SideSwipe
  • MODEL FINDER
    • BOWL LIFT FINDER
  • COMPARE
  • OUR STORY
  • BUY
  • Blog
    • Recipe Index
  • More
    • CONTACT
    • FAQ
    • Gluten Free
    • Technical
    • Warranty

blog

Mixer tune-up

11/22/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
This time of year we put a lot of miles on our mixers. With holiday gatherings, parties and gift-giving just around the corner, you need your mixer to be ready to handle it all. It's especially important if you only use your mixer this time of year.

Below find our handy checklist for making sure your KitchenAid is up to the tasks ahead.

Good luck and happy baking!

mixer tune-up tasks


ALL MIXER MODELS - 
  1. Check your beaters for damage and grime. Paint can chip and peel. Aluminum can oxidize and develop a bumpy grey film. And flex edge beaters can develop tears and cracks. You can clean aluminum parts with soap and water (or vinegar water for tougher build-up). For flexible edge beaters, like SideSwipe, it's usually best to replace them when they get worn. PLUS - don't forget to clean inside where the beater attaches to the mixer. Build-up there can make it hard to attach and remove the beater.
  2. Check and adjust your beater height. Your flat beater and whisk should not scrape on the bottom of the bowl as it will damage the finish. If you have a SideSwipe or other flex beater, check their instructions on the proper beater position. You can find help for this here or on KitchenAid's website. You can also Google "dime test" for online video on how to adjust your beater height.
  3. Run sleepy mixers before mixing. If your mixer has been unused since last November, KitchenAid recommends you run it empty for about 2 minutes to get the oil to lubricate its internal parts. You may get a few grey oil drips in your bowl. This food-safe oil should be cleaned from the bowl before mixing. If you lose a lot of oil or it continues to leak, you may need to repair your mixer.
  4. Secure the attachment hub door and knob. Before you start mixing, make sure the device that secures the area where you attach pasta makers, etc. is firmly in place. If loose, it can fall into your bowl while mixing, possibly causing damage to your beater and/or motor.
  5. Clean outer metal housing, include underneath and the mixer feet.
  6. Clean out mixer vent holes. Using a toothpick and/or vacuum, remove any dust or fuzz from the vented holes on the back of your mixer. This keeps the mixer from overheating.
  7. Clean the beater shaft. It's fine if there's a small amount of grease, but you don't want to leave dried-on batter or dough on the metal shaft where you attach your beater. Conversely, if you have trouble attaching and removing your beaters after cleaning, you can lubricate the shaft with a little mineral oil.
  8. Consider buying extra bowls and beaters. It can save a lot of time if you're making continuous batches for gifts. 

TILT-HEAD ONLY
  • Check the hinge pin. On tilting head mixers, a silver pin going from one side of the housing to the other anchors the head in place. Over time, it can wiggle its way to the side, causing the head to become unstable. To repair, simple tap the pin back in so it is within the outer metal housing. 
0 Comments

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2/2/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
We wish you could smell this....the spicy, cheesy smell is almost irresistible. It's a crowd favorite for football parties and would be perfect for tomorrow's big Super Bowl Game. The best part? You can make almost the entire recipe in your stand mixer! Well, that and you'll be sure not to have any leftovers to clean up after your party. Someone usually takes a spatula to the serving dish.

This recipe is super-forgiving. You can adjust quantities to what you have on hand, and it will still turn out well. We made a half-batch for our photos and video (coming soon), but recommend a full recipe if you're hosting more than four people.

If you want to slow people down - or have a group that like really spicy food - you can increase the amount of hot sauce by up to 100 percent (double the amount). It won't change the creamy deliciousness.

You can substitute low-fat cream cheese in this recipe for half or all the listed amount. It won't be quite as creamy, but it will still be tasty. We don't recommend fat-free cheeses, as they don't melt well and your dip may turn out gritty.

Serve with celery sticks, toast, crackers or tortilla chips. We guarantee if you serve this, your friends and family will request the recipe!

