Apricot cookies are an excellent dessert to bring to a Sunday picnic in the summertime. You can also make extra and place them in a tin as a gift. Your children can help you make them so that they too will be able to pass the apricot cookie recipe on to their kids.
Instructions
1. Set one 8 oz. package of cream cheese on your counter to soften up. If you are in a hurry, you can soften the cheese in the microwave.
2. Put 1 cup of soft butter, 2 cups of flour and the cream cheese you softened earlier in a bowl. Mix until combined.
3. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Roll your cookie dough out and cut in to circles. You can use the rim of a glass as a cookie cutter if you don't have one.
6. Make your apricot filling by blending 2 cups of apricot chunks, 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of water.
7. Put your apricot filling in the middle of each cookie with a spoon.
8. Fold the cookie over and pinch closed.
9. Spray your cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray.
10. Place the apricot cookies on a cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.
11. Sprinkle some sugar on top of the cookies and serve.
Tags: apricot filling, cream cheese, your apricot, your apricot filling, your cookie
Prepare your own batch of salted snacks using a sunflower seeds from your garden or raw seeds from a farmer's market. With a few key ingredients, you can open the door to long-term delight. Choose a simple recipe to create your salted sunflower seeds to avoid ruining a potentially delicious set of seeds.
Instructions
1. Fill a large bowl with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of salt per 2 qts of water.
2. Rinse sunflower seeds thoroughly to remove any dirt, if harvested from a garden. Insert one cup of unshelled seeds into salted water. Let them steep for 20 minutes.
3. Pour seeds and salt water into a large pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for approximately two hours.
4. Drain and dry on absorbent paper overnight. If you wish to enjoy your seeds sooner, preheat your oven to 325 degrees then arrange seeds on a cookie sheet in a single layer.
5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the seeds turn brown.
Making preserves from fresh berries is a technique that is centuries old, but one that is a dying art. Often equated with something a grandmother might do, this art of preserving fresh produce still yields delicious results if done correctly. Preserving fresh berries is an excellent way to keep the fresh flavors of the spring and summer in your pantry year round.
Instructions
1. Prepare the berries and the ingredients. When picking the berries you use for your preserving, always buy the freshest and most local berries you can find. These will have the most intense flavor and will make the freshest tasting preserves. In this case, we will use raspberries as an example of what you can do to virtually any fresh berry. You can substitute whichever berry you can find that is the freshest. Wash your raspberries thoroughly, and pat them dry. Place them in the saucepan with the sugar and mix together with a wooden spoon. Let the berries macerate for 15 minutes.
2. Cook the berries. Put the saucepan on the stove over medium high heat. Let the mixture come to a simmer, stirring constantly. Let the mixture come to a boil, and cook at this heat, continuing to stir, for 5 to 10 minutes. When the mixture begins to solidify a bit and starts to gel, turn the heat off and remove the pot from the stove. Let the mixture cool a bit while you prepare your jars.
3. Sterilize the jars. In order for the preserves to last indefinitely (or for at least a year), the jars you store them in must be sterile. Fill the stockpot two thirds of the way up with water. Place the plate in the bottom of the pot upside down. Submerge the jars in the water and set them on top of the upside down plate. Put the lids in the pot as well. Wash the metal pan you are using with antibacterial soap. Put the pot on the stove over high heat. Let the water come to a rolling boil, and let the jars and lids sit in the boiling water for 10 minutes. After this time, remove the jars from the water with the impeccably clean tongs and place them in the metal pan. Remove the lids, and place in the pan as well. Keep the water in the stockpot boiling.
4. Fill the jars. With a large spoon, pour the berries into each of the jars, leaving a small space at the top of each. Using your gloved hands, screw on each of the two piece lids as tightly as you can.
5. Process the jars. Using your tongs, lower the jars back into the boiling water of the stock pot and let the jars of preserved berries sit in there for another 10 minutes. After this time, they may be removed and handle with your bare hands.
6. Store your preserves correctly. Your preserves are now ready to be stored away and consumed whenever you choose. Ideally, they can last for an indefinite period of time, though many will eat their preserves within the year of canning. Keep your preserves in a cool, dark place, like a cellar or low-lying cupboard. While it is difficult to break the seal of a properly processed jar of preserves, severe changes in temperature have been known to affect the shelf life of some jarred and preserved berries.
Tags: After this, After this time, boiling water, fresh berries, high heat, minutes After, minutes After this
Are you looking for a nice summer snack that you can make and keep in a zip-lock back for easy snacking? Well, then you definitely should try a coconut melt.
Instructions
Make Coconut Melts
1. Find a nice flat cookie sheet to cook your coconut melts on. Many recipes advise you not to worry about greasing the cookie sheet although it is recommended that you do. Any time you cook coconut long enough to toast, it will result in the coconut sticking to an un-greased cookie sheet.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and start to combine the ingredients that will make the coconut stick together. This includes the butter and sugar. You should mix these together with a mixer. After they start to blend, you can add both the egg and the sunflower oil to your wet mixture. This wet mixture is what is going to serve as the bonding agent for your coconut melts.
3. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the dry ingredients first to get a good mixture of ingredients before they start sticking to the bonding agent made up of your butter and egg mixture.
4. Slowly fold the dry mixture into the web bonding agent. This will allow you to mix the ingredients without crushing all of the oats and crisped rice. Continue to fold slowly until the dry ingredients are coated nicely with the egg and butter mixture.
5. Use a spoon to drop these coconut melts onto the baking sheet. If you want bite size treats you might want to try tablespoon size balls.
6. Cook your coconut melts for 15 minutes in the oven. This will give them a nice brown and toasted outside layer while being soft and chewy on the inside.
