Monday, November 30, 2009

The Free Daiquiri Recipe Was Only The Start Of My Problems...

By Den M Smythe

I wasn't really expecting much, but discovering the free daiquiri recipe on the internet certainly opened my eyes to the multitude of ways in which I could astound my friends. We all enjoy the odd cocktail evening. It might be the sophistication, and certainly there's a sense of style that comes with a cocktail, although I usually find I need a little help in that capacity.

Daiquiri recipes have been proving popular ever since they were 'invented' in'05, and for anyone who's ever tried one, it's not hard to see why. Perhaps besides the great tastes, daiquiri recipes are popular because of their enormous flexibility. I'm often astonished at the seemingly haphazard way fantastic cocktails seem to be put together, yet they taste extraordinary.

Faced with a row of colourful bottles and ingredients all sorts of wild ideas went through my head faster than a lime in a tight squeeze - but really, you can't hold a cocktail party without having a pretty good idea of how to create a good daiquiri cocktail. I needed help, and did a quick search online to see if I could find a free daiquiri recipe.

I quite quickly discovered a website offering a completely free, and completely tempting, strawberry daiquiri recipe. I decided to try it out, rustled the ingredients together and did my best cocktail waiter impression. Fortunately I didn't manage to drop all of it, and so came the taste test. Well, somebody has to, don't they? My opinion was that it was an unrivalled success.

Success was still wet on my lips when I glanced at the website again, and noticed that there was yet more to come. Because as well as offering the free strawberry daiquiri recipe I could, if I wanted, get my hands on a complete ebook of equally delicious daiquiri recipes. Without hesitation I clicked, and felt the relief wash over me as I could now look forward to an evening of cocktail magic.

Unfortunately I felt obliged to try out a good handful of the daiquiri recipes beforehand - I'm sure you can't blame me. I felt it my obligation. What I was particularly pleased with was that I would now be prepared for whatever medley of drinks and ingredients arrived at the party. By just quickly flicking through the daiquiri ebook I could pick up some great ideas, and deliver them as though a pro!

As the evening progressed I confessed that I had acquired my astonishing skills thanks to a daiquiri recipe ebook, and showed them a few of the recipes. At that point I couldn't make any more cocktails, because everyone was flicking through the book choosing their own favourites to try out! Fortunately we now all have our copy of the ebook and are taking turns to host an evening of mixing!

Although the idea of getting hold of a free daiquiri recipe and a daiquiri recipes ebook sounds great, I have discovered one serious problem since then. Now that everyone sees me as a master of daiquiri cocktails, I'm having to look around now for an ebook on juggling and balancing cocktail glasses on my head...

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How To Bake Apple Pie

By Carla Bacon

There's nothing like finishing off a delicious meal with a nice, warm piece of apple pie with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream on the side. Apple pie is good for almost any occasion and pumpkin pie doesn't have to be the only dessert for Thanksgiving. People enjoy eating apple pie at nearly any time of the year, and they've been eating it for many years past.

Apple pie has a long heritage-the origins of apple pie are in England, where people began eating a type of apple pastry from-81. The old English "apple pie" actually didn't have any sugar in it, which is practically impossible today. Instead, it contained pear juice to sweeten the pastry, and other fruits like figs and raisins were added as well. From England, the apple pie recipe spread to the Netherlands, where the Dutch created their own variation. Dutch apple pie contains additional flavorings like cinnamon and lemon juice, and it comes with a lattice upper crust.

Apple pie eventually traveled with the colonists over to America, but it wasn't so widespread in the beginning since apples were mainly used to make cider. However, apple pie has experienced a popularity boom since then and now it has become an iconic American dessert. Someone even coined the phrase "as American as apple pie" in the course of American apple pie consumption, and apple pie is consistently voted the number one favorite pie in the US. Apple pie has come a long way from being a simple pudding pastry to becoming a classic dessert.

Variations on the apple pie still exist today. There's the deep dish apple pie, and the Tarte Tatin, a French spin on the apple pie that's upside down with caramelized apples in it. There's also apple strudel, or Apfelstrudel, which is a layered pastry with an apple filling. The apple filling in apple pies can range from using fresh apples to using canned or dried apples.

The crust can also vary- it can be double crust, lattice crust, or without a top, and flaky or more "crusty." Apple pie can also be served with a variety of toppings and compliments. It is commonly eaten with whipped cream, custard, and of course ice cream. Evidently there are numerous ways to spice up apple pie. The possibilities may be endless, but whichever way it's eaten, consumers are enjoying the great taste of centuries of innovation.

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Sunday, November 29, 2009

How To Make Apple Cider

By Andy Garvin

Apple cider is a classic New England beverage that can be consumed and enjoyed on several occasions. It's typically a holiday treat served during Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Traditionally, apple cider is made from unfiltered apple juice, often served hot and flavored with spices. If you're planning to treat your holiday guests to this delicious drink, you'll want to have a good apple cider recipe on your hands.

One hot apple cider recipe calls for maple syrup, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, and orange and lemon peels. The main component is apple cider itself, which can either be purchased or homemade. A cider press can help you extract the juice from the apples if you want your cider to be more authentic. However, this takes a lot of time and patience and it's more practical to just buy some.

No one will frown upon you for this, especially after they taste how good your cider is. Whichever you decide, when you have your apple cider, you mix it with maple syrup in a sauce pan, and then you wrap the cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries and fruit peels in a cloth and drop it into the cider and syrup mixture. Then you simply heat the sauce pan until the cider is hot but not boiling. At this point, you take out the spice bundle and the apple cider is ready to serve.

Variations on the hot apple cider recipe can switch up the spices and flavorings used. Some examples of additional ingredients are nutmeg, brown sugar and cardamom. If you want a richer texture and flavor, you can add butter, and if you plan to make your apple cider alcoholic, you can add some rum or brandy to the mix.

If you're looking for a cold apple cider recipe, it uses similar ingredients except you may use juices, like orange and lemon juice instead of maple syrup and peels. Stir everything in a punch bowl and chill the mixture, and then you're done. Cold apple cider can also be made from a hot apple cider recipe-in this case, you chill the mixture that you've heated instead of serving it right away. Using the same recipe to make both hot and cold apple cider can satisfy everyone's temperature preferences. But regardless of whether it's hot or cold, drinking apple cider is a great way to celebrate the fall or winter season. Just make sure that there's enough to go around!

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Great Recipes For Vegetarian Kids

By Mike Jackson

It is really challenging to bring up vegetarian kids. You need to constantly find substitutes for protein instead of meat. Even if you are a parent who just wants their child to eat more vegetables, then be sure to make any of these recipes for vegetarian kids.

Not just healthy, they are tasty and fun to make too.

Vegetable curry - Boil some bite-sized chopped carrots, potatoes, eggplant, zucchini and squash in some coconut milk and the curry paste of your kids' choice. This recipe for vegetarian curry is very good for you and will allow your children to get used to spicy food. Start with mild curries and slowly increase the spices as they get older.

Spinach ravioli - Either buy these ready-made or make them yourself. Making them yourself will allow you to involve the kids and play games by asking them how many of the ones they make they will eat. Cheese or mushrooms can also be used as a filling. The ravioli with a tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese will ensure your kids eat the spinach they usually avoid.

Vegetable quesadillas - These are very quick and easy to prepare. Place cheese and green and red peppers between two tortilla pieces and toast in your toaster or under the grill until cheese melts and the quesadilla is stuck together. Serve with a home-made salsa incorporating tomatoes, onions and cilantro. Cover with sour cream. This recipe for vegetarian children is very colourful and tastes great.

Grilled vegetable sandwich - First marinate, onions, tomatoes, peppers, courgettes and aubergines in some balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and then grill the vegetables on a griddle pan or cook in the oven. When they are done ladle them on some toasted whole-wheat bread or Italian herb bread. Serve with some fresh home-made French fries and you have a healthy lunch recipe.

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Useful Ideas On Cooking For Diabetics

By Nicholas Roerich

Numerous individuals, who have utterly no understanding of Diabetes themselves, do not realize that they are victims of this slow killer. A doctor, who held a free diabetes camp in a remote American Samoa village was stunned to find that just about 90% of their 300 strong population were diagnosed to be diabetic with glucose levels ranging above 240. The primary step towards control, is to go for diabetic cooking.

Diabetic cooking is able to play a major role in controlling your diabetes and at the same time improving your standard of living. Since no permanent cure has yet been discovered for Diabetes, it is general knowledge that it is the result of deficient manufacture of insulin by the pancreas.

The old tradition of cooking a separate meal for a diabetic member of the family has been progressively converted into a total family undertaking where appetizing and diabetic friendly recipes are eaten by every one with the intent of providing a feeling of oneness with the sole suffering member.