A full batch makes enough for appetizer servings for 10-12 people. 
​

Picture

ingredients & equipment

  • 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (regular or light - do not use fat-free)
  • 1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce (or similar hot sauce)
  • 1 to 1-1/2 cups celery, chopped (we usually go for the higher amount)
  • 3 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast (about 3 breasts)
  • 1 packet dry Ranch dressing mix
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional for sprinkling on top)
  • 9-inch round baking dish (similar sizes are fine)
Picture

instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350F.
  2. Cook 3 large or 4 smaller boneless chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper in a greased pan until cooked, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool , then cut into 2-3-inch pieces.
  3. Place chicken pieces in your stand mixer, fitted with SideSwipe or a flat paddle. On low, then medium speed, mix the chicken until it is shredded into bite-size pieces. Remove shredded chicken and set aside.
  4. Put cream cheese and dry ranch powder into the mixer and mix on low at first, then at medium high speed until creamy and well mixed.
  5. Add the hot sauce and mix on medium high until incorporated.
  6. Add chopped celery and mix on low speed until distributed through the cheese mix. This should only take a few seconds.
  7. Return the chicken to the mixer and mix on low speed until the mixture looks evenly mixed.
  8. Transfer mixture to a baking and smooth the top so fairly even.
Picture
  1. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes, then add cheese if using. Bake an additional 10 minutes.  For either version, you should bake 30 minutes total. It is ready when the cheese mixture is hot and bubbly and the edges of the dip begin to brown.  You can also microwave this dip or reheat in the microwave. But we think the flavor and texture are best right out of the oven.
  2. Serve on a heatproof surface with celery sticks, tortilla chips, bread and or crackers. 
Picture
0 Comments

Why is vanilla so expensive?

1/29/2019

1 Comment

 
Picture
Like us, you may be wondering why in the world vanilla extract has doubled in price in recent years. We found that a number of factors have caused the price to skyrocket: vanilla bean theft (!!), difficult pollination, extreme weather, habitat loss and rapidly growing demand because of the natural food movement. The bottom line: the once basic, "boring" vanilla may wind up becoming a rare sought-after delicacy.

So what's a baker to do? We'll provide information on your alternatives (not very many, we're afraid) in a blog post next week.

We found a great article on the subject in Business Insider. We're reprinting excerpts  from the body of their article below. They also include a cute graphic video in their online article, which you can see here.

vanilla is hard to grow

One reason vanilla has gotten so expensive is, it's hard to grow. Vanilla vines take two to four years to fully mature, and their flowers only bloom for one day of the year. In order for the plants to produce beans, they have to be pollinated that day. In most places where vanilla is grown, it isn't a native plant, and there aren't bugs or birds capable of pollinating the flowers. Vanilla is native to Mexico, but deforestation there has greatly reduced its natural habitat. In Madagascar, where over 80% of vanilla is produced, the flowers have to be pollinated by hand. The pods need several months to cure after harvesting. The whole process is time-consuming and labor-intensive. But the record high price of vanilla also has to do with changes in the vanilla market.

artificial vanilla is less popular now

In the 1980s, cheaper artificial vanilla overtook the market. Vanilla farmers cut back production because they weren't making enough money. But around 2011, demand for real vanilla rose again. Big companies were joining the all-natural trend, pledging to eliminate artificial flavorings from their products. It's taken a while for the vanilla farmers to get back in the game and many no longer want to.

black market vanilla

Growing vanilla is a stressful and volatile business because there is such high demand, vanilla beans are a target for theft. After working hard to cultivate their crops some farmers have their beans stolen. As the stolen beans move up the supply chain, they get mixed in with legally purchased beans making it difficult for buyers to know which are which. The prevent theft, farmers pick the beans before they're ripe and unripe beans means lower quality vanilla. Farmers also try to prevent theft by branding their vanilla crops with a metal pronged brand. That way buyers can identify what farm the vanilla came from.
​

weather problems have added to the shortage

Farmers also run the risk of having their crops destroyed by extreme weather events. Cyclones are common in Madagascar and climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of those storms. If a cyclone were to wipe out vanilla crops next year, it would take until at least 2022 for new plants to start producing beans, and farmers might not want to take that risk. So the supply could continue to drop even further.
1 Comment

happy holidays

12/25/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture

Wishing you and yours a very merry holiday season.

Thanks for keeping in touch with the SideSwipe family this year.

In 2019, follow us for more mixing and baking tips, plus new, simple recipes that work really well in your stand mixer.
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Recipes and mixing tips

    Simple recipes for home cooks using  SideSwipe + your mixer. Tips for using + caring for your mixer.  Our goal = Helping you get a perfect mix + great taste.

    Categories

    All
    Baking With Kids
    Cakes & Frosting
    Community
    Community/Store News
    Cookies
    Healthy + GlutenFree
    Holiday
    Other Recipes
    Stand Mixer Baking Tips
    Stand-mixer-baking-tips

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • MODEL FINDER
    • BOWL LIFT FINDER
  • COMPARE
  • OUR STORY
  • BUY
  • Blog
    • Recipe Index
  • More
    • CONTACT
    • FAQ
    • Gluten Free
    • Technical
    • Warranty