7. Let your coconut melts cool for 10 minutes and serve, or bag for future snacking.
Tags: your coconut, your coconut melts, bonding agent, coconut melts, cookie sheet, butter mixture, Make Coconut
Create a nontraditional salad by combining healthy produce like broccoli, cauliflower and onions. The colorful salad also includes bacon to add a crisp texture. Enjoy the chilled salad on a hot summer day for a simple lunch, or make it for a potluck for your guests to enjoy. Prepare the salad at least two hours in advance so that it has adequate time to chill.
Instructions
1. Cook 12 slices of bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned evenly. Drain the grease from the bacon. Allow it to cool and then crumble it.
2. Slice the stems off the broccoli and cauliflower close to the heads to separate them into florets. Cut the large florets in half.
3. Remove the skin from the red onion. Chop the red onion into small pieces.
4. Combine the broccoli, cauliflower and onion in a bowl. Top the salad with the crumbled bacon.
5. Make a light dressing by mixing the mayonnaise, vegetable oil, white vinegar and white sugar in a separate bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad.
6. Blend the salad by mixing it with salad tongs. Chill the salad in the refrigerator for two hours.
pea soup with smoked bacon and pig's foot is a traditional Scandinavian dish commonly prepared in the coldest winter months as a hearty meal. Traditionally, it was a cheap dish to make, which showcased the spirit of many Finnish cooks, making sure that no part of any animal is wasted. Rustic Finnish pea soup makes an excellent meal on cold evenings, particularly when served with a loaf of freshly baked French bread and butter and a glass of crisp, dry white wine or pilsner beer.
Instructions
1. Soak the dried peas in a large pot of cold water for eight hours or overnight. Rinse the peas and place in a large pot with the water, pig's foot, bacon, onion, carrot, leek and allspice. Bring to the boil and cook for 5-7 minutes.
2. Remove any fat that has settled on the surface of the water with a slotted spoon. Cover and simmer over low heat for two hours or until the vegetables and meat are tender.
3. Remove the pig's foot and cut the meat off the bone, discarding the bones and gristle. Return the meat to the pot and add the dried marjoram and German mustard, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cook for an additional 10-12 minutes or until the vegetables are very tender and the meat can be cut with a fork. Transfer to individual serving bowls and serve immediately
Tags: Rustic Finnish, Finnish soup, Rustic Finnish soup, until vegetables
Cajun spices are bold spice mixes sometimes used instead of salt. Common ingredients are paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano and thyme. Each Cajun seasoning blend is a bit different. Because the spices required are easily available, perfecting your own Cajun spice, with just enough heat, is possible.
History of Cajuns
Cajuns are descendants of French Canadians who in the late 1700s were driven by the British from the captured French colony of Acadia, which is now Nova Scotia and adjacent areas, and who settled in southern Louisiana.
Cajun vs. Creole
Spaniards governing New Orleans in the 18th century deemed all residents of European heritage Criollo. The name later became Creole. Cajun cooking is often confused with Creole cooking, both of which are full-flavored cuisines. The latter, which relies on great amounts of pork fat and is a combination of French and Spanish cuisines, is considered less sophisticated than the former, which emphasizes butter and cream. They both, however, rely on the "culinary holy trinity" of chopped green peppers, onions and celery.
Jambalaya
A traditional Cajun dish is jambalaya, "a versatile dish that combines cooked rice with a variety of ingredients including tomatoes, onion, green peppers and almost any kind of meat, poultry or shellfish," according to "The New Food Lover's Companion" (Herbst, 2008). The word jambalaya is thought to derive from the French jambon, which means ham, the main ingredient in the first jambalaya recipes. The recipe and its results vary from cook to cook. Cajun spices are used heavily in jambalaya.
Gumbo
Another recipe that relies on Cajun spices is gumbo. A creole specialty, gumbo "is a mainstay of New Orleans cuisine. It's a thick, stewlike dish that can have any of many ingredients, including vegetables such as okra, tomatoes and onions, and one or several meats or shellfish such as chicken, sausage, ham, shrimp, crab or oysters" (The New Food Lover's Companion). All good gumbos start with a dark roux made with butter and drippings of pork or beef fat that are cooked until golden brown, sometimes for almost an hour. This nutty-flavored base gives gumbo its unmistakable rich flavor. The name "gumbo" comes from an African word for okra, which is used to thicken the mixture.
Example Recipe
Combine the following ingredients in a small bowl: 3 tablespoons paprika, 2 tablespoons ground red pepper, 2 tablespoons dried thyme, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, 2 tablespoons onion powder, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon sugar. Store this Cajun spice mix in a sealed jar for up to three months.
Having the bottle presented to you is part of the ceremony that accompanies ordering a bottle of fine--or every moderately good--wine. Whether you are serving wine to a guest as a restaurant waiter or sharing a bottle with friends in your home, it's good to know properly present a bottle of wine.
Instructions
1. Show the bottle to your guests. Give the guest--either at a restaurant or at home--a chance to see the label of the bottle they will be drinking. In a restaurant, this has the added benefit of allowing the guest to verify that you will be opening the correct bottle. To present the bottle, support it on a linen napkin at a 45-degree angle with the label facing the guest.
2. Repeat the wine and vintage. In a restaurant, it is wise to repeat the name of the wine and the vintage when you present the wine just to make sure there is no confusion. At home, this step is optional, but it will save your guest from having to closely examine the label to see what you are serving.
3. Wait for approval. As a restaurant server, always wait for the guest to give you the "go-ahead" before you open the wine bottle.
4. Open and pour the wine. Once the wine is presented, verified and approved, it's time to open the bottle. A waiter-style corkscrew with a hinge is the easier to use at a table. To open, remove the cork with a quick circular motion of the knife in the top of the corkscrew, pull out the cork and wipe any residue from the neck of the bottle.