Ingestion of the right quantity of carbohydrates and proteins, leaving out the excessive sugars and fats are the general principles on which the fantastic new recipes of diabetic cooking are structured. Even cravings for desserts are coped with by a combination of specific fruits. A Book called "Diabetic Cooking" opens your mind to hundreds of possibilities.

A diet plan that is exclusive for Diabetics and covers all nutritional needs of the body is generally difficult to create and carry out. Internet articles like the Diabetic News Letter and your Personal Doctor can give you a perfect Diabetes cooking plan to keep you healthy as others.

Snacks are the biggest impediment to a diabetic, and junk foods are by far the worst in this category. Your strength of mind ought to be a major player in keeping under control your temptations to splurge on these tempting items of food.

Some of the ideal diabetic cooking recipes suggested by Diabetes Information Library are given here under: A diabetic breakfast which could titillate everyone's palate could include Blueberry Pancakes, Potato Salads, Stuffed mushrooms, salsa chicken, dips of salmon, baked beans and spinach. Diabetic Lunch and Dinner could start with soups of barley, rice, tomato, vegetable, turkey and beans. Sea food lovers can have fillet of sole, hot garlic shrimp, low fat steaks, and sea scallops, to name a few.

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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Crock Pot Pasta

By Ken Kudra

It is totally possible to cook delicious pasta in the crock pot. You just need to learn a few tricks to get it just right. In fact, there are many different approaches you can take with pasta in crock pot recipes, depending on what you are making.

Putting on the Kettle

In some crock pot recipes, you will see them recommend preparing your pasta as directed on the package. Once it is done, you can add it to the crock pot or you can serve your meal on top of the noodles. This approach works best with meats and sauces, as well as recipes like stroganoff.

Other recipes may require that the pasta be partially cooked until it is just tender. The pasta is then added to the crock pot for the last half hour to cook with the rest of the ingredients. This approach works well with chicken Alfredo, casseroles, some soups and other dishes. The noodles will finish their cooking in the crock pot and soak up some of the flavors while they are at it.

Cooking your pasta separately is more work. Instead of just sitting down to your meal, you need to heat the water and spend the time cooking your pasta just right. This is one way to make sure you have perfect noodles every time. This will not work for every recipe, however.

Just Drop It In

You will find some recipes are meant for uncooked pasta. While these recipes mean less work for you, the pasta will still need to be added near the end of the total cooking time. This technique would work well for a chicken noodle soup recipe, goulash or ramen. Most pasta should be added about 30 to 60 minutes before serving. For ramen, it only needs to cook on high for about 10 to 15 minutes.

You will also find recipes that need the pasta added at the very beginning. An example of this type of dish would be crock pot lasagna. Macaroni and cheese is also nice and creamy in the crock pot, but it is a dish that only takes about 90 minutes to 2 hours to cook. Leaving it any longer will result in mushy noodles. Baked ziti, stuffed shells, and thicker casseroles will have this requirement. Watch your cooking time, because these dishes often do not take all day to cook. Overcooked noodles will be soft and shapeless.

As you can see, you can cook pasta in the crock pot. You just need to tailor your techniques to the recipe. Pasta is a bit delicate as a crock pot ingredient, so watch the pot until you know how a recipe will turn out. With some, it may take an attempt or two to get it just right.

With a little practice, you will be making wonderful pasta for your family with your handy crock pot. You will be enjoying comforting, hot pasta that tastes terrific and your family will love.

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Saturday, November 28, 2009

Italian Cheeses As The Pride Of Italy

By Chris Perry

Italy has always occupied a place of pride in the ancient European culture due to various reasons and one of them is the Italian cheeses. Although Italy has never ranked among the best dairy industries of the world, its cheeses have always enjoyed a high status in the world in terms of quality and variety. Italian cheeses have been a part of the rich cultural heritage of the nation when they were relished by the famous Julius Caesar, devoured by the invincible Roman armies and served as important constituents of many of the traditional dishes.

Mozzarella is one of the most popular Italian cheeses due to its incorporation in preparations of pizzas and different types of lasagna. This variety of cheese is a by-product of buffalo milk which is unique only to Italy, and its characteristics are that it is white in color and possesses a soft but chewy texture.

Gorgonzola is unique in the list of Italian cheeses because it is blue in color and also alters its taste on acquiring maturity by becoming sharper with regards to taste. This variety comes from a region named Lombardy and is popular throughout the world in two forms namely the gorgonzola mountain, which serves as an excellent accompaniment to the Italian white wines, hot stews, soups and gorgonzola dolce which is served with fruits and desserts due to its sweet taste.

Mascarpone is a rich, creamy and mild-flavored Italian cheese which is often used as a replacement for whipped cream in many dessert preparations likes cake, rolls and pastries not only in Italy but throughout the world.

Parmesan is counted among the full flavored Italian cheeses and can be consumed in form of slivers or after being grated although both forms are incomparable in taste to the fresh piece of this cheese. This variety of cheese is distinct due to the presence of a hard rind and should be subjected to maturation for a couple of years before being considered fit for consumption.

Scamorza belongs to the category of Italian cheeses which are served with fruits and prepared from unpasteurized cow%u2019s milk. They can be easily distinguished due to the shape which they acquire due to the process of maturation when the milk is hung by a string and left for a considerable period of time.

Pecorino is probably an exception among the Italian cheeses because it is prepared from ewe%u2019s milk and is available in four main varieties namely Pecorino Romano, Pecorino Toscano, Pecorino Sardo and Pecorino Siciliano. This variety of Italian cheese is salty to taste and is subjected to maturation after which it is normally served as an accompaniment to desserts.

The list of Italian cheeses would be incomplete with the mention of Grana Padano which is pale yellow in color and faintly reminiscent of a pineapple with regards to taste. This is one of the traditional Italian cheeses which are prepared from unpasteurized milk and it is distinguished by its thick, hard and smooth outer covering.

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Planning Your Dream Dinner

By Lee Reid

To some folks a dream dinner might be any decent food they can get for free. Dream Dinners is also a clever food franchise that's growing fast. It's all about people cooking under supervision according to planned menus. Yes, you're probably saying "why didn't I come up with that one"?

Americans are busier than ever before. Eating well at home is besoming more and more difficult . Frozen foods and pre-packaged meals are fine, but just not the same. But when the typical day involves so much, who has time to cook, much less time to plan a menu or learn how to make the items on it? This franchise lives in that space.

It works something like this. People visit the location and then choose up to all-- items on a provided menu. Food is then purchased by serving. Then the consumers cook the meals, at the store. There are both private and public supervised cooking sessions. It's a little bit like a cooking show where the show gives the viewer the food then helps them prepare it along with the host.

The meals are a lot less expensive than it would appear when the concept is first described. Although salads and side dishes are separate, the main course is only about $3.50 per serving for all-- meals. This can bring the cost per serving for a complete meal up to around the $5 mark, but for a busy working family it's not bad. For food, menu planning, and hands-on meal preparation training and supervision, that's a steal.

These locations are franchises people own. And there's been some controversy behind the franchise. It's not the food or menus or preparation, but rather the franchisees. Some of the franchisees aren't happy. Forbes Magazine profiled Dream Dinners in March 2008. The story didn't look good for the company. The new concept quickly gained popularity and attracted would be business owners. But it seems the business plan wasn't strong, as many of these people found themselves unable to continue the business after a short time and a lot of investment. There may have been some misrepresentations made as to potential profits.

Let the franchisees and the company worry about the controversy, for the diner Dream Dinners is just what the chef ordered.

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Soups to Cook and Savor

By May White

Everyone loves a good bowl of soup before enjoying a meal. It's an easy dish to prepare and it's a great touch as an appetizer to start a lunch or dinner with. I've been preparing different varieties of soup for a long time.

When people think of soup, they often think of the simple types. Chicken noodle, tomato soup, vegetable soup, and split pea may come to mind. There are many more though. Let's run through a few great soup ideas that may appeal to you.

1. Apple and roasted butternut squash soup. This is a great one, as you've probably already had and enjoyed a nice butternut squash soup. However, the apples add some kick to this, and the two go really well together.

2. Broccoli soup with cheddar cheese croutons. You've probably had the broccoli and cheddar combo on its own, but the cheese flavored crouton here is a game changer.

Here's another idea. Potato soup, but with a golden browned potato nugget. This gives it a great crispness. The seasoning is key here, and the choice of seasoning is really yours. There are many great ways to make this soup, as I'm sure you'll discover for yourself.

Pumpkin is in season right now and people love a good pumpkin soup. Making one of these from a fresh pumpkin can be absolutely delicious. There are a number of different ways this can be served, both hot and cold. Use your imagination and get creative with the many possibilities.

The final soup on my list is a cabbage soup with carrots, potatoes, celery, and crumbled blue cheese. This is my number one soup, and it wins me the most praise every time it's served.

