So much beer, so little time. With thousands of beer labels in the world and dozens of beer festivals in Canada alone, it’s been difficult to keep up with what’s new and exciting in the world of beer — until now. Three beer aficionados from Excalibur Communications have launched TheBeerHomePage.com, a website devoted entirely to beer.

TheBeerHomePage.com is made up of one-million pixels that brew pubs, breweries and beer brewing companies can purchase to promote their labels. Breweries can rent any number of 20 X 20 pixel spaces to advertise their unique brands to the world. Visitors are linked to the beer companies’ websites by clicking on the labels. The unique design offers prime advertising space for nearly 2,500 different labels, all in one convenient location.

The new buzz word in Internet marketing is “Pixel Advertising”, the most cost effective marketing tool to hit cyber space. Pixel advertising is very similar to a billboard on the side of a busy freeway with one exception; it is the responsibility of the pixel promoter to drive the traffic to the page (the information highway billboard). Excalibur will use traditional marketing media; magazines, newspapers, post cards, incentives and promotions to drive traffic to thebeerhomepage.com plus all the standard web marketing methods they have been using for years. Excalibur’s pixel billboard allows each advertiser to monitor and track each beer enthusiast who clicks on their label. Excalibur is bringing true traffic accountability to their advertisers.

TheBeerHomePage.com doesn’t stop there. For absolutely no charge, up to 50 beer festivals can place their logos on the site. In turn, these logos link to festival homepages. Beer lovers may scan TheBeerHomePage.com to find out details of 50 beer festivals, learn more about new or rare brewery labels, read articles about beer and find other brew pubs and beer-related sites.

About The Author

Keith Tomlinson from Excalibur Communications, Victoria, BC, Canada with two other beer aficionados launching www.thebeerhomepage.com, a website devoted entirely to beer. Learn more about Brew Pubs Beer Labels Pixel Ads at: http://www.thebeerhomepage.com

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This is my third in a series of articles on the happy health benefits of some of our favorite indulgences. Please read my related articles on coffee and tea, wine and beer.

When the Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes came home from Mexico in the early 1500s, he brought with him the sacred drink of the Aztecs. Made from the roasted seeds of Theobroma cacao, the drink was flavored with a blend of exotic ingredients, and although Cortes had come to like this concoction, the Spanish eventually added sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon for a sweeter drink more pleasing to European taste. The secret recipe was eventually leaked to Europe, and first appeared in London in the mid-1600s. By 1765 the American colonists were enjoying cocoa made from West Indian beans. Cocoa powder was developed by a Dutch chocolate maker, and his patented process for pressing cocoa butter from the roasted beans made possible the production of both instant cocoa and edible chocolate.

Theobroma means, appropriately, “food of the gods.” Chocolate has low levels of caffeine; its main stimulant is theobromine, with a much milder effect. The darker the chocolate, the higher is the content of theobromine.

Cacao beans are extremely rich in flavonoids, the same antioxidant compounds found in wine and beer, coffee and tea. Chocolate contains calories and fat but contributes little to the total saturated fat in the average American diet. Eating dark chocolate in favor of milk chocolate helps in avoiding much of the fat.

Chocolate causes the brain to release endorphins, the natural opiates that are our pleasure chemicals; and phenylethylamine, a compound in chocolate, is thought to stimulate the same physical reaction as falling in love. The smell alone slows brain waves, inducing a sense of calm and enhancing verbal learning.

Chocolate contains a significant amount of magnesium and iron. One and a half ounces of chocolate have about the same amount of antioxidant phenolic compounds as a glass of red wine.

The fat in cocoa is stearic acid, a saturated fat comprising about 30% of the fat in a bar of chocolate. Some of the stearic acid in chocolate converts in the body to oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat similar to that found in olive oil, which is well known for its health benefits.

On the down side, in people prone to migraines, amine compounds in chocolate can trigger attacks, as sufferers have low levels of phenolsuphotransferase, an enzyme that processes them. Yet because cocoa reduces the blood platelet adhesion that can lead to headaches, it may conversely be beneficial.

The quality of the chocolate makes all the difference. The key to enjoying the health benefits of chocolate is to eat high quality dark chocolate with a 60 to 70% cocoa solid content. Normal dark chocolate has around 30%; ordinary chocolate has as little as 10 to 20% cocoa content, with a lot of sugar and hydrogenated vegetable fats. High-quality chocolate can be suitable for diabetics, as it does not create a blood sugar rush as high-sugar chocolate does.