Most people have a need for a coffee pot. Even if they don't drink coffee, they usually know someone who does. Therefore, there is usually a need to buy a coffee pot. The trick comes into play when you try to figure out which coffee pot you should buy. You need to know what will be the most useful coffee pot for you.
Instructions
1. Decide on your needs and determine if you are buying the coffee pot for yourself because you drink coffee or for guests. This will make a big difference in which pot you decide to buy.
2. Check out the different types of coffee pots. Some people prefer drip coffee and others want percolated. The type you or your guests like will affect your choice of coffee pots.
3. Choose a coffee pot that will make a single cup of coffee at a time. If you are the only one drinking coffee in your household you may want to just make single cups of coffee at a time. Alternatively, choose one that will make multiple cups if others will be drinking the coffee with you.
4. Figure out how much you want to spend. There are so many choices of coffee pots that putting a monetary value on your purchase can help you limit your choices. Compare prices and make sure you are getting the best buy for your money.
5. Make a choice of an extra large pot if you are planning a party. Sometimes it is necessary to have more than one coffee pot. When planning a party you can use a regular coffee pot to make the coffee and then put it in a decanter that will keep it warm, while you brew more coffee.
6. Write a wish list or Christmas list and put the coffee pot of your choice on it. This is especially useful if you aren't a coffee drinker. Since you aren't in a big hurry to get the coffee pot it can be given at any time. Of course, this may limit your entertaining for a while, but it will save you money.
7. Buy your coffee pot. Whether you decide to go to the store or use the Internet, compare the features, uses and price before you buy the coffee pot of your choice.
Tags: coffee pots, coffee your, that will, will make, your choice
If you don't like tea, perhaps it's because you've only been treated to lukewarm water and a bag of Lipton's. But a proper pot of tea is something to savor - especially when you're feeling parched.
Instructions
1. Fill a kettle with fresh, cold water, adding enough to make the desired amount of tea, plus some extra to allow for evaporation and to prewarm the teapot.
2. Wait until the water is near boiling, then pour a little into the teapot and swirl it around. This warms the pot so that it is at an optimum temperature for holding the tea. Empty the pot.
3. For each cup of tea, place 1 rounded teaspoon of leaves into the warmed pot. (If your pot has a strainer basket, use that.)
4. Allow the water in the kettle to reach a brisk, rolling boil.
5. Pour the water from the teakettle onto the leaves in the teapot.
6. Let the tea steep for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of the leaves. Allow a longer steeping time for larger leaves than for fine leaves.
7. Stir just before serving, then strain the tea into cups. Depending on the tea, you might add sugar, milk, honey or lemon. (Or a combination, but don't use lemon and milk together.)
8. Keep the pot covered with a cozy to keep the tea warm, and enjoy.
A digestive biscuit doesn't really have anything to do with digestion, but is actually a close cousin to the American graham cracker. Digestive biscuits are a favorite British treat--a round, semi-sweet cookie served as snacks or with afternoon tea.
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and oil 2 baking sheets.
2. Mix the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl, and stir in the wheat germ.
3. Place the softened butter and the sugar in a separate bowl and cream them together with an electric mixer until they're light and fluffy.
4. Add the creamed mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in the milk. The dough should be thick and sticky.
5. Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it for a few minutes until it's smooth.
6. Roll the dough until it's about 1/8-inch thin and cut it into circles with a biscuit cutter or cookie cutter. Put each digestive biscuit on an oiled baking sheet and poke a few holes in the tops with a fork.
7. Bake the digestive biscuits until they turn golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove them from the baking sheet and allow them to cool on a wire rack. Store them in a sealed container.
Cutting octopus for sushi is a fairly difficult process. Before the octopus can be cut, it must be cooked and soaked properly so that it becomes soft and pliable. If you do not soak the meat before cutting it, it will be much harder to cut, difficult to eat and extremely chewy. Cooking and cutting octopus is a 2-day process.
Instructions
1. Rub the flesh of the octopus with salt for about 5 minutes to remove any slime from the skin and soften up the meat.
2. Knead the octopus with some grated daikon radish. This will help soften the meat and make it easier to cut. Knead the octopus and radish for about 10 minutes
3. Heat a pot of boiling water. Dunk the octopus into the water 3 or 4 times until the octopus tentacles curl. When the tentacles curl, drop the octopus into the water for 5 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat, and cover the pot. Allow the octopus to sit in the water for an hour. Move the pot to the refrigerator, and allow to cool overnight.
5. Remove the octopus from the water, and dry with a towel.
6. Cut off the legs about 2 inches away from the head. Discard the head, as it is tough and rubbery. Cut the leg pieces at a 45-degree angle. Try to make the pieces about ¼ to ½ inch thick and about 1 inch long. Cut off the suckers and skin around the legs if possible; sometimes the skin is hard to remove. Anchor the octopus to the sushi roll with a strip of nori.
Tags: octopus sushi, about inch, about minutes, Cutting octopus, Cutting octopus sushi, into water, Knead octopus
Yellow and red peels are used for younger Gouda cheese, while black signifies a more aged selection.
Gouda cheese has a sharp taste to it and is best served with fruity wines. Also known as "the golden wheel" cheese, Gouda is a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk that hardens further with age. It is named for the city of Gouda in the Netherlands where it originated. Slicing it can be difficult due to the tough outer peel that it is packaged in. Having a good, sharp utility knife or cheese knife will help you in the process.
Instructions
1. Remove the cheese from the refrigerator well before you need it, about an hour. Because this type of cheese softens as it warms up, make sure that you remove it prior to preparing it for your guests.
