass and many other materials.

Each color of alcohol ink can be intermixed and should be used with a blending solution which can be used to lighten, blend and even remove colors.

There are also four mixatives, gold, silver, pearl and copper. Together with inks that can be used along side the alcohol inks. They are more solid in colour and have a metallic look to them.

Before you use your inks make sure that the room you are using is well ventilated as they have a strong chemical smell.

You will need a small piece of felt and a small wooden block, or you could make one your self using some wood and some Velcro so you can change the felt when you need to.

Decide which surface you are going to use. If you are making backing paper then I find shiny paper works really well. Choose your ink colors, you can use as many different colors as you like but I tend to stick to just two or three.

Place a few drops of one of the alcohol inks directly onto the felt pad and dab randomly over the paper. Select a different color and repeat the process until the desired look is achieved.

There is no right or wrong way to do this, you can experiMent and see what you like the best.

Add a few drops of the blending solution onto the felt pad and dab all over your piece of paper, this will blend the colours together and give them a softer look.

If you would like your design to have a metallic feel then add a few drops of the mixative and once again dab your paper until you are happy wit how it looks.

You can also drop the inks directly onto the surface of the chosen material and add the blending solution in the same way, this will produce a totally different look but will require more ink to be used.

Alcohol inks can be used on so many different materials before you know it you will be changing the color and look of plastic pots and your photo frames.

By using the gold and rustic looking inks you can make an old photo really stand out by decorating the frame making it look aged but not tatty.

Do not be afraid to experiMent, you can add as many layers as you like until you get your desired effect.

How To Use Alcohol Inks

Best Dishwashers 2011

With so many different dishwashers available in today's market, finding one that's right for you can be a daunting task. You need to look into different factors to narrow down your options. Getting a dishwasher nowadays is not just about getting your dishes perfectly clean or avoiding the laborious dish washing chore, but it also involves getting one that comes with a state-of-the-art design, quieter, yet quality performance, and are energy-efficient at an affordable price.

Best Dishwashers 2011

Best Dishwashers 2011

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Best Dishwashers 2011

Best Dishwashers 2011

Based on the test undertaken by the Good Housekeeping Institute, the 5 best dishwashers in terms of performance, rinsing effectiveness, energy and water consumption, convenience, and value are as follows:

ASKO D3530 tops the list for it's best in overall. Its sophisticated design comes with a stainless steel finish interior and hidden controls. Its interior lights up, for your loading convenience and it also comes with a fold-down tines and cup racks. It's the most water-efficient in both normal and heavy-duty cycles. Highly priced at a little over ,200 is definitely worth the investMent.

Second on the list is the KitchenAid KUDS01FLBL dishwasher. It's easy to load and comes with a removable and height-adjustable upper shelves, which helps fit different sizes of dishes and a mesh sack for smaller wares.

The stainless steel-designed Miele G892SC is third on the list. It's best for pots and pans and is good at polishing hard to clean casseroles, sauce pans, and glasses. It also comes with a height-adjustable upper shelves ideal for big kitchen wares.

Kenmore's Elite 16482 dishwasher comes in fourth. It's packed with baskets for all kinds of kitchen wares. It's also loaded with sensors that can detect load size and soil level and would adjust water volume and temperature. It also comes with other amazing functions, such as sanitizing rince, delayed start, and a child lock, for safekeeping.

The FrigidAire PLDB998CC dishwasher completes the list. It's one affordable dishwasher that offers quality performance. Priced at around 0, it out-performed several high-priced models. It's capable of washing just the lower or the upper shelves, whichever way you want it, saving you time and water if you have less than a full load. It's also loaded with great functionalities, such as high-temperature sanitizing rinse and delayed start.

Best Dishwashers 2011

Best Ever Whipped Potatoes

The humble potato has traveled all around the world and every where it lands, it makes a lasting impression on the people who eat them. But there was a time when no one but the ancient Inca's were eating them. In fact the word potato is derived from the word batata which means sweet potato in Spanish.

Best Ever Whipped Potatoes

Best Ever Whipped Potatoes

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Best Ever Whipped Potatoes

Best Ever Whipped Potatoes

The reason only the Inca's were eating them is because all the other civilizations new the potato to be a member of the nightshade family which are poisonous. So how did the Inca's eat them? Well, they learned how to domesticate them and essentially cultivated a variety that was not poisonous. Christopher Columbus brought them back to Spain in 1492 and from there they spread around the world.

In today's modern supermarket with super variety we can find dozens of kinds of potatoes. In reality there are only 3 kinds to be concerned with. The best way to group them is by the starch content. There are high, medium and low starch varieties. High starch varieties, like the russet and best for baking and making mashed potatoes. The medium starch varieties, like the yukon gold are good all purpose potatoes and they go well inside soups. The low starch varieties such as the norland red are best for boiling and making into potato salad.

So, for our recipe, we are going to need the high starch russets. In total you will need 2.5 to 3 pounds for 10 servings.

We first start out by peeling the russets. You want all the potatoes to be the same size so that they cook evenly so cut up the big ones to match the small ones. Next we add them into a heavy pot. Add just enough cold water to barely cover them. Bring the pot to the stove and salt the water liberally (at least 1 teaspoon or more). Turn the heat to high and cover the pot.

Now, don't go too far. When the water starts boiling, you need to turn down the heat. You don't want to have a rolling boil in the pot. That tends to break up the potatoes and turns the whole thing into soup. Once you have lowered the temperature check them every 2 minutes. The way to test for doneness is to squeeze one with a pAir of tongues or 2 spoons. If the potato yields to the pressure and falls apart, then they are done.

While the potatoes are Cooking, there is other work to be done. Everyone knows that you have to add dAiry to mashes potatoes. Here is the best way to do this. Take 2/3 C of low fat buttermilk. Add to that 2 or 3 tablespoons of whipping cream. Take 2 or 3 garlic cloves and cut them into small pieces (about the size of a small pea). Add the garlic to the milk mixture and heat just to simmering for about 15 minutes. Do not overheat this mixture or the milk will curdle.

Now, you have your garlic infused milk and the potatoes are cooked and drained. The best way to mash them is with a mixer. But not just any mixer. You really should use a stand mixer like a Kitchenaid. They make short work of this arm twisting chore. Place the hot potatoes in the bowl of the mixer (if you want, you could have added the hot potato water into the bowl to heat it up first). Next using the flat beater and the mixer on speed 2 or 3 start mashing the potatoes. Gradually add the milk mixture (be careful not to add the chunks of garlic). You have to eyeball this part. The amount of liquid needed really depends on the potatoes you use. When you have added just enough liquid increase the speed to 5 or 6 and beat for about 1 minute.

Stop the mixer now, scrape the bowl if necessary and change the beater attachMent to the whip attachMent. Next we whip on speed 9 or 10 for 2 more minutes. We are almost done. Remove the bowl from the mixer.

It is decision time. We now have light fluffy whipped potatoes that are infused with garlic. If you like, at this sTAGe you can decide to fold in some chives, some bacon bits or some Parmesan cheese. I would add 2 or 3 tablespoons. Of course you don't have to fold in anything because the potatoes will taste amazing by themselves.

Serve immediately with your favorite meal and enjoy the sounds of 'mmm' that are sure to come from your friends and family.

Best Ever Whipped Potatoes