There also may be a case for organic varieties, as the pesticide lindane, linked to breast cancer, has been found in chocolate. The chemical is in the process of being banned but is still used in developing countries. If the coffee plant is not organic, it is probably heavily sprayed, because chocolate is such a valuable crop.

And while you’re at it, go ahead and get chocolate with nuts. They’re a tremendous source of vitamin E, heart-healthy fats, and virtually no saturated fats.

So, go ahead and indulge.

About The Author

Lisa J. Lehr is a freelance writer with a specialty in business and marketing communications. She holds a biology degree and has worked in a variety of fields, including the pharmaceutical industry and teaching, and has a particular interest in health matters. She is also a graduate of American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI), America’s leading course on copywriting.

Contact Lisa J. Lehr Copywriting www.ljlcopywriting.com, Lisa@ljlcopywriting.com for help with your business writing needs.

This article ©Lisa J. Lehr 2005.

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The Recipe:

2 boxes of Nilla wafers 4 cups of instant Vanilla pudding 8 bananas 1 tub of Cool Whip 1 small container of sour cream (optional)

To Make:

Prepare pudding according to the recipe on box. Line the bottom of a large, snap-on plastic container with a layer of Nilla wafer cookies. Spoon out a layer of Vanilla pudding over the cookies. Slice up the bananas. Layer some of the banana slices over the pudding. Follow with a layer of Cool Whip. Repeat layering, in same order (cookies, pudding, bananas, Cool Whip.)

If you like your recipes to be a little less sweet, you can spoon a few globs of sour cream into the vanilla pudding, but even if you don’t, this will come out pretty darn good.

After assembling your pudding and snapping on the lid, refrigerate overnight so that the cookies can soften overnight for extra gooey fun.

Note: whatever way you present this recipe, it will still taste just fine. You can get fancy and serve it in a parfait glass, layering very carefully and slipping Nilla wafers and bananas down the sides of the bowl, where they can be seen suspended in the pudding. Or you can mix up the Cool Whip with the pudding and just throw it together in a big container.

To serve: scoop into plastic cups or paper plates.

Reactions:

I’m not sure exactly why, but a funny thing happens to people as they consume this goopy stuff. As eating commences, a hush falls over the gathering, and the sound of smacking lips and plastic spoons grazing cups can be heard. Appreciative murmurs soon follow. Both children and adults grow mesmerized, inhaling cup after cup like it’s their job.

Here are some verbal reactions I’ve had:

“Ooooh. That stuff is GOOD. What is that, bananas?”

“Hey, honey you have to come over here and try this banana stuff!”

“Do you mind if I just sit here next to the pudding? I’ll leave some for other people… I swear.”

“Wait, so… what’s the recipe again? Bananas? And then… what do I do with the pudding…”

“What IS that?” (pause.) “Oh! Oh, MY. Uhh… can I have more?”

“This is some good slop!”

The last time I made this, it occurred to me that it would work just as well with any number of pudding-and-cookie flavors.

Variations:

Oreo cookies and chocolate pudding Sugar wafers and lemon pudding Butter cookies, vanilla pudding and strawberry slices

If you bring this dessert to your next family function, just know that you’re not coming home with leftovers. Enjoy.

Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.

Find out how crisp, tasty copywriting can make a world of difference for your food-related business. Dina Giolitto is a Copywriting Consultant with ten years of experience. Visit http://Wordfeeder.com for free tips on branding, copywriting, marketing and more.

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To make the best tasting turkey gravy you need three things; well-seasoned fat, flour, and a good rich broth. For each cup of finished gravy you will need one tablespoon of fat, one tablespoon of flour and 1 cup of broth.

Start by making up some rich turkey broth. You can use the turkey neck, heart, gizzard or other parts usually found packed inside the turkey cavity. Add some minced onion, diced celery and 1/2 teaspoon salt in enough water to cover, simmer until vegetables are tender. Dice the turkey liver, add to the broth and simmer for about 15 minutes.

You can use the turkey bones if you like. The turkey bones yield much more broth, just add more onions and celery to the pan. You will have to carve the turkey ahead of time, which means no whole roasted turkey sitting on the dinner table waiting to be carved by the host or hostess.