There's a good chance that one of the above soups may appeal to you. If I haven't done my job, keep on thinking and I'm sure that any one of these ideas could ultimately lead to something else.

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Finding A Personal Chef Atlanta

By Nathan D. Clark

Just as a personal chef Atlanta can provide many different types of cuisine, there are personal chefs through the world that are masters at their craft. When a person is searching for a personal chef they will want to take time to decide what type of chef they need.

An individual who does a lot of entertaining needs a specific type of personal chef. The individual must be versatile and adaptable. Many individuals who entertain groups of people are unaware until the last moment that an attendee has a certain food allergy. In order to meet the needs of the guest the personal chef must be able to create a food for that guest very quickly.

Meeting specific nutritional needs and challenges can also be part of a personal chefs duties. Some individuals need a personal chef that can create healthy foods without using specific ingredients. When a chef is asked to bake bread for an individual who is allergic to gluten they are faced with a challenge. The personal chef who can meet those challenges will be a great benefit to someone who wants to eat healthier.

In culinary school students are usually taught how to prepare foods for groups of people. They spend very little time on preparing foods for an individual or family. Therefore it is important that when a personal chef is selected that they have experience working with small groups or individuals.

A personal chef becomes a personal part of an individual's life. They often act as both coach and adviser to a person who is trying to lose weight or regain a healthy lifestyle. In many cases a chef is selected for their personality as well as their cooking ability.

When the chef is included in a program to create a healthy lifestyle they may meet many challenges. Often a personal chef Atlanta or elsewhere will find that they must be able to prepare dishes that are creative and may not fit with the standard profile of diet cuisine.

A challenge for personal chefs is creating foods that will help a person maintain a healthy lifestyle. The foods often must have a flavor that is contained in a high calorie dish. The chef must find acceptable substitutes to create a dish that will satisfy a craving but remain a healthy choice.

Personal chefs who specialize in healthy eating have a great knowledge of the effects of certain herbs on the body. They know which herbs will help remove toxins from the body and which herbs and spices will increase a person's metabolism. By including these herbs in dishes an individual will enjoy the meal but find that they do not get hungry. They may also find that their energy levels will increase rapidly after employing the personal chef.

Discussing one's personal needs, likes, and dislikes will help a personal chef to create menus that will be most beneficial to the individual losing weight. If a person needs a flexible diet plan the personal chef Atlanta will be able to provide the flexibility that is needed for the individual to succeed.

Interviewing may take one to a personal chef Atlanta. If the chef cooks in the style that is needed one will find them to be of great benefit in meeting their healthy lifestyle objective. It is important to learn as much as one can about the chef, their background, and they goals. In this way a relationship can develop that will meet the needs of both the individual and their personal chef.

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Sharing Mexican Food Traditions

By Ken Kudra

Mexico has a long and varied history when it comes to food. It is a rich, diverse history that brings together many influences to create a cuisine that is enjoyed in almost every country on the planet. Mexican cuisine uses fresh foods made from scratch. It is nutritious and delicious.

Mexican cuisine is the result of Spanish, Mayan and Aztec influences. Add in a dash of French and you have today's Mexican cuisine. Although it has a reputation for being spicy, not all Mexican dishes are hot. Some are creamy and sweet. Depending on the area of Mexico a recipe is from, the food could be based more on beans, fruit, or seafood.

In 1521, when Cortez arrived in Mexico from Spain, he and his fellow explorers found many foods they had never seen before. Peanuts, chocolate, squash, beans, vanilla, avocados, corn, tomatoes, and coconuts were all new flavors that flooded their taste buds. In turn, the Spanish introduced many foods into Mexico like pork, beef, lamb, cheese, garlic, citrus, vinegar, wine, and milk. The native Mexicans quickly assimilated these foods into their cuisine, blending them with their staples easily.

Every cuisine can trace back to a foundation of a few ingredients. Mexican cuisine is based on beans, squash, and corn. Each region added their own local products to this foundation. In the Yucatan, seafood and fresh fruit-based sauces were the focus. Northern Mexico has a lot of charcoal grilled meats on the menu. Around Oaxaca, corn was first domesticated by man. They still grow many varieties there that are unavailable anywhere else in the world. They also grow a lot of chilies and are known to have at least seven different mole sauces in this area.

In Veracruz and its area, most recipes contain fresh fish. Fish is found in tamales, tacos, burritos and more due to the abundance of this ingredient. They also use a lot of olives, chili peppers, and tomatoes in this area. True Mexican food is very different from what you get in the United States.

The Mexican food we eat in the United States tends to be more Tex-Mex than Mexican. In Mexico, rice and beans would rarely be served together in the same meal, let alone the same course. Here, we get both on the same plate at most Mexican restaurants. Mexicans hardly ever make salads, either. This is the influence of the United States that has added these dishes.

You can easily find traditional Mexican recipes in books or online, but do not expect them to be like what you eat at Mexican restaurants. Authentic Mexican cuisine is a delicious tradition you should try. Maybe you can try some of the regional recipes that use fresh ingredients like seafood or fruit. They are really amazing.

Eating Mexican food does not have to mean Spanish rice and tacos. Enjoy the true cuisine of Mexico with the richness of seafood, fresh ingredients, and all the variety they have in Mexico. It can easily be enjoyed in your own kitchen, even if you are far from Mexico. Make some for your family and see how they like this cuisine. It is so delicious they will want to try more recipes and learn more about them.

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Friday, November 27, 2009

Implementing A Weekly Food Budget

By Mike Smithy

Our country is struggling financially and the costs of goods and services are increasing rapidly. Groceries are at an all time high and it is important to save money when you can. Creating a weekly food budget will assist you in meal planning and in saving money at the super market.

Always eat before you go to the super market. If you are hungry, you are more apt to add food to your cart on an impulse. If you are full, you will be less likely to do this. Make a list and stick to it. Do not throw a lot of extras in your cart because this will blow the budget.

Use store circulars to help make your grocery list because you can see what is going to be on sale and plan accordingly. This makes it a lot easier to plan your meals and your budget. Do not be afraid to stock up on sale items.

Clipping coupons can also help you to stretch that food budget even further. If you treat them as if they were cash, it makes it easier to remember to use them. Many stores double and even triple coupons that are under one dollar.

Try adding an estimated price beside of each individual item on your list. It is easier to come up with a realistic total this way. You may be off by a few cents here and there, but it will all balance out in the end. It makes it a lot easier to stick to the budget if you have an idea what something costs.

Implementing a food budget will save you a lot of money and it will also help you to control how much money you are spending at the super market. Plan your weekly menus according to your grocery list and you will be well on your way of saving money.

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Lemon Bars That Never Fail

By Mike Jones

Lemon bars rule! Whether you are an accomplished cook or someone who rarely attempts kitchen magic, there is a recipe out there to fit your skill level. This is a starter recipe.

You won't go far wrong with this recipe because it calls for several pre- blended ingredients. You will enjoy how this recipe turns out. Then, when you feel more sure of yourself, you will be able to graduate to more complex recipes.

I first found this recipe in my mom.. 's pile of hard-to read, scribbled recipes. I was craving the special taste of these lemony treats. My baking attempts so far had been few and disastrous. I needed something that would just work! I found it in this recipe

Easy Lemon Bars for Beginning Bakers- Success Every Time

Here's a List of Requirements

1 box cake mix, lemon, with added pudding. One half cup of butter. Three large, fresh eggs. Frosting Mix, lemon, one box. Eight ounces of soft cream cheese

What You Do- Preparation

Turn on the oven and heat it up to 350 degrees.

Follow These Easy Steps

Stir the butter, cake mix and 1 egg in a small container until the cake mix is completely moistened. Pour this mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl, into the baking dish. Wet your hand and pat it smooth. Blend the frosting mix with the soft cream cheese. Reserve half a cup of this mixture for the frosting.

Add the other two eggs to the unreserved portion of the cheese-frosting mix.

Beat three to five minutes on high speed.

Pour the freshly beaten mix over the base in the baking dish

Now that the oven is at the right temperature, put the baking dish in for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Remove and allow to cool completely. Frost the base when it is very cool.

Enjoy! When cooled, frost.

Cut into bars and place in refrigerator for at least an hour.

This lemon bar recipe is an easy one to try, and you can expect great results. Later, as you become more used to baking, you can build on your success here. You will use your own imagination to try more complicated techniques on this little recipe

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Essential Information About Home Cooking Recipes

By Ronald W. Firquain

What do you think would be the fastest and easiest way to enjoy baking? Probably that is when you will be able to get access to a lot of baking recipes to keep you loaded with baking activities. People love eating, especially desserts, that is why many of us would prefer to learn how to bake than to cook.

You may find a lot of recipes available in this website, and to be able to share these recipes with other people, allrecipes.com set up their own blog to update everyone with anything they have new in mind. So this is not only an easier way to share recipes with other people, but it is also an interactive way of meeting people like you who are interested with new recipes for new cooking ideas.