2. Cut a pie-shaped wedge from the wheel. Secure the cheese with your nondominant hand and hold the utility or cheese knife in your other hand. Start at the center of the wheel and make a cut down and out towards the edge. Make the same type of cut at the different angle to create a wedge, just as you would to serve pie.
3. Remove the peel covering from the portion you are planning to serve. Carefully place your knife under the peel covering at the point of the wedge. Gently pull up on the peel until you can grasp it with your fingertips. Remove the rest of the peel and discard it.
4. Continue cutting the wedge into pie-shaped pieces. Continue cutting the wedge in the same manner, creating smaller wedges that are conducive to serving, about a quarter to half inch at their thickest point. Place the pieces on a serving platter for your guests.
5. Wrap any unused portion of the cheese and place it back in the refrigerator. Use plastic wrap to completely cover any unused portion of cheese, making sure it is airtight. Place the cheese back into the refrigerator until you need it again.
Smoothies are so delicious, we sometimes forget they can be nutritious as well. Some parents have even been known to slip a vegetable into a smoothie when the kid wasn't looking. Smoothies can be made from fruit or a combination of fruit and vegetables. Here are a few tips to help you make a nutritious smoothie.
Instructions
1. Select fresh fruit that is ripe and in season for the smoothie. Fresh fruit will retain all the vitamins and makes a very healthy and nutritious smoothie. Always wash the fresh fruit thoroughly. If possible, leave the skin on for a more nutritious smoothie.
2. Buy frozen fruit that is not sweetened if fruit isn't in season, or for a thicker consistency. Frozen fruit, when placed in a blender and pureed, becomes thicker and slush-like. Fresh fruit can be frozen for smoothies by slicing or cutting into smaller pieces and freezing on a cookie sheet. When the fruit is frozen, place it in a zip top bag and return to the freezer.
3. Sweeten your fruit smoothie by adding a very ripe banana or some honey. Natural sweetness from the banana, especially if it's very ripe, will take the place of sugar or artificial sweeteners. Bananas are not only more healthy in a smoothie, they help to thicken it.
4. Add more flavor by adding extracts or flavorings instead of sugar. Banana extract, peppermint, cinnamon and nutmeg are tasty additions. Use a light touch at first when adding flavorings or extracts, a little goes a long way.
5. Avoid using ice cream or sweetened yogurt in your fruit smoothie. If you want a creamier, but more nutritious consistency, use plain yogurt, sherbet, skim milk or soy milk.
6. Place crushed ice or small ice cubes in the blender first. Crush larger cubes of ice with a hammer or the bottom of a heavy pot after placing them in a zip topped bag. Crush the ice to the desired consistency.
7. Add the frozen fruit, fresh fruit, yogurt if desired and flavorings to the crushed ice. Blend in the blender quickly so the smoothie retains its coldness. Taste the smoothie before pouring it and add more flavorings if desired.
Tags: fresh fruit, your fruit smoothie, frozen fruit, fruit frozen, fruit smoothie, fruit that, more nutritious
Chutney is a condiment of Indian origin. It is a relish usually made from fruit and/or vegetables and spices. The ingredients, textures and flavors of different chutneys vary greatly. They range from mild to very hot and spicy, smooth to chunky, and in sweetness and sourness. Some are cooked; some are a combination of raw ingredients. Different types of chutney have origins in the diverse regional cuisines India. Every region has its own traditional chutneys. Nowadays, chutney is eaten all over the world to accompany many different types of food.
Fruits
One of the most popular and commonly available chutneys outside of India is mango chutney. It is a thick, sweet reduction of green mango chunks, sugar, vinegar and spices. Sometimes ginger or raisins are included too. Similar sticky and jam-like chutneys can include apples (an Anglo-Indian concoction) or apricots. Tomato chutney is popular in every region of India. Some cooks will blend the tomatoes and other ingredients to a smooth paste, some chop them for a chunkier version. Citrus fruits are featured in many chutney recipes. Lemon and lime juice acts as a souring agent in all types of chutney, while whole lemons and limes, fresh or preserved, are the main ingredient in some regional variations. Very hot lime chutney is a specialty of the Gujarat region.
Vegetables
Onions are a common ingredient in all kinds of chutneys, either in combination with other main ingredients or as the dominant flavor. In the Assam region, fresh spinach, radish or carrots are included in chutney recipes. Eggplant chutney is a regional specialty in Himachal Pradesh. In India, vegetable ingredients used to make chutney depend on what is grown locally and what is in season.
Herbs & Spices
Although most chutneys are flavored with herbs and spices, in Western and Northern India, chutneys made purely from herbs are commonly eaten. Fresh mint leaves and/or cilantro (also known as coriander) leaves are chopped and combined with lemon juice and seasonings to make "green chutney." This type of relish is freshly made for a meal in contrast to sweet or vinegary preserve varieties. In South Africa, green chutney is made with cilantro and soured milk. Fresh red and green chilies of various heat levels and chili powder make chutneys hot and spicy. Cumin, mustard, fennel, fenugreek and nigella seeds can feature whole or ground, roasted or raw. Garlic, ginger, salt and sugar are common seasonings for all chutneys.
Nuts & Seeds
One type of chutney is made from dry-roasted sesame seeds, which are ground then mixed with water to form a paste, then flavored with chilies, coriander and lemon juice. Coconut chutneys and coconut and herb chutneys are eaten in Southern and Western India where fresh coconut is available. People in the Kashmir region enjoy a chutney made with walnuts, often blended with a little yogurt and soured with local dried pomegranate seeds called "anardana." Groundnut chutney is made in Andhra Pradesh.