Make sure you use the drippings from the roasting pan, as grandpa always said “that’s the goodies”, just after you’ve removed the cooked turkey and roasting rack from the roasting pan. Strain poultry drippings through a sieve into a 4-cup glass measuring cup.

Add 3 tablespoons of corn oil to the bottom of the roasting pan. Stir around to get out the brown bits that have baked on. Add to your turkey drippings. “Wash” the roasting pan out with the turkey broth if it’s made or add water your going to use in the broth if you haven’t made it yet.

The trick is to know how many cups of broth you have and if you have enough fat. Remember you will need one tablespoon of fat, one tablespoon of flour and 1 cup of broth for each cup of finished gravy.

If you are light on broth you can add some canned chicken broth. If you are light on fat you can add a small amount of corn oil. You can save the rest of your broth for storing and reheating the turkey.

Here are a few more tips to making great tasting gravy:

First take the measured fat and combine with the proper amount of measured flour in a medium saucepan. Make sure you have covered all the flour with fat and blended it well. Place on burner. Slowly bring the flour and fat mixture to a simmer until it begins to smell slightly salty. It will be bubbly; the color will be a light brown.

Next remove pan from burner; whisk in all the measured liquids.

Finally return the pan to the burner, again, slowly bring this to a simmer.

Remember you already cooked the flour in the fat so all you need to do now is stir this until it thickens up to your liking. You can let it stay sort of thin or let it cook out until it is thicker than your Mashed potatoes. The choice is yours.

About The Author

Chef Phronc

Frank Flohr (aka Chef Phronc) is passionate about cooking. Frank serves up a full plater of cooking tips, recipes and culimary information on his blog at http://www.recipecorral.com/blog. Unleash the hidden “Chef” inside you!

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Instead of sending off the kids, or launching into a panic attack and reaching for the Zoloft try substituting.

Here are a few quick and simple substitutions.

? When using fresh herbs instead of dried, use 1 Tablespoon fresh for 1 teaspoon dry.

? Vinegar for lemon juice. Use ½ teaspoon white vinegar for 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

? When your recipe calls for buttermilk add 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar to your regular milk. Some old banana bread recipes even call for this substitution.

? 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder can be substituted for 1 clove of fresh garlic.

? 1 pound of fresh mushrooms will be about the same as a 10 ounce can of mushrooms.

? Powdered sugar can substitute for granulated sugar in baking. If you are looking for a delightful taste alternative try a cup of honey with a pinch of baking soda in place of a cup of granulated sugar.

? 2 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes is equivalent to a 16 ounce can of crushed tomatoes. You may have to drain the can or adjust for moisture in the recipe.

? Adding about 2 Tablespoons of molasses to a cup of granulated sugar will substitute well for a single cup of brown sugar.

? Sherry or port wine can be used instead of red or white wine. Just lower the amount to 2 Tablespoons equals ½ cup.

Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet meal plans. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday.

http://www.gourmayeats.com

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Caffeine is only one of several hundred chemicals found in coffee. However it is the most notorious because of the many physiological affects it has on the human body. Caffeine naturally occurs in many other plants apart from the coffee bush, such as tea and cocoa plants.

There is a long established link between coffee and mental stimulation, which gives a cup of coffee a certain appeal. In fact it could be argued that coffee drinking has helped change the course of history. In 1773, it was in a Boston coffee house where citizens planned the Boston Tea Party; and in 1789, it was from Café Foy that Camille Desmoulins led the angry mob that later brought down the Bastille.

Whether caffeine is actually good for us is a long and much argued debate. Caffeine is commonly used by endurance athletes to permit them to train for longer and aid their recovery afterwards. Scientific studies have also linked it to the prevention of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. However, too much caffeine can lead to insomnia, diuresis, gastro-intestinal disturbance, arrhythmia, psychomotor agitation and osteoporosis.

The amount of caffeine in an average cup of coffee (8oz/230ml) varies from between 80 to 150 milligrams. This variation is due to a number of factors. The main difference is caused by from where, and from which variety of plant, the coffee beans are harvested. As caffeine has natural anti-fungal properties, coffee plants grown in environments less favourable to the growth of fungal spores contain less caffeine. At high altitudes, the temperature and humidity is such that spores germinate too slowly to have too much of an effect on a coffee plant. So, generally speaking, the higher the altitude at which a bean is grown, the lower its caffeine content. Also Arabica beans typically have half the amount of caffeine when compared to Robusta beans.

