Convenience Food Tips
December 5, 2008
Convenience Food Tips
by: Kirsten Hawkins
While it would be ideal to make all of our own snacks and meals from scratch everyday, the plain and simple truth is that most of us simply donÕt have that kind of time. This is where we turn to convenience foods to meet our dietary and weight loss needs. However, the right convenience foods in the right amounts can easily be integrated into almost any diet.
Shop Smart - Never shop on an empty stomach. This will only make it harder for you to make choices that are in your best interests. Always be prepared with a thorough shopping list and do not divert from it. If an aisle is full of tempting goodies but has nothing on your list, simply walk right by it, instead of down it. If you see something healthy that you would like, but itÕs not on your list, jot it down and add it to the list next time. This will provide you with something to look forward to.
Reach for the smaller bags and boxes of what you need when possible. The less food you have leftover in your kitchen translates into less temptation.
What Are Coffee Pods?
December 5, 2008
What Are Coffee Pods?
by: Anthony Tripodi
People drink coffee to stay awake and get more things done. But how can you get more things done if you’re waiting around for your coffee to brew. Oh sure you can go buy a cup of coffee but at some point you going to want a cup at home. With a coffee pod maker you’re only 30 seconds away from an excellent cup of coffee.
Senseo was one of the first coffee pod makers available. And having sold more than 10 million units in four years Senseo is definitely here to stay. A coffee pod looks just like a round tea bag. It works like this. You fill the coffee maker with water, place a coffee pod in the receptacle, hit the button and thirty seconds later you have a great cup of coffee. A patented method that uses a special spray head and mild pressure to balance the ratio of coffee to water while brewing creates a rich frothy cup of coffee.
Homemade Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen - Make your Own Holiday Gift Baskets
December 2, 2008
Homemade Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen - Make your Own Holiday Gift Baskets
by: Karen Ciancio
Many of us would love to give hand made holiday gift baskets. Christmas gifts from the kitchen are always welcome and Christmas gift baskets, especially home made food gift baskets, are a real treat.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the thought of making your own holiday gift baskets but with a few easy recipe ideas it is easy to create a personalized and thoughtful hand made Christmas food gift basket.
Any of these recipes make a wonderful gift packaged in a plastic or cellophane bag with a colorful bow or in a pretty jelly jar with a fabric covered lid. Add a hand made card with the recipe attached to it and your gift is complete.
1. Herbed Beer Batter Bread Mix
To make the mix you will need:
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon each of dried thyme and oregano
- Dash of dried dill
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt oregano, thyme and dill. Pack this mixture into an airtight container or bag. The mix can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 month. It will make 1 loaf of bread.
How To Create The Perfect Backyard Barbeque
December 1, 2008
How To Create The Perfect Backyard Barbeque
by: Dakota Caudilla
Planning the perfect barbeque is easy. Just follow these five easy steps towards creating a memorable barbeque.
1. Because good company is what makes or breaks a successful backyard barbeque make sure you organize your guests first. Send out invitations or call as much in advance as you can to guarantee that the people you want to come will be able to come.
2. Choose a theme and decorate the backyard and your home to suit that theme. Match tablecloths and napkins. Add candles and fresh flowers. A backyard barbeque needs a theme to induce a fun mood amongst guests and to make it memorable.
3. Plan the menu. Check to see what your guests are bringing and cross those items off your list. Make a list of what you need (don’t forget insect repellent) and do all the shopping the day before so that ingredients are fresh and so that the morning of your backyard barbeque can be dedicated to food preparation. Make sure you purchase the highest-quality meat products you can find. And select vegetables, such as corn, tomatoes, peppers and mushrooms. These vegetables are perfect accompaniments for a barbeque.
How to Begin Wine Collecting
November 29, 2008
How to Begin Wine Collecting
by: Dakota Caudilla
Some people collect wine for moneyand some people collect wine because they have a passion for wine. Irregardless of whether you’re collecting wine for profit or for pleasure, collecting wine requires some investment. Enjoying wine is a completely different thing from collecting wine, bear this in mind.
When it comes to collecting wine, one of the most important thing to consider is where you’re going to keep the wine. A substantial portion of your investment towards your wine collection hobby is in ensuring that there’s a suitable place to store your wine. The motive is to ensure that the wine collection will increase in value, not decrease. Believe it or not, the storage and the way the wine is kept make a world of difference.
Wine that is kept, collected and protected in suitable condition will age nicely and will turn into vintage wines. However, if your wine collection is not properly cared for, well, you’ll know. The quality of the wine collection will deteriorate and a wine expert will be able to tell that your wine has been ill-treated.
Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes - One Recipe with Many Variations
November 28, 2008
Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes - One Recipe with Many Variations
by: Karen Ciancio
There are so many Christmas cookie recipes around but often so little time to bake during the busy holiday season.
The solution? A great tasting basic cookie recipe that quickly and easily turns into such a variety of easy to make Christmas treats, friends and family will think you poured over all your favorite Christmas cookie recipes.
Let’s start with the basics.
Basic Cookie Dough Recipe
- 1/2 cup (or 1 stick) butter (or margarine) at room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the flour. Beat with an electric mixer, scraping the sides of the bowl several times, until the mixture is light and fluffy. With mixer at a low speed, add the flour gradually, beating just until everything is well blended.
Place the mixture on a baking sheet using a tablespoon measure and press down with a spoon to flatten a bit. Or roll our and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Bake at 350ºF for about 12 to 15 minutes, until golden.
Three Rules For Choosing The Right Dinner Wine
November 27, 2008
Three Rules For Choosing The Right Dinner Wine
by: Dakota Caudilla
RULE NO 1: Drink the wine that you like.
Sounds obvious, doesn’t it? Sometimes, however, we get so caught up in what is the right wine and what is the wrong wine that we forget the most important thing: we have taste! We have our own individual taste and love drinking the wine we love to drink. Sure, certain wines traditionally match certain foods and flavours, but ultimately you are the judge of what you like to drink, no matter what the enologists say!
RULE NO. 2: White with fish, red with meat? Not always.
Everyone knows that fish meals should be accompanied by white wine and meat dishes should be accompanied by red wine. But adhering to strict wine rules takes the fun out of choosing wines. Trust your own sense of taste. A wine should do one of two things: complement or contrast. Not all fish dishes are cooked in the same way, so why should they all be accompanied by white wine? Consider the dish, the way it is cooked, the spices and seasonings added, and then choose a wine that complements those elements or contrasts, that is if you want a more intense experience.
And You Thought Coffee Was Bad For You!!
November 25, 2008
And You Thought Coffee Was Bad For You!!
by: Vince Manzello
I am sure that if you are a coffee enthusiast, you have heard this, but if not let me state it here. “Coffee is good for you!”
Recent research has shown that coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the American diet. Antioxidants, are nutrients that are responsible from protecting your body’s cells from being destroyed by toxins. This destruction has been linked to an increased risk of certain medical conditions, such as cancer, heart disease and others.
Antioxidants are found in the good stuff that our mothers made us eat when we were little, namely fruits & veggies. Amazingly, many of us didn’t listen and took up coffee instead because more Americans get their daily dose of antioxidants from coffee than from broccoli!
The top 10 list for the the source of antioxidants in the Americandiet were listed as follows:
- Coffee
- Black Tea
- Bananas
- Dried Beans
- Corn
- Red Wine
- Beer
- Apples
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
Research also showed that there was esentially no difference between the amount of antioxidants in regular versus decaf coffees.
Grandma’s Apple Pie
November 24, 2008
Grandma’s Apple Pie
by: David Jones
One Year my parents gave my wife and I several bags of apples from a local orchard. Most of them were Golden Delicious and we were instructed not to cook with these,”..they are for eating only.”. When we arrived home my wife’s Grandmother stopped by and spotted the bags of apples. She said “Would you like me to make a pie with those?”. We instantly responded YES! The pie was incredible! So, here it is:
APPLE PIE RECIPE
5 or 6 apples
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (optional)
1/2 stick of butter or margarine (optional)
2 TBSP flour (optional)
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 frozen pie crust
Peel and cut up apples into small pieces. Put apples in a bowl of water and lemon juice to keep from
turning brown and to keep fresh. In a separate bowl, mix sugars, flour, salt, cinnamon
and nutmeg. Add about half of the sugar mixture to the apples. Add softened margarine (optional).
3 Non-Traditional Ways to Prepare Your Holiday Turkey
November 22, 2008
3 Non-Traditional Ways to Prepare Your Holiday Turkey
by: Chef Phronc
3 Non-Traditional Ways to Prepare Your Holiday Turkey
Deep-Fryed Turkey
3 gallons peanut oil for frying, or as needed
1 (12 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
1/4 cup Creole seasoning
1 white onion
In a large stockpot or turkey fryer, heat oil to 400 degrees F. Be sure to leave room for the turkey, or the oil will spill over.
***** Side Note *****
How to determine the amount of oil you need:
The easiest way I’ve found to determine the amount of oil you need is to place the turkey into the fryer and fill with water until the turkey is just covered. Remove turkey and allow to drain, pat dry with paper towels as well. Make note of the level of water in the fryer. Discard water and dry throughly. Fill frying vessel with oil to the level as noted above. This should help in preventing hot oil spill overs.
***** End Side Note *****