Pulses
Pulses are valued in Indian cuisine because they are rich in protein. Lentils, chickpeas and split peas are common ingredients in Indian cuisine and many types are added to chutneys too. Bengal Gram Dal (split dried chickpeas), Channa Dal (dried chickpeas), and split Urad Dal (split black gram) are just a few of the pulses used. The texture of chutneys made with pulses varies: Sometimes the dried pulses are powdered before adding the other ingredients to make a smooth paste; while cooked whole pulses retain more texture.
Tags: chutney made, made with, chickpeas split, chutney made with, chutney recipes, chutneys made
Sprouted peanuts are full of vitamins E, C, B and A, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, calcium, amino acids and protein. Choose unblanched peanuts for sprouting and remove the skins before you begin. Spanish peanuts tend to have looser skins which are easy to remove before soaking. However, you must soak other varieties for 1 to 2 hours to remove the skins.
Instructions
1. Place your soaked, skinless peanuts in a wide-mouthed glass jar and cover them with water. Leave them in the water for 8 to 12 hours.
2. Drain the water from the peanuts and place them in a fine mesh colander. Rinse them under running water and let them drain. Return the nuts to the jar and cover the mouth of the jar with breathable cloth.
3. Place the jar of peanuts in a cool, semi-lit location. Rinse and drain every 8 to 12 hours. Taste the peanuts with each rinse for flavor and examine the size of the sprout. You're done when the nut displays a bulge where the sprout will emerge. However, you may continue sprouting until they have small tails.
4. Rinse the sprouts and let them drain thoroughly. Place them in the glass jar and seal the lid tightly. Store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 weeks.
The Pueblo Indians serve feast day cookies throughout the year for special events such as on Pueblo Saint's Day, for kiva parties, for corn dances or for field parties. However, you don't have to be Pueblo to enjoy these delicious cookies. Easy to make and tasty to eat, it's easy to add Pueblo feast day cookies to your cookie repertoire. Follow these steps to make Pueblo feast day cookies.
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream 1 1/3 cups sugar with the vegetable shortening or the lard. To do this, mix the ingredients well with a spoon in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the eggs to the mixture from Step 2.
4. Stir in the baking powder, unbleached flour, anise seed and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl. Be sure to combine the ingredients thoroughly.
5. Pour the milk slowly into the mixing bowl and stir. You will want to form a thick, non-sticky dough.
6. Mix the chopped pinion nuts into the dough. Stir to combine.
7. Roll out the Pueblo feast day cookie dough with a rolling pin on a floured surface. to approximately a 1/2-inch thickness.
8. Use a round cookie cutter to cut the dough into 2-inch circle shaped cookies.
9. Place the cookies on a greased baking sheet.
10. Combine the cinnamon with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl.
11. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture over the tops of the cookies.
12. Bake the cookies in the oven for approximately 15 minutes or until the Pueblo feast day cookies have a golden brown appearance.
13. Remove the cookies from the baking sheet with a spatula and allow them to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
Tags: feast cookies, mixing bowl, Pueblo feast cookies, baking sheet, Pueblo feast
Instead of serving Fritos with a cheesy dip, combine them with peanut butter for a snack.
Fritos brand corn chips and peanut butter are each tasty snacks on their own, but when combined, they create a sweet and salty treat with the same appeal as chocolate-covered pretzels or salted caramels. The next time a snack attack arises, try a new treat with a sweet and salty appeal.
Peanut Butter Fritos Bark
Create a candy-like concoction with corn chips. A recipe on the Pioneer Woman website combines corn syrup, sugar and peanut butter and pours this over Fritos arranged on a baking tray. Once cooled, the snack is broken off into chunks to eat. Tailor this sweet snack by adding other ingredients to the Fritos on the baking tray. Try combining candy-coated chocolates with the Fritos or roasted peanuts to enhance the peanut flavor.
Chocolate Caramel Topped Fritos
Another recipe for a Fritos candy from Recipe Tips combines a sugar syrup with peanut butter, melted chocolate and butterscotch chips. Make this your own recipe by changing some of the steps or ingredients. Instead of baking this onto the Fritos to make a bark candy, leave the candy topping separate for dipping the Fritos. The sweet combination of chocolate, peanut butter and butterscotch foils the saltiness of the Fritos corn chips.
Sweet Fritos Pie
Traditional recipes for Frito pie call for a bed of Fritos to be topped with chili and shredded cheese. For a sweet snack, the Frito Lay company, which makes Fritos, offers a recipe for vanilla-caramel corn Fritos pie. Their recipe requires Fritos to be stirred into vanilla pudding and topped with berries and caramel sauce. Change this recipe to include peanut butter by topping the Fritos and vanilla pudding mixture with either chocolate-covered peanut butter cups or honey-roasted peanuts. Melt peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds on high to thin it and drizzle the peanut butter over the sweet snack instead of caramel sauce.
Trail Mix
A recipe on the website Chow calls it Fritos candy, but it could also be adapted to trail mix. The website recipe pours melted brown sugar and chocolate over pretzels, Fritos and miniature peanut butter cups. The mixture is baked in the oven and cooled to harden the coating. To adapt this recipe, replace the melted chocolate chips with melted peanut butter baking chips. Add breakfast cereal, peanuts, popped popcorn or raisins to the mixture. If desired, omit coating the mixture with the melted chocolate and sugar mixture and just eat the Fritos, peanut butter chips, pretzels and peanut butter cups as a dry trail mix.
Crab wontons make a tasty appetizer or snack food.
Like the fortune cookie, crab wontons, or crab rangoon as they are also called, are an American Chinese food, developed in the United States in the 20th century. Despite its western origins, crab rangoon has become a common offering in Chinese and other Asian-themed restaurants. If you've recently served crab legs or other whole or partial crab, crab rangoon is a good way to use leftover crab meat, but you don't have to use freshly shelled crab. Canned works just as well. You can even use fake crab sticks or pieces if you don't eat shellfish.