Cooking is a very interesting hobby, and anybody who is very inclined with cooking would love to get a load of those great recipes which you can get from various cookbooks, or from watching someone cook a recipe of their own and share it with you. However it would also be rewarding if you could create your own recipes yourself.

Now, as a plain cook at home, you would be regarded by your children as the main chef. To make sure that they do not get bored with the same meals all the time, you would like to get hold of these great recipes that would help you create new food to serve for your love ones.

One of the great recipes you would like to change from time to time is one of your kids favorites which is cookies. Your kids may be sick and tired of the same chocolate chip cookies all the time. Since they would love to eat cookies after playtime and during snack time, you may want to create a variety of cookie recipes like adding some healthy fibers, grains and protein nuts on your recipes. You will just have to make sure that your kids are not allergic to nuts just in case you add some.

Are you fund of cooking and making recipes of your own? You will be very glad to know because technology have opened up a new way of allowing you to organize your own recipes or the recipes that you have taken from various sources. There is this what they call a recipe software to enhance your way of obtaining more resources to add up to your recipes.

A recipe software is capable of organizing your recipes such as that of a catalog list, importing them, and having them printed into whatever format you prefer. So, this would then help you share your recipes, make them look presentable as you print them and share them to your friends.

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Fast And Easy Thanksgiving Recipes

By Lee Reid

Thanksgiving is a time of food. The Pilgrims worked hard to make the new world their home, and this was their celebration. Every year it's a traditional meal. The table is jammed with turkey, stuffing and all the trimmings. History aside, families also like to get everyone together in one room. The food may be similar, but Thanksgiving dinner recipes have as much variety as the colors of the leaves on the November trees.

Why not try the following appetizer? It's a pretty simple Pumpkin soup. Add butter and oil to a pan over medium heat. Saute the white part of the leeks in this until they're soft. Add 15 ounces of pumpkin puree, a pinch of cloves, one tablespoon of ground cinnamon, one teaspoon of ground ginger, and a pinch of salt. Now stir in some vegetable broth. Add brown sugar. Use low heat to simmer it for 10 minutes. Cream or half and half are optional, along with a pinch of cinnamon on top of each bowl. Mmmm boy that's delicious.

A turkey can be fried instead of broiled. It won't get greasy. The oil can't penetrate the skin after the hot oil sears it. Get a big drum and a propane burner, otherwise known as a deep fryer. A meat thermometer is also needed, along with a deep fry thermometer to check the oil for the correct temperature. Make sure to fry outside in a clear area. Get that oil hot, up to 350F. It's finished cooking when the breast measures at 170F, which will take about three minutes per pound. Frying a turkey doesn't involve cooking the stuffing inside the bird, but it does include spices directly injected into it.

Try hazelnut pumpkin soup or a butternut squash stuffing. Other appetizer possibilities also exist. Give cheese wrapped asparagus a try. Both sliced and spread cheese go into this one. One idea is swiss cheese slices with a softer blue cheese spread. Spread the soft cheese on the slices, wrap it around a few asparagus spears, then cook in a 230 degree C oven for about 15 minutes, or until the asparagus is soft. Ok, this way asparagus isn't healthy. Thanksgiving is a time for a little fun. So live it up.

Many more delicious Thanksgiving dinner recipes are available on the Internet.

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Thursday, November 26, 2009

Vegetarian Cooking Made Simple

By Kristen Thorpe

For your entire family, you can make a lot of vegetarian meals. It is easy to prepare them and your kids will enjoy them for certain. Vegetarian meals are considered to be helpful and beneficial for our health. Some of them contain the same nutrients as meats and regular type of meals. Tasting new and healthy recipes can be wonderful, even if it seems odd in the beginning. You can have vegetable snacks at any time of the day too. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks- all can be vegetarian.

For breakfast, you can have veggie quiches with soy sausage. It contains eggs and soy sausage, which can either be cooked or chopped. Add in broccoli, spinach or any kind of vegetable- chopped and spread over the meal. It would take you just 12-15 minutes to prepare this healthy and delicious meal for everyone. This type of breakfast contains all the healthy nutrients needed and certainly provides you with the energy you need for the entire day. Fresh Strawberry, sliced on top of whole-wheat crackers can be a good choice too. You can also spray cream cheese on it, to make it even tastier.

It is good to have snacks during certain times of the day, than eating a lot for breakfast. You can have whole wheat crackers with fresh strawberry- sliced on top of it. It is tasty and refreshing too. For lunch, you can have mini wheat pizzas. It is a very important vegetarian meal, which can also be made in very little amount of time. You will need whole wheat English muffins and eating them will be real healthy; as they contain lots of grains and fibers. For the sausage, you can either buy the ones from the store or make mariana sausage at home. It can be cooked in garlic powder or virgin olive oil and the whole process takes only 8 to 10 minutes.

Tomato is extremely healthy and increases appetite. Using basil leaf would bring a different flavour to the pizza. Bake it with garlic powder or virgin olive oil and you will be glad to know that this can be made as quickly as 8 minutes. If you are using an oven, make sure to set it at 350 degrees. For later day snacks, a quick smoothie with frozen berries is a great choice. Adding soy milk or some organic ice cream flavours will make it taste even better. When it's dinner time, you can make a teriyaki meal, which is easy to make and delicious too. Remember that, as long as you have the right tools and equipments in the kitchen, putting meals together will never be a problem.

When you prepare meals that are made of vegetable ingredients, you and the entire family have lesser chances of becoming sick. You can make a variety of dishes that will be different every time. This means that you not only get the vitamins and minerals needed, but also taste flavours to delight the senses. All you need to do is find recipes online and if you have cook books, you can get them from there also. Have your kitchen tools out and ready, so that making delicious vegetable meals becomes easier to do.

Vegetables are great sources of minerals and vitamins for the body. Various studies have linked a healthy diet to a decrease in the ageing process. So don't hesitate, get all your kitchen materials ready and create great tasting dishes and snacks with vegetable ingredients.

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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Mashed Potatoes - Preparing And Serving

By Ben Cook

There are many ways to prepare mashed potatoes and these are one of the most popular ways to prepare mashed potatoes. Normally potatoes are too hard to mash as they need to be cooked first. Usually potatoes are baked or boiled until they are soft enough to mash with a ricer, mixer, potato masher or fork. There are also instant mashed potatoes available made from dehydrated potatoes, just add hot water.

The type of potatoes that you use for mashed potatoes as certain potatoes are better than others. Typically the best types of potatoes to use are floury potatoes but if you want a different texture to your potatoes you have the option of using waxy potatoes. A lot of times other ingredients will be added to the potatoes, such as milk, butter, cream or vegetable oil to make them creamier.

You can also flavor your mashed potatoes as you can add parsley, spices, mustard, bacon bits, salt, pesto, turnips, wasabi, onions, cheese, garlic or pesto. There is also a special type of French mashed potatoes that incorporates egg yolks. You mashed the potatoes add the egg yolks and then pipe the mashed potatoes into ribbons and rosettes and bake until brown.

Many times adding butter and cream can make mashed potatoes very fatten and high in calories. You can make a low calorie, low fat version of mashed potatoes by using soup stock or broth. You should be careful not to overcook the potatoes before mashing as this can cause the starch particles to break up and produce sticky and gooey potatoes that are more like glue. You can get more consistent potatoes by cooking them in small pieces instead of large chunks.

To easily incorporate any seasonings to your mashed potatoes you should first mash the potatoes and then mix in the other ingredients. This helps keep the starch molecules intake as broken starch molecules produce a gluey consistency. This is particularly of importance when using a mixer to make mashed potatoes. You also can ensure that the added ingredients are distributed evenly throughout the mashed potatoes.

Many times mashed potatoes are a side dish very often paired with steak or turkey. They are also am important dish normally prepared for Thanksgiving. Mashed potatoes are also a major ingredient to many dishes such as Cornish pasties, pirogues, shepherd's pie, cottage pie, potatoes croquettes, gnocchi, colcannon and dumplings. Mashed potatoes are also a part of pie and mash or bangers and mash.

Sometime the boiling potatoes will over boil and create a mess. To ensure that this doesn't happen you can put some oil or a bit of butter in the water as this forms a layer on the top that won't boil over. If you are going to add milk or cream to the potatoes then you should add warm milk as this creates very fluffy mashed potatoes. A small amount of baking soda can also be added to the milk or cream for even more fluffiness.

You can add a little bit of oil or butter to the boiling potatoes to ensure that they potatoes do not boil over. Another tip is to add warm milk instead of cold milk in order to create fluffy potatoes. You can also create every fluffy potatoes by adding a small amount of baking soda to the milk you are going to add to the potatoes.