The roasting process alters the amount of caffeine in a coffee bean. A common misconception is that, the darker the roast level, the lower the caffeine content. However, this is not really the case as caffeine changes very little during the roasting process. Caffeine has a very stable structure with a boiling point above 315°C, well above roasting temperatures, which rarely exceed 245°C. Nevertheless a small amount of caffeine is lost due to sublimation, where a substance changes directly from a solid state to a gaseous one. This occurs in caffeine at approximately 175°C.

The roasting process dramatically alters a coffee bean. A bean loses weight, mostly due to water evaporation, causing the level of caffeine by weight to increase. However, as beans nearly double in size when roasting, the level of caffeine by volume decreases.

The final factor affecting the caffeine content of your cup of coffee is the brewing method. Different brewing methods require different amounts of coffee, ground to different sizes. Many people believe that an espresso contains less caffeine then a regular cup of coffee. But as you require more coffee to make an espresso then a regular cup, and the coffee is ground finer, increasing the surface area, this means that the caffeine content is roughly the same. However the effects will be felt more quickly with an espresso, and wear off faster, as caffeine is absorbed more rapidly when taken in concentrated doses.

About The Author

James Grierson is the owner of Galla Coffee: http://www.gallacoffee.co.uk - Uk online retailer of designer coffee accessories. Through the Coffee Knowledge section of his website he aims to help people understand more about coffee and give them tips on how to make great tasting coffee in their home.

Check out http://www.gallacoffee.co.uk/acatalog/Coffee_Knowledge.html for more articles or if you have a question send it to: coffeeknowledge@gallacoffee.co.uk

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This is a recipe that is a huge hit with my entire family. Even my picky toddlers!

Fire Cracker Italian Sausage Pasta

Recipe

1 pound uncooked wheat pasta (be sure to use a fun shape) 1 large zucchini - sliced 1/2 cup red onion - sliced 3 T fresh garlic - chopped 1/2 cup olive oil 3 Italian sausage links - sliced 1/2 cup frozen peas 1/4 cup fresh basil 1/4 cup green onions Salt and Pepper

Preparation

Pasta:

Cook pasta according to package. Drain. Set aside.

Italian Sausage:

Cook Italian Sausage until done. Set aside until it is cool enough to touch. Slice into bite size pieces.

Herbs & Vegetables:

Zucchini - wash, slice into bit size pieces Red Onion - peal, slice Fresh Garlic - peal, chop Frozen Peas - soak in warm water until no longer frozen, drain, set aside Fresh Basil - wash, chiffonade (see tip below) Green Onions - wash, slice into small pieces

Instructions

Heat a pan large enough for all of the above ingredients. I tend to use the stock pot I boiled my pasta in. Throw in 2 T. olive oil, zucchini, red onions, garlic, and Italian sausage. Sauté until zucchini is tender.

Once tender, toss in all of your herbs and vegetables, and the remaining olive oil.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Tips from Chef Bek:

White pasta can be substituted for wheat.

Dried basil can be substituted for fresh. (when using fresh herbs in a recipe, use 3 times as much as you would use of a dried herb)

Chicken broth can be substituted for the oil which goes into the pasta once tossed.

Cooking spray can be substituted for the oil you sauté your vegetables with.

Turkey sausage is a great substitute for pork Italian sausage.

Basil Tip:Chiffonade - To slice an herb or leafy vegetable into thin strands. Best way to accomplish is by stacking herb directly on top of each other, then rolling the leaves and slicing.

Bek Davis is a trained chef and a work at home mom. You can find more recipes, cooking tips, and mom resources on her highly recommended website: http://modernmom.info.

Use this article on your website or ezine! You MUST include the following: Bek Davis is a trained chef and a work at home mom. You can find more recipes, cooking tips, and mom resources on her highly recommended website: http://modernmom.info.

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As a child this was and still is my favorite cake, it is a really moist and tasty cake as well, ok lets get started, I assume that everyone knows that all ingredients should be at room temperature.

½ pound butter

4 eggs

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 cup sour cream

½ cup mashed ripe bananas

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups flour

Cream your butter and sugar together then add your bananas and mix until smooth add your eggs one at a time now add your sour cream, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and flour, mix on low speed for 1 minute and then on 2nd speed for about 2 minutes or until smooth.