Instructions
Making the Crab Wontons
1. Mix crab, cream cheese and green onion in a large bowl. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste, roughly 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper and 1/2 tsp. garlic powder.
2. Place 6 to 8 wonton wrappers on a clean, dry surface.
3. Spoon about 1 tsp. crab mixture into center of wonton wrapper.
4. Wet edges of wonton wrappers with water and bring opposite corners together over the center of the wonton. Seal the edges, creating a four-point star or cross. You can also fold the wontons in half to form triangles or bring all four corners together and twist to create a seal.
5. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers and crab mixture.
Cooking the Wontons
6. Heat oil in wok or deep fryer to 350 degrees.
7. Place wontons in hot oil a few at a time, being careful not to crowd them.
8. Cook until the wontons turn a golden brown, about 2 minutes.
9. Remove wontons from oil with tongs or a spider and place on kitchen paper to drain.
10. Serve hot with sweet and sour sauce or your favorite sweet condiment. Plum sauce is a good choice, as is mango chutney.
The mineral talc contains varying amounts of tremolite. Talc can be found in different types of rocks, such as mafic and ultramafic rock and in marble. In the United States, talc is commonly found in Windsor County, Vermont, and in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Talc, as a soft mineral, is hydrophobic, or resistant to water.
Appearance
Talc is usually white and "may form flakes or aggregates," according to University of North Dakota. The mineral can also be clear; it often looks like white mica or muscovite. Some close-up views of talc show scratches and muted colors of green and blue. Talc may be found in colors such as gray and green; impure talc may be brown, yellow or red.
Composition
Pure talc has the chemical formula of magnesium silicate, or Mg3SiO4O10(OH)2. Talc found in nature is a hydrous magnesium silicate with a formula of H2Mg3(SiO3)4. Talc results from the "alteration of other magnesium silicates or carbonates," according to Leonard Greenberg in "Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine." Talc may contain mineral impurities such as calcite, dolomite, quartz and iron oxide.
Mining and Location
The states leading in talc production are New York, Vermont, North Carolina, Georgia and California. The United States supplies 65 percent of the world's talc supply. Mining talc has caused problems, due to the amount of dust that results from the acts of mining and digging the mineral. The dust carries minerals and chemicals that can harm workers who hare exposed to the substance. Talc is most often mined by the methods of drift drilling, hand or machine mucking, and blasting.
Health Concerns
Talc dust has produced cases of pulmonary fibrosis, a serious lung disease, in some who mine or work with talc. Talc dust can be contaminated by tremolite. This mineral is used in many nonasbestos mineral fibers and has been shown to cause mesothelioma. This disease is a cancer that affects the inner linings of the body that encase organs.
Tags: Talc found, magnesium silicate, results from, Talc dust, United States
One of the biggest attractions to New York City is the diversity in culture. Throughout New York City there are a myriad of different customs, practices and traditions that means a wide range of choice for visitors and residents alike. When deciding where to dine, you can look toward Harlem for authentic soul food.
Sylvia's Restaurant
Sylvia's Restaurant opened in 1962. Sylvia Woods, a transplanted South Carolinian, moved to New York City in the 1940s and eventually opened Sylvia's Restaurant.
The restaurant features many of Sylvia's original recipes which are available on the restaurant website, as well as details for Sylvia's catering services.
Sylvias Restaurant
328 Lenox Ave.
New York, NY 10027
(212) 996-0660
silviasrestaurant.com
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is one of three dinosaur Bar-B-Que restaurants in New York State. This self described "honky-tonk rib joint" is located under the Riverside Drive Bridge in the heart of Harlem.
Opened in 2004, the dinosaur Bar-B-Que offers a theme restaurant atmosphere while keeping a local flavor. Catering services are available.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
646 W. 131st St.
New York, NY 10027
(212) 694-1777
dinosaurbarbque.com
Amy Ruth's Restaurant
Amy Ruth's Restaurant was founded in 1998 by Carl Redding and named for his grandmother, Amy Ruth. The restaurant offers a full menu of authentic soul food, catering services and operating hours of 22 hours a day on the weekends.
Amy Ruth's Restaurant
113 W. 116th St.
New York, NY 10026
(212) 280-8779
amyruthsharlem.com
Tags: York City, Ruth Restaurant, Sylvia Restaurant, authentic soul, authentic soul food, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
Barley bread is a wholesome and hearty bread. The nutty flavor of the barley, blended with whole wheat and white flour, with just a touch of sweet honey, make a bread that you won't forget. Use it for delicious sandwiches, or toast it brown and crispy for breakfast.
Instructions
1. Pour the warm water in a large mixing bowl, and sprinkle the yeast on top of the water. Once it becomes soft, add the honey and stir the mixture well. Allow it to set undisturbed for a few minutes, until it begins to bubble.
2. Mix the barley flour, whole wheat flour, unbleached white flour and baking powder in a bowl. Add half of the flour mixture to the yeast mixture and stir it constantly for about 10 minutes, until the mixture looks like a thick, heavy paste. Cover the bowl with a dry towel and put it in a warm, draft-free place to rise for about an hour, until the dough doubles in size.
3. Punch the dough down and mix in the canola oil, sea salt and 1/2 cup of the remaining mixed flours. Add more flour a little at a time until the dough begins to form a soft ball and no longer sticks to the bowl. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead it for at least ten minutes, adding more flour as necessary.
4. Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover the bowl with a clean towel. Put aside and allow iti to rise for 2 hours, until it again doubles in size.
5. Punch the dough down again and divide it into two equal pieces. Shape each into a round loaf and cut two slashes into the top.
6. Oil a baking sheet and put the round loafs on the sheet. Let the dough rise a third time, until it doubles in size, about 50 to 60 minutes. Bake the barley bread for 45 to 50 minutes.