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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Great Fall Desert Apple Crisp Recipe

By Eric Cook

During the summer we prefer cool deserts, but as fall and winter approach, our taste buds want something warm from the oven. One easy yet tasty fall desert to serve warm and complete a mean is an apple crisp. An apple crisp recipe us usually easy enough that even beginning cooks can follow the directions.

Apple crisps are one of several simple yet delicious baked deserts that use the fruits of the season and pastry toppings. If you want to try other similar deserts, look for recipes for Brown Bettys, Pandowdies, Crumbles, Cobblers or Grunts. These home-style deserts can be great comfort foods. In fact, you may find them difficult to resist. The topping on an apple crisp is a mixture the is much like that of a streusel. The topping will normally contain butter, flour sugar, oatmeal and nuts. There are also some spices to mix in which will complement the apples or other fruit that may be used.

When the desert is done and you open your oven, you will immediately see why this desert is called an apple crisp.

Fortunately, the time that our taste buds begin to long for deserts like apple crisps is just the time that they are starting to arrive fresh in the markets. Freshly harvested apples make the best deserts. Choose a good tart cooking apple such as a Granny Smith for your apple crisp. Feel free to add other fruits that would complement the apples, such as raspberries or cranberries. In Great Brittan, a favorite addition is Blackberries. Serve your freshly baked apple crisp warm topped with ice cream.

Try using old fashioned rolled oats that are larger in size than the quick cooking oats. They will give the topping a better texture and a better flavor. Oatmeal can be found very inexpensively in the bulk food aisle of your grocery store. Old fashioned oats make a higher quality apple crisp.

Oats are a whole grain cereal that are very good for you. They can help to lower your cholesterol and are a great source of fiber. Add the fiber of the oats to the fiber of the apples and you have a desert that is both good for you and tastes great.

For an easy apple crisp, start by greasing a 9x12 inch cake pan. Peel, core and slice 4 medium sized Granny Smith apples. The slices should be thin. Add the apple slices to the baking pan and top with the following apple crisp topping.

The topping is made with 3/4 cups of brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, one third coup of margarine, cinnamon and nutmeg. Normally it will take 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of each of the spices, but adjust to taste. Mix these toppings until they form a crumbly mixture and spread over the apples.

Place the apple crisp in an oven that has been preheated to 375 degrees and cook for half an hour or until the apples become tender.

Serve your desert warm fresh out of the oven. Top with one scoop of ice cream. If you have leftovers, they can be eaten cold or warmed for thirty seconds in the microwave oven.

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Apple Crisp Recipe For A Great Fall Desert

By Eric Cook

When the days begin to get cooler after a long hot summer, it is time to start baking again. One fun desert that is also tasty and easy to prepare is an apple crisp. Of course you will need to find an apple crisp recipe. There is a simple one included at the end of this article.

Apple crisps are one of several simple yet delicious baked deserts that use the fruits of the season and pastry toppings. If you want to try other similar deserts, look for recipes for Brown Bettys, Pandowdies, Crumbles, Cobblers or Grunts. These home-style deserts can be great comfort foods. In fact, you may find them difficult to resist. The topping on an apple crisp is a mixture the is much like that of a streusel. The topping will normally contain butter, flour sugar, oatmeal and nuts. There are also some spices to mix in which will complement the apples or other fruit that may be used.

When the desert is done and you open your oven, you will immediately see why this desert is called an apple crisp.

As mentioned earlier, apple crisps are most popular during the cooler fall or even winter days. Fortunately, this is the time that apples are fresh from the harvest. There is nothing like the tartness of a Granny Smith apple combined with the apple crisp topping served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. For additional color and flavor, you may want to add a second fruit such as cranberries or raspberries. You might also try the favorite of Great Brittan where apples are mixed with Blackberries to make an apple crisp.

If your apple crisp recipe calls for old fashioned rolled oats, do not substitute quick cooking oats. Quick cooking oats are cut then steamed and rolled. Old fashioned oats are steamed and rolled while whole. This gives them a much nuttier flavor and the apple crisp topping a much better texture.

To prepare oats into oatmeal, the oats are steamed and rolled flat. Quick cooking oats are cut before the process begins and rolled thinner to cook more quickly. Oatmeal has been shown to help to lower cholesterol. When added with the apples, it is a good way to get fiber into your system.

Here is a quick apple crisp recipe. You are going to need four medium Granny Smith apples. The will need to be peeled and cored. Once the apples are peeled, and sliced place them in a greased 9x13 baking pan. Top the apples with the apple crisp topping.

The topping is made with 3/4 cups of brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, one third coup of margarine, cinnamon and nutmeg. Normally it will take 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of each of the spices, but adjust to taste. Mix these toppings until they form a crumbly mixture and spread over the apples.

Bake your apple crisp for thirty minutes in an oven that has been preheated to 375 degrees. When the apples are tender, the crisp is done.

Serve the apple crisp warm out of the oven topped with ice cream. Leftovers (if there are any) can be warned for about a minute and topped with ice cream.

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Monday, November 23, 2009

A Night With A Free Daiquiri Recipe And A Broken Bottle Or Three

By Den M Smythe

I have to say that coming across a free daiquiri recipe online was certainly a major step forward in getting the cocktail party organised. I've always enjoyed having friends over for drinks, and we're all partial to the occasional cocktail or three. Although I like to think I'm creative, when it comes to mixing potentially expensive (and volatile!) drinks, I like having a helping hand.

It's easy to picture daiquiri cocktails held daintily between the fingertips of society's most chic representatives, but when you realise that they were invented by miners back in'05, you can see that they clearly prove popular with pretty well everyone. However, daiquiri recipes may be very popular, but inventing recipes which are truly drinkable takes a little more insight.

Faced with a row of colourful bottles and ingredients all sorts of wild ideas went through my head faster than a lime in a tight squeeze - but really, you can't hold a cocktail party without having a pretty good idea of how to create a good daiquiri cocktail. I needed help, and did a quick search online to see if I could find a free daiquiri recipe.

I quite quickly discovered a website offering a completely free, and completely tempting, strawberry daiquiri recipe. I decided to try it out, rustled the ingredients together and did my best cocktail waiter impression. Fortunately I didn't manage to drop all of it, and so came the taste test. Well, somebody has to, don't they? My opinion was that it was an unrivalled success.

But the experience wasn't to end at merely a successful strawberry daiquiri recipe. Whilst savouring the last drops I noticed that the website which had provided me with my taste of success was also offering an entire ebook of daiquiri recipes. I breathed a sigh of relief, calm in the knowledge that my social reputation was safe, and downloaded the key to daiquiri success.

Obviously I put in a little practice before hand - well, wouldn't you? As the evening approached I was really looking forward to impressing my friends with some quite extraordinary flavours. What I was also pleased with was the fact that I was prepared for whatever drinks and ingredients they brought with them. A quick flick through the ebook and another marvel was delivered.

The truth is that during the party I did admit where my new found knowledge had come from, which wasn't a problem because then everyone was volunteering to try out one of the recipes themselves! Since then they've all got hold of the ebook and we're now doing the rounds, hosting cocktail evenings regularly, with no two evenings the same.

Although the idea of getting hold of a free daiquiri recipe and a daiquiri recipes ebook sounds great, I have discovered one serious problem since then. Now that everyone sees me as a master of daiquiri cocktails, I'm having to look around now for an ebook on juggling and balancing cocktail glasses on my head...

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How To Roast Turkey For Christmas Dinner

By Mark Knowles

Roast turkey provides your family with a healthy alternative to other meats because it contains less calories, fat, and cholesterol than beef and pork. The only fat in the bird is confined to dark meat and the skin making it a good choice for those that are on a diet that limits fat. The meat of the turkey is much more digestible that other meats and will provide your body with vitamins and minerals it needs to stay strong and healthy.

Roasting a bird is not hard at all, it just takes time. A twelve lb turkey will take about 180minutes to roast unstuffed while a twenty lb bird can take up to five hours. Preparation is relatively simple and non-time consuming.

Departmnent stores carry bird all year found so finding what you need for your feast shouldn't be a problem. Turkeys come frozen and some department stores carry fresh bird parts in the refrigerated section. Fresh turkey can be cooked right away but frozen birds need to be thawed for a period of time in the refrigerator and that can take several days. Small birds can thaw in about four days and a large bird can be in the refrigerator five to six days before ready to cook. Make sure to put your turkey in a pan to thaw because the packaging will drip and you don't want a mess to clean in the refrigerator.

The first step to prepping your turkey to cook is to remove the packaging. You will find some clips that hold the legs together and those need to be taken off. Once the legs are apart you will see the cavity of the bird and there is usually a small package inside that contains the giblets (internal organs or heart, liver and kidneys) and the neck. Traditionalists chop the organs up and cook them in butter to be placed in the stuffing and the neck is usually boiled in water with onions and celery to make turkey stock for the gravy. You don't have to use them however and if you desire you can cook them and give them to your dog or cat. Never give it to them raw and never give them the neck.