Place your cake mix in a well greased and floured 10 inch x 3 inch tube pan and let bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 25 to 35 minutes, test cake by inserting a pick in the center and if it comes out clean then it is done.

Icing on the cake:

4 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

add the flour to the cold milk and stir with a wire whisk and then cook it on the stove until it is thick, remove from stove without burning it and let it cool.

In a mixing bowl add ½ cup butter, ½ cup shortening, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, mix all for 1 minute then add the mixture that you cooked and mix for 2 or 3 minutes or until it is as fluffy as you desire using a paddle on your mixer and not the whip.

About The Author

Andrew Krause is a Chef and Pastry Chef for over 30 years, at persent I own a Gourmet Bakery called The Cheese Confectioner. You can visit my site at http://www.andies.cashhosters2.com

NOTE You are welcome to reprint this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the about the author info at the end), Please send a copy of your reprint to pastrie@verizon.net

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Christmas recipe makes: 12

Calories per biscuit: 170

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 8-10 minutes

Not suitable for freezing

Christmas recipe ingredients:

cherries, 25 g (1 oz)

almonds, flaked 40 g (1.5 oz)

butter, unsalted 60 g (2.5 oz)

sugar, caster 50 g (2 oz)

cream, double 30 ml (2 tbsp)

sunflower seeds, 25 g (1 oz)

mixed peel, chopped 20 g (0.75 oz)

sultanas, 20 g (0.75 oz)

flour, plain white 15 g (0.5 oz)

chocolate, dark plain pieces 125 g (4 oz)

Christmas recipe instructions:

1. Take the almonds and crush slightly. Prepare roughly cut pieces of cherries.

2. Prepare a solution of sugar in the butter and bring to the boil. Away from the heat, mix in flour, almonds, cherries, sultanas, mixed peel, sunflower seeds and cream.

3. Grease a sheet of baking paper and place heaped teaspoonful amounts of the mixture from step 2 onto it ensuring there is enough room for expansion during cooking.

4. Bake till the edges are golden brown. 180 degrees centigrade (gas mark 4, 350 F). About 7 minutes. Take out of the oven and use a plain large metal biscuit cutter to make rounds by pushing into the biscuits. Bake again until golden brown.

5. Cool for a couple of minutes before removing to a wire rack for complete cooling.

6. Repeat steps 3-5 for the remaining mixture from step 2.

7. Prepare melted chocolate by heating in a bowl over water at boiling point. Then take each biscuit and dip it into the choclate so all the edge is covered. Place on non-stick paper till cooled.

About The Author

(c) Paul Curran, CEO of Cuzcom Internet Publishing Group and webmaster at http://www.gifts-for-christmas.com, bringing you recipes and unique gifts for christmas including collectibles, russian gifts, cookies, jewelry. Send blank email to santa-52@aweber.com for free Xmas gags recipes.

This article may be published electronically or in print in its entirety as long as the author bylines in the resource box are included and urls kept live. A courtesy copy of your publication or web page URL would be appreciated.

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Now here is a coffee cake that will make you want no other coffee cake, and once you prepare this coffee cake and get a real working idea about this cake you can become very creative and use some different jams, jellies, fruits and so on.

Always remember that there is a lot that you can do with a recipe providing you don’t exceed the parameters of the original recipe.

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

¼ pound butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 ounces sour cream

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

Cream the butter and sugar together then add eggs one at a time and mix the rest of the ingredients together slowly.

In a separate bowl combine 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup diced walnuts and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon or as much as you like and mix them together.

Using a 10 inch x 3inch tube pan, make sure that the pan is well greased and floured, place some cake mix in the bottom and then some of the sugar, walnut and cinnamon mixture and then repeat this procedure until you have all the cake mix in the pan and the top layer is the cinnamon mixture.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until a pick placed in the center of the cake comes out clean, cool and enjoy, I like mine warm with some raspberry jam on it.

About The Author

Andrew Krause is a Chef and Pastry Chef for over 30 years, at persent I own a Gourmet Bakery called The Cheese Confectioner. You can visit my site at http://www.andies.cashhosters2.com

NOTE You are welcome to reprint this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the about the author info at the end), Please send a copy of your reprint to pastrie@verizon.net

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