Tags: doubles size, about minutes, bowl with, doubles size Punch, dough down, minutes until
Tabasco sauce is a culinary contribution of the Southern United States.
History
Tabasco was created in the 1860s by Edmund McIlhenny, an avid gardener who had been given the seeds of hot peppers from Mexico. Commercial production began in 1868, when McIlhenny sold around 650 bottles.
Origin of the Name
Edmund McIlhenny's wife, Mary Eliza Avery, was the daughter of McIlhenny's closest friend Daniel Dudley Avery, also known as Judge Avery. Avery and his family owned a sugar plantation at Petite Anse Island, now known as Avery Island. It was on this island that the sauce was first made and McIlhenny originally wanted to name it Petite Anse Sauce, but Avery objected. And so the name was changed to Tabasco, which is reported to be a word of Mexican-Indian origin meaning "land where the soil is humid."
Production Process
The pepper sauce is still made on Avery Island in Louisiana, the site where McIlhenny first began the business. The peppers used in Tabasco are picked by hand when they reach the perfect shade of deep red. They are then mashed and mixed with salt that also comes from Avery Island. The mash is transferred to oak barrels and allowed to ferment, after which it is aged for up to three years.
Global Reach
Tabasco sauce is sold in 160 countries and is supposedly a favorite of the Royal Family of Britain. The company was awarded a Royal Warrant, a mark of recognition to individuals or companies who have supplied goods or services for at least five years to the Queen. Tabasco sauce has been sent into space on board the Space Shuttle, Skylab and the International Space Station.
Fun Fact
The company's president and CEO, Paul McIlhenny, is the great-grandson of the founder and the sixth member of the family to have run the business.
Tags: Avery Island, Edmund McIlhenny, Petite Anse, Tabasco sauce
Spain has a rich culinary culture and party favors highlighting this will be appreciated as authentic. Keep in mind the packaging of any favors and incorporate the colors of the Spanish flag into the presentation and packaging.
Food Favors
There are four food favors that immediately evoke Spain: Marcona almonds, jars of Spanish olives with beribboned tops, wedges of Manchego cheese and Spanish olive oil in an attractive packaging--tins or glass bottles. Marcona almonds are a famous and ubiquitous snack in Spain. They are peeled and salted and are flatter, more buttery in texture and slightly sweeter than regular almonds. Packaging up a decorative bag or jar of these almonds will give your guests a healthy and yummy remembrance of Spain. Spain is also well-known for its olives and olive oil, so these prepackaged good would be easy favors dolled up with a themed ribbon. Small wedges of the classic Spanish cheese Manchego wrapped in parchment and a small box tied with a ribbon is another way to have your guest carry Spain home with them.
Paella Pans
Individual paella pans with the place card tied to the handle with red and yellow ribbon reminiscent of the Spanish flag would be a dramatic and authentic favor. Rest the napkin in it or across it for an added decorative dimension. Individual pans are smaller than a dinner plates and can be bought in blue and red enamel or silver for a few dollars at chef and professional cookware supply outlets. Print a recipe paella onto decorative paper and tack it to the bottom of the pan for extra visual interest.
Spanish Wine
A bottle of a classic Spanish red wine such as Rioja or Tempranillo would be a lovely and useful party favor as well an effective table decoration if needed. Spanish white wines that are party-appropriate are Spanish Cava, a sparking white wine akin to French Champagne or Italian Proseco, and Albarino or Rioja Blanca, two non-sparking white wines that are classically Spanish and delicious with a range of foods. Bottles of these wines can be purchased for less than $10 at many wine outlets and retailers such as Trader Joe's, with some as low at $6 per bottle.
Tags: Marcona almonds, classic Spanish, Spanish flag, white wines, white wines that, wines that
Recipes designed for high-altitude cooking can be modified for use at sea level.
Altitude, or the number of feet above sea level, affects how foods cook. Most recipes are designed to be prepared at low altitudes. High-altitude recipes are designed for the conditions that exist at elevations 3,000 to 3,500 feet or higher above sea level. If you want to prepare a recipe that was designed for the specific conditions found at high altitudes, you'll need to make some adjustments to get a good result, as the high-altitude recipes are designed based on a lower boiling points, faster evaporation and quicker rising. This is primarily true for leavened baked goods.
Instructions
1. Add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. of baking powder for each 3/4 tsp. called for in the recipe. High-altitude recipes use less baking powder than is needed at sea level, as the decreased air pressure causes gases in foods to expand faster. Baking powder is 20 percent more effective at 5,000 feet than it is at sea level.
2. Add 1 to 3 tbsp. of sugar for each cup of sugar called for in the recipe. The rapid evaporation at higher altitudes increases the concentration of sugar, so you'll need to add more at lower altitudes to get the same sweetness.
3. Decrease liquid by 2 to 4 tbsp. for every cup of liquid in a high altitude recipe. You can decrease the liquid by eliminating up to one egg.
4. Cook leavened baked goods at 15 to 25 degrees lower than the temperature called for in high-altitude baking recipes, and increase cooking time by 5 to 8 minutes for every half hour.
5. Increase yeast by 30 percent in breads and rolls. Expect the dough to take longer to rise than noted in the high altitude recipe.
6. Add 1 to 2 tbsp. of shortening when baking a chocolate cake recipe.
7. Watch foods carefully to prevent overcooking. Vegetables cook 30 percent faster at low altitudes than they do at 3,000 feet, and stews cook 30 minutes quicker. The difference is more extreme with recipes designed for higher altitudes. A stew cooked at 7,000 feet takes 2 to 3 hours longer than one cooked at sea level.