In the next step the turkey needs to be washed down so run water outside and inside of the bird until you are sure all blood is gone. Don't use soap to wash a bird - only water. Pat the bird dry with a few paper towels and then put it in a large roasting pan with the breast facing up.

Stuffing is a good side dish to be served with turkey and it can be cooked inside the cavity of the bird but always stuff it a few minutes prior to putting it in the oven. You don't want your guests to get food poisoning and that is likely to happen if you let the stuffing sit inside the bird for awhile. It is much safer to make stuffing outside of the turkey. Place a few peeled and lightly chopped onions and some celery inside the cavity if you don't stuff it. Add garlic if you desire and a few teaspoons of butter. These things will impart a lovely flavor to your bird. Remove them before serving. Melt some butter in a saucepan and brush a heavy coating over the breast and legs of the bird. If you are worried about fat content use a butter product that does not contain a lot of fat. Season the bird with salt and pepper and add some dry sage. Other herbs good for turkey are rosemary and thyme. Pour 1 or 2 cups water in the pan, not over the bird to give it some moisture. It should just cover the bottom of the pan. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F and pop the turkey in, uncovered, for one half hour. Turn the temperature down to 350 degrees for the duration of cooking time.

Before you put the bird in the oven insert an oven safe meat thermometer in the thigh of the bird. If you have an instant meat thermometer you can use it after the turkey has been in the oven for awhile. The internal temperature of the turkey is important because it tells you when it is safe to eat. The time a turkey stays in the oven depends on the size. Small turkeys go for about three hours, medium small (12 to-- pounds) go three and three fourths hours, medium (15 to') cooks four and one fourth hours, a large (19 to 20) cooks four and one half hours and a extra large (20 and up) should stay in the oven five to five and one half hours. You will know it is done when the meat thermometer hits'0 degrees F. If you notice the top of the bird getting too brown just add a tent of foil. Watch the thermometer and when it reaches about 150 degrees start basting by sucking the juices from the bottom of the pan with a baster and squirting on the breast and legs of the turkey every 20 minutes. This will keep the meat moist.

Before carving place the bird on a cutting board and leave it alone for about 10 minutes. Enjoy your roast turkey along with all the trimming but make sure there are leftovers to make those luscious turkey sandwiches the next day.

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Sunday, November 22, 2009

Simple Budget Friendly Meals

By Laura Cokherell

These quick and easy budget friendly meal recipes are filled with flavor from fresh and simple food found in any supermarket. Just a few ingredients and simple preparation create these low cost meals in minutes.

Each recipe makes 2 to 3 servings

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- Simple Pasta Toss: Combine a couple of cups of cooked pasta (rotini, farfalle, elbow) with a bag of your favorite frozen vegetable combination (cooked according to package directions). Add a couple of flavor boosters like cubes of cheese, chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or pine nuts), sun-dried tomatoes (in oil, drained and roughly chopped), lemon or lime zest, cooked beans, or fresh chopped herbs like basil, cilantro, parsley, or thyme. Add a dressing like olive oil and vinegar, plain yogurt (alone or mixed with mustard, horseradish, crumbled cooked bacon (regular or vegetarian style), or tamari soy sauce), salsa, oyster sauce, peanut sauce, or your favorite bottled dressing. Mix well and serve this pasta meal with a small tossed salad and warm garlic bread.

- Chicken Salad with Apples and Ginger: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss well to combine: 2 cups cooked chicken (cubed), 1 apple (cored and diced), 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, 1 tsp grated ginger, and 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream. Serve salad on a bed of baby spinach leaves drizzled with a little low-sodium soy sauce. For a simple side dish, serve warm breadsticks with your favorite spread. Vegetarian Option: Use 1 1/2 cups of store bought baked tofu cut into cubes instead of the chicken.

- Quinoa Salmon Salad: In a bowl, combine 3 cups of salad greens, 1/2 cup each of (green beans, peeled and cubed jicama, and sliced mushrooms), 1 cup canned salmon (drained and flaked), 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, and 1 apple (cored and diced). Toss with a bottled Italian dressing to taste. When serving each salad top with sliced almonds. Serve salad with warm rolls and whipped cream cheese.

- Quick and Cheesy Wraps: Using two to three (8 to 10 inch) soft tortilla shells, place a layer of refried beans on one-half of each tortilla. Top with thin slices of avocado, sliced radishes, diced green bell pepper, salsa, and shredded cheddar cheese. Heat each tortilla in the microwave until the cheese melts. Remove tortilla from oven and top with salad greens, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, and chopped pitted black or green olives and fold the wrap closed. Serve each wrap with a bowl of warm tomato soup topped with chopped fresh cilantro and thin slices of radish.

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Friday, November 20, 2009

Adding Some Variety To Your Vegetarian Way Of Life

By Carl Keller

After your ae planning a healthy vegetarian diet, you are only restricted by your imagination. It's necessary to include a big variety of whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits in several meals, including seeds and nuts.

Selection is that the spice of life, and it can help ensure your vegetarian diet is nutrient-dense, attention-grabbing, and fun! Aim for selection, even once you serve favorite entrees frequently once more, by serving totally different facet dishes, snacks and desserts.

Be creative in planning meals. Boost your consumption of beans and vegetables by eating these foods at lunch time rather than simply for dinner. Make it a goal to serve a vegetable every day for lunch and 2 for dinner. Set up a meal around a vegetable. A baked potato will be a hearty entree; serve it with baked beans, a sauce of stewed tomatoes or a few tablespoons of salsa. Or make a easy meal of sauted vegetables and pasta.

Attempt new foods often. Experiment with a variety of grains such as quinoa, couscous, bulgur, barley, and wheat berries. Strive fruits and vegetables that are widespread in different international cuisines, like bok choy. Accentuate the positive. Focus a lot of on healthy foods that work into a vegetarian arrange rather than foods to avoid.

If you are unsure how to incorporate a brand new food into your vegetarian diet, ask the turn out manager at your native grocer or health food store for ideas on how to prepare it. The web will be a nice resource for brand spanking new recipe and preparation ideas. However be sure that you simply are building your menu on a robust plant food base. Create them the core of your diet.

Don't stress about obtaining enough protein. As long as calories are sufficient and the diet is varied, vegetarians easily meet protein needs. Grains, beans, vegetables, and nuts all give protein. Vegetarians do not need to eat special mixtures of foods to fulfill protein needs. But, it is important to concentrate on fat. Even vegetarians will get an excessive amount of fat if the diet contains giant amounts of nuts, oils, processed foods, or sweets.

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Juicer Recipes - 3 Vegetables for Heart Health

By Darren Haynes

Juicing your vegetables is an excellent way to get a super dose of their healthy nutrition. There are three vegetables in particular that provide many of the nutrients required to fight heart disease. So, what are these well researched vegetables?

SPINACH

Vitamins A and C are found abundantly in Spinach. These are both well established nutrients that protect cholesterol from getting sticky and protect the arteries from hardening. Sticky cholesterol is able to attach itself to the arteries causing a build up of plaque and the restriction of blood flow.

Two minerals found abundantly in spinach are potassium and magnesium. Both these minerals are vital for your heart to beat properly and have been shown to help bring down blood pressure levels. If potassium levels fall too low in the body, a heart attack can result.

Further more, spinach contains a vitamin called folate. Folate is essential for keeping the blood levels of homocysteine at safe levels by converting excess homocysteine into more benign chemicals. High blood levels of homocysteine is a definite risk factor for developing heart disease.

Juicer recipes idea: A lot of spinach is required to make enough juice that you can drink. About 6 cups will get you what you need. Also, spinach juice doesn't taste so great, adding an apple to the juice makes it easier to drink.

BROCCOLI

Sulforaphane is an antioxidant plant chemical that is found abundantly in broccoli that can indirectly safeguard the heart from cellular damage. Research from the University of Connecticut has shown that sulforaphane some how activates a release of the protein thioredoxin into the body. It is then thioredoxin that protects the heart's cells.

According to researchers at the University of Connecticut, thioredoxin protects the heart from cell damage.

Juicer recipes idea: Juice the florets and the stalks to get maximun nutrition benefits. Also the stalk contains more juice than the florets.

TOMATOES

Are tomatoes a fruit or a vegetable? Well it is heart healthy enough to make it to this list, so I will leave the answer at that. Tomatoes contain a plant chemical called lycopene which is responsible for its vibrant red color. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant which protects the tomato from the harmful effects of heat and light from the sun. Lycopene is equally powerful at protecting our arteries from cellular damage. In a recent study from Harvard women taking lycopene were 50% less likely to develop heart disease over a five year period. Furthermore, lycopene is considered to have beneficial effects on blood pressure.

Juicer recipes idea: Tomato pulp can be saved and used in soup.

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Seafood is an Exciting Part of Mexican Cuisine

By Ken Kudra

When most people think of Mexican food, they do not usually include seafood. Mexico is full of seafood, however. With six thousand miles of coastline, how could they not include seafood? Mexico is located in between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The Gulf of Mexico provides many miles of coastal fishing. Mexican seafood is a staple that those of us unfamiliar with the country do not often think about.

One of the most popular seafood dishes in Mexico is ceviche. This dish is made with raw fish, shrimp, or squid that is diced finely. Cilantro, chili peppers, onion, and salt may be added. Finally, a citrus juice like lemon or lime is added. The acidity of the juice "cooks" the fish slightly. Some ingredients may be cooked first for safety. Ceviche is served on its own, with crackers or tostadas, or even as taco filling.

When fish or shrimp is served in the Veracruzana style, the seafood is simmered in a seasoned tomato sauce. The seasonings may include capers, olives, and chilies. The result is a tangy dish with some spice. It is often served with red snapper or shrimp. The area around Veracruz is well known for its many seafood dishes.

"A la Plancha" is a Spanish cooking method that is also popular in Mexico. In this method, a metal plate is set on top of an open flame for grilling. Fish does not stick to the plate like it does to a grill, yet it gets all of the grilled flavor.

Winter is the best fishing time in Mexico. Large quantities of delicious fish and shellfish are harvested during this season to feed the populace. Most people in Mexico follow the Catholic religion, which dictates no meat on Fridays, only fish. They also eat a lot of seafood during Lent. Seafood plays a major part in their religious rituals for each family. Every cook uses their seasoning skills to bring out the most in their seafood, whether they can afford large shrimp or only a humble meal of fish heads.

When you are looking for dishes to make at home, do not forget to look for those that contain seafood. You may be surprised just how versatile it really is. Chilies stuffed with shrimp, spicy clams and delicious snapper await your eager taste buds when you prepare them like they are served in Mexico.

Add some of these delicious Mexican recipes to your recipe file. Seafood soup, stews and other dishes are both delicious and filling. Shrimp is used in enchiladas, tacos, and many more favorite dishes. Seafood and rice is a common dish served in Veracruz that contains fish, shrimp, octopus, clams, and crabs. Seafood frittatas are made with octopus, shrimp, crab, fish, and shellfish such as oysters, mussels, or clams for an exciting way to enjoy eggs.

Do not write off Mexican food if it does not contain beef, pork, or chicken. Seafood truly shines in Mexican cuisine. Explore the culture of Mexico through its seafood and you will see everything in a whole new light. The seafood provides the perfect combination with the many spices and ingredients best loved in Mexican cooking.

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Thursday, November 19, 2009

Using Food Budget To Save Dough

By Mike Smith

If you keep track of the money you spend on household expenses, you may find that one of your largest expenses is what you spend on food. While food is expensive, a good food budget can help you to save money and that money can be used to meet other expenses in you overall budget.

Start by packing your own lunch for work. It is easy to add over twelve hundred dollars a year that can be used for other purposes by taking your lunch to work. While you are at it, cut out all of those fancy coffees you are drinking on the way to and from work. This can save another one thousand dollars per year.

Eat out less often with your family. With tips, a meal at a nice restaurant can easily cost a family of four eighty dollars. If you learn to cook your favorite meals at home, you will rarely spend more than fifteen dollars on the fanciest of meals. Many times, it is possible to feed a family of four a great tasting nutritious meal for less than ten dollars per meal. That is a savings of seventy dollars per meal.

To save money on the food budget, you will want to plan a menu and stick with it, sort of. You may need to make substitutions at the grocery store in order to save the most money. This allows you to be able to take advantage of any sales you find while shopping.

Stop wasting food. Cook only the amount your family will eat at one meal, unless you are willing to take left over food for your lunch at work the next day. When planning a meal, plan those foods that use the fresh produce early in the week so there is less chance of food going bad before you use it. Plan to use frozen or canned produce later in the week. After shopping, freeze any meats that you will not be using in the next couple of days. Use your microwave's defrost cycle to thaw those meats when needed.

You can save money with a food budget and still have great meals.

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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Pumpkin Nutrition

By Ken Kudra

Pumpkins are a great source of nutrition. These orange wonders are full of beta-carotene like all orange fruit and vegetables. It is also a good source of vitamin C, calcium, and fiber. Pumpkin seeds and the oil pressed from them are full of zinc and unsaturated fatty acids... the ones we need to stay healthy.

For the calories you are consuming, pumpkin gives you a lot of nutrition. Even if you ate it for fiber alone, it is known to fill you up so you can naturally curb your appetite without harmful pharmaceuticals. Fiber is also good for your bowels. This squash is also full of potassium.

We all need iron to help our red blood cells oxygenate our bodies. Pumpkin will give you what you need! In addition, the zinc will help prevent osteoporosis. Did you know it can affect the hips as well as the spine? Zinc is also beneficial to your reproductive system... especially if you are trying for a baby.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are important compounds found in pumpkin that help neutralize the free radicals that can damage the lenses in your eyes. This can help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts as you get older. Isn't it amazing that this simple vegetable can protect your eyes, your bones, and your reproductive system? It is also good for your skin. How many vegetables can do all this and still taste great in both sweet and savory dishes?

Want more ways to add this food to your menu? Maybe you are looking for a recipe for pumpkin soup. This easy meal can be made with fresh or canned pumpkin. Both versions are healthy and provide many of the nutrients your body needs. Soup can be made so it is low in calories, or you can add cream and other luscious ingredients to make it truly elegant. Who knew this rustic vegetable could offer so much?

Add pumpkin to your diet and see if you do not feel a difference. It is really a shame that this amazing food is under appreciated and overlooked in this country. Pumpkins should shine all year round, not just at Halloween and during the holidays as a simple dessert. It should be in a place of honor in the culinary world.

The versatile pumpkin needs to be celebrated. It is one of the few foods that are equally good in both sweet or savory dishes. Add pumpkin to your menu several times a month using various recipes. Try it as a bread, as a soup or as a roasted vegetable. Do not relegate pumpkins to being a novelty-serving dish. Eat some!

Once you have added more pumpkin to your diet, you will wonder what you did without this delicious vegetable. You will notice that you begin to feel and look better because you are providing your body with important nutrients that it needs. Pumpkin provides you with stronger bones, helps maintain your figure and keeps your insides working properly. Not bad for a holiday decoration.

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What Can I Cook With The Ingredients I Have

By Mike Jackson

Most people come home from their busy days wondering, what can I Cook with the ingredients I have in my pantry. First of all, you should remain calm, because most of us have been in this predicament a few times. We can easily say that our busy schedules didn't allow us ample time to shop.

But, having said that, there are many things that you have in your kitchen cupboards in combination with your refrigerator that you can put together and form a good and healthy meal. Many of us often have some type of meat in our freezer. Let's assume we have some ground beef or other type of ground meat.

Having that is the basis of your entire meal. You can quickly thaw the meat in the microwave and quickly make a meat loaf. There aren't many ingredients that are required in this type of recipe. Furthermore on the side, you can make a quick salad and potatoes or rice.

Now cut up some vegetables for good salad. If you don't have anything, check your pantry for a can of vegetables.

The truth is, we don't allot enough time to do the appropriate shopping and cooking, partly because we don't have the time. Or perhaps we don't want to devote any time to it. However, surely there are items that you have purchased in the past either sitting in your pantry or in your freezer. So for days like these, you should always ensure that you have canned vegetables and beans to provide you with the essential vitamins and great side dishes.

In addition to that, always try to keep some type of frozen meat in your freezer for busy weeks like you may be having right now. It's always best to keep something that can thaw quickly, like pork chops or steak. And there you have it, always prepared to put a meal together in no time.

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[UAW] We swamped MAX...

Hey Wizard Members,

Couple of things we wanted to let you know about.

1. The MAX article writing integration has been a huge success,
however...

2. The sheer volume increase of orders coming from UAW users was
unexpected and has caused some slowdowns and delays...for this, the MAX
Team apologizes...they are working feverishly to catch up and in fact have
hired on 100 more writers to handle the volume.

3. Turnaround times seem to be varying between 2-10 days at present, so
please be patient as they get caught up.

4. And the last piece of information is that MAX is not UAW. It is a
separate service, managed by another company. So please don't send MAX
support tickets and requests through the UAW helpdesk as the response will
simply be to contact MAX Support at support@myarticleexpress.com or through
the support tab inside your MAX desktop.

Things will speed up as the new writers get acclimated. We have had a
bunch of great reviews come in on the integration and it will only get
better from here on out.

Wishing you all the best,

The UAW Team
Any Qestions? Please reply to this email or use the helpdesk:
http://allegrettopublishing.com/support

Allegretto Publishing Ltd
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Brooks, AB T1R 1M4,
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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

The History of the Crock Pot

By Ken Kudra

Crock-pots are in almost every kitchen. They sit on the counter or hidden away in a cupboard, collecting dust unless we are really strapped for time. In actuality, slow cooking has been used to prepare meals for hundreds of years. Today is so much easier; it is amazing this method is not used more often.

Way Back When

People have been slow cooking their meals ever since they learned how to smelt iron and make a pot. A large kettle could be simmering over the fire throughout the day, or a small, covered Dutch oven could be set into the coals for cooking. It has long been known that slow cooking has many benefits for our food. The downside to the old methods is the constant tending needed for the fire, as well as frequent stirring of the food.

Cooking on a low heat for many hours tenderizes tough meats through the softening of the fibers. The natural collagen also melts, creating a tender, delicious meal that is full of gelatin and nutrition. Long cooking times may also be beneficial to tough root crops, rendering them more digestible. Dried beans and lentils also benefit from a long cooking time on low heat.

The Crock Pot

The Naxon Utilities Corporation in Chicago developed what we recognize as a slow cooker in the'50s. They called their new pot the Beanery All Purpose Cooker. It was meant to help make baked beans. The Beanery was a ceramic pot situated inside a metal pan equipped with heating elements around the sides. This heated the ceramic pot evenly, while keeping the heat away from directly contacting the food.

Naxon was bought by Rival in'70. The Beanery was reinvented as the Crock Pot. During the'70s, more women were joining the workforce, and the Crock Pot helped them manage to feed their families as well. It was easy enough to fill it before they left for work and be able to come home to a hot meal.

As the years have progressed, so has the Crock Pot. Now they feature removable ceramic pots for easier cleaning and storage of leftovers. The old ones were a single piece, making cleaning difficult due to the attached electrical cord. The new ceramic liners are even dishwasher safe, making them even more convenient for busy families. Many of the newer slow cookers also feature a warming setting as well as Low and High. Some are electronic and will automatically switch to warm when the food is done.

While women made many dishes slow cooking the old way, today's crock-pot is even more versatile. Beans, stews, casseroles, and roasts are the most common dishes made in the crock-pot. You can also make foods like lasagna, barbecued pork, and even your favorite chicken noodle soup recipe in your crock-pot.

You can also emulate your ancestors and bake breads by slow cooking. The more you use your crock-pot, the more creative you will get. You may even try desserts and dips if you get adventurous.

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Items You Will Probably Want To Buy For Mexican Recipes

By Beverley Drake

If you are wanting to cook authentic Mexican foods, then there are some special equipment that you may need. Mexican cooking can be done without some of the equipment, but you will never get the true Mexican flavor without these utensils.

A Cazuelas is a pottery dish that is used to simmer mole or other sauces. Clay disperses the heat very evenly and thus eliminates burnt spots. Usually shallow (five to seven inches deep) Cazuelas are round and bowl shaped. Handles make them easier to handle when using an open fire. Sometimes the outsides are painted in bright and beautiful colors and the insides are glazed. Clay imparts a great flavor to any dish.

The Olla or Barro are also clay pots from Mexico. They are very large and are used to slow cook beans, soups or stews. Heating is very even and ingredients can be cooked all day long on open flames. These pots will break, especially if exposed to extreme temperature changes.

A Comal griddle is a large griddle that is made of cast iron, aluminum or clay. It is usually round and can be used for warming tortillas or roasting chiles or other vegetables. They come in a variety of sizes from that of a large plate up to two feet across.

The Metate y Mano is a hand grinder that has been carved from lava rock or stone. We would call it a mortar and pestle. In Mexico, it is used for grinding corn or spices and foods may be mixed using the cylinder of stone. There are usually three legs that have been carved to hold the bowl upright.

Mexico's true mortar and pestle is called the Molcajete y Tejolote. It can be made out of clay, wood or stone. A cylinder of the same material that has been rounded on each end is used to crush the spaces or chilis to prepare them for cooking.

A Molinillo is a wooden stirrer which is used for frothing hot chocolate. To use this tool, hold the handle between your hands and move the hands back and forth to spin the tool rapidly.

A Tortillero or tortilla press can be made of wood, cast iron, plastic resin or aluminum. The aluminum presses break rather easily, so choose one of the other presses fro best result and to save money. Mesa is rolled into a ball and the ball is pressed flat into the shape of a tortilla. The tortilla is baked on a griddle before eating.

Traditional Mexican cooking is time consuming. We are fortunate today that we can come very close to the original without taking all the time. Additionally, you may find utensils in your kitchen that will work in preparing Mexican food.

Another shortcut is to find a good quality Mexican bakery in your hometown. They will supply you with very high quality tortillas (in corn or flour) that will prevent you from having to grind your own corn or press your own tortillas. Why not enjoy some Mexican food tonight.

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Mashed Potatoes; A Staple Of The Dinner Table

By Ben Cook

Mashed potatoes have been a staple of the dinner table for a very long time and it usually is the most popular dish on the table. Those creamy mounds of potatoes were one of the stars of the show in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind and they are usually the stars of the show at the Thanksgiving table as well. They are supposed to be creamy and buttery and some cooks pride themselves on how smooth and velvety they are but, most home cooks may leave some lumps in them and they are still absolutely delicious.

Mashed potatoes are a simple recipe consisting of some butter, milk, pepper and salt added to the potatoes or some cooks beef them up with garlic, green onions and cheese. They are versatile as other things can be added such as vegetables, bacon and other cheeses and they can be placed back in the potato skins and baked again for twice baked potatoes.

There are even instant mashed potatoes, although not nearly as tasty as real ones. They haven't been around all that long either being patented in'62 by Canadian scientist Edward Asselbergs. He invented the process of dehydrating mashed potatoes that is used today even though some earlier methods were patented in'12 and'54. Today we can even go to the grocery store and purchase tubs of real potatoes that have been already mashed for us and all we have to do is heat them up in the microwave.

There are some purists that think you should boil a potato and then just mash it with a fork to make mashed potatoes. They say that if you put it in a food processor or mixer the potato cells are damaged releasing their starch making them very sticky however, many kids grew up enjoying those sticky potatoes and make them that way today. The methods of making mashed potatoes differ from household to household from peeling, boiling, and mashing the potatoes with a wire potato masher to baking them in the oven removing the skin and putting them into the electric mixer. In the old days people used a ricer to make smooth potatoes. A ricer is a large sieve like looking thing with a handle connected to a blade. You turn the handle and it squished the potato through the little holes in the body of the apparatus making little worm like potato threads. These can be whipped up with other additives to make a velvety textured mashed potato.

A simple mashed potato recipe uses russet potatoes but other good potatoes to use for mashed are Idaho and Yukon Gold. The ingredients needed to make Simple Mashed Potatoes are:Two and one half pounds potatoes, peeled and cut in chunksOne fourth cup milk, One fourth cup butter, One half teaspoon salt, One half teaspoon black pepper. Instructions are as follows: Place potato chunks in 4 quarts of water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once it boils reduce heat to medium low and cover the pot. Let it simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes or until poked with a fork the potatoes feel soft. Drain potatoes and transfer to a large bowl and mash with a wire masher or place in a mixer bowl and whip them for a few minutes. Add milk, butter, salt and pepper and mix until potatoes become smooth and creamy. This will serve about six people.

If you would like to take your mashed potatoes up a notch try Cheesy Mashed Potatoes that use cream cheese, sour cream and cheddar cheese. You will need the following:8 to 10 potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks (3 pounds or a little more), 8 ounces cream cheese, softened, One half of a 16 ounce carton of sour cream, 6 tablespoons butter, One fourth teaspoon garlic salt, One fourth teaspoon pepper, One half cup shredded Cheddar. Directions are as follows:Place potato chunks in a large pan or Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low and boil for about 20 minutes or until potatoes feel soft when poked with a fork. Drain and place potatoes in the mixer bowl. Add the cream cheese, sour cream, and butter and whip. Add garlic salt and pepper and whip until well combined. You can either whip in the cheddar cheese or sprinkle it on top and let it melt a little before serving.

Wire mashers should be used in an up and down motion instead of side to side so that the integrity of the cells stay in tact and the potatoes do not become starchy. Always add softened butter rather than throwing in a cold, hard chunk of butter that may not get mixed in well. You can warm your milk before adding to keep the potatoes warm and make a creamy consistency. Do not let the milk boil though. Use chicken broth instead of milk as this will give them a heartier taste but make sure to test before adding salt since there is salt in the broth.

Mashed potatoes are great for a side dish with dinner and your family will just love having them. Add in bacon, chives, onions, and other things to give them more interest or just serve them plain. Use butter, sour cream or a little cheese to give them some vitality or you can top them with gravy. One guarantee, there probably will not be any left after dinner is over.

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