They say everything tastes better fried, and fritters are the perfect example. Fritters are food that is dipped in or mixed with batter and then fried. Fritters are savory or sweet, spicy or mild. Fritter recipes exist all around the world and are popular in cuisines of the Caribbean, southeast Asia, Mexico and the United States.
Fruit Fritters
Fruit fritters are considered a type of doughnut with a slightly different recipe. Desserts similar to a fritter include churros, funnel cakes and crullers. The simple fritter batter is fried with diced fruits like apples, apricot and pineapple already mixed in the batter. The other way to make a fruit fritter is to dip the fruit in batter, which is the method used for making banana fritters. Fruit fritters are often dusted with powdered sugar.
Vegetable Fritters
Fritter batter is essentially plain, so savory fritters are best made with chopped vegetables and spices. Corn fritters are among the most popular and are made by adding cornmeal, steamed or roasted kernels or creamed corn. Fritters are made with julienned zucchini, potatoes and carrots to make a version of the potato latke, which is also be considered a fritter. Essentially all tempura fried vegetables are fritters, since they are batter dipped and fried. Other vegetables that work well in fritters include mushrooms, squash, peas, okra, onion, artichoke and jalapeno.
Meat and Seafood Fritters
Fritters also include proteins to make a complete meal. Popular seafood fritters include prawn and shrimp, clam, oyster, salmon, conch, salt fish and cod fritters. The classic crabcake also is considered a fritter. Meat fritters are usually paired with a vegetable like onions or leeks and are a simple dish to whip up with leftovers. Meats that are usually included in fritter batter are roast beef, ground beef, ground lamb and ham.
Bean Fritters
Bean fritters either partially or completely replace flour with mashed beans or bean flour. Bean fritters are often made using vegetables, cheese and chili peppers in the mixture. Types of beans used to make fritters include chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, soy beans, fava beans and red beans. Bean fritters make a good vegan meal if made without egg.
Tags: fritters include, also considered, also considered fritter, around world, Bean fritters
Jasmine rice is fragrant both before and after cooking.
Jasmine rice, grown in Thailand, is lightly translucent and has a slightly chewy texture. It is most notable for its distinctive aroma that cooks often describe as fragrant and nutty. It is not quite as sticky as other rice varieties; you do not need to add oil to the rice cooker. Jasmine rice is best when steamed, according to Kasma Loha-unchit of Thai Food & Travel. If possible, cook it in a rice cooker that steams, rather than boils, the rice. Use the steamed rice as a base for stir-fries, curries and other Thai dishes.
Instructions
1. Measure the amount of jasmine rice you wish to cook. Use about ¼ to ½ cup of uncooked rice per person.
2. Place the rice in a sieve. Hold the sieve under cool, running water for about 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Shake the sieve to allow excess water to drip off. Place the rice in the rice cooker.
4. Add enough water to cover the rice. Traditional Thai cooks do not measure the amount of water for jasmine rice with a measuring cup; they use a finger. After covering the rice with water, insert your index finger into the pot until it just touches the top of the rice. Add more water until the liquid just reaches the first joint of your finger.
5. Turn the rice cooker on. Each brand will have different instructions. Usually, however, a rice cooker has two main settings: "cook" and "keep warm." Adjust the setting to "cook."
6. Wait for the rice cooker to finish. Do not lift the lid during the cooking time. Depending on the brand, the rice cooker should turn off or turn to "keep warm" automatically when the rice is finished.
Mashed potatoes make an appropriate side dish for many meals.
Mashed potatoes go with almost anything, from turkey at a Thanksgiving dinner to fried chicken, pot roast or a rack of barbecue ribs. It can be challenging to judge how many potatoes you need to prepare to feed your family or guests. In general, each pound of raw potatoes makes about 2 cups of mashed potatoes. The exact number of potatoes you need depends on how much you want to serve each person and what size potatoes you use.
Instructions
1. Write out the menu for the meal you are serving and count the number of side dishes in your menu. If potatoes are your only side dish, make a large portion for each person. If you have one or two other side dishes, make a medium portion for each person. If you have three or more other side dishes, as is the case with Thanksgiving dinner, make a small portion for each person.
2. Multiply the number of people you are serving by the number of ounces of potato you want in each portion. A large portion should have 8 oz. of potato, a medium should have 6 oz. and a small should have 4 oz. For example, if you are serving 12 people a medium-sized portion, you need 70 oz. of potato.
3. Divide your total number of ounces by 16 to find out how many pounds of potatoes you need. In this case, 70 divided by 16 is 4.375 pounds of raw potatoes.
4. Divide the number of pounds of potatoes by the average weight of each potato to find out how many you need. Most medium-sized potatoes weigh about 1/3 lb., whereas smaller potatoes only weigh 1/4 lb. or less and very large potatoes could weigh upwards of a pound. For example, if you are buying medium-sized potatoes, you will need approximately 13 potatoes.
Tags: each person, portion each, portion each person, potatoes need, pounds potatoes, should have
When you loosely translate the term "michelada" in Spanish, you get the phrase "my cold beer." Beer is highly popular in the United States and imported beers are readily available in liquor stores across the country. But right now, you'll only find a michelada in states that share a border with Mexico. That is, unless you make this cocktail yourself.
Instructions
1. Squeeze the juice from half of a lime. You'll get the best flavor with a key lime. After you've squeezed the juice, use the rest of the lime to salt the rim of a glass. Rub the lime around the edge, and then dip the moist edge in coarse salt.
2. Combine all ingredients except for the beer. Measurements are negotiable, so feel free to use more or less depending on your preference. Mix 2 splashes of Worcestershire sauce, 1 splash of soy sauce, 1 splash of Tabasco sauce, 1 pinch of black pepper and 1 splash of Maggi together in a bowl. Stir everything together to ensure everything is mixed thoroughly.
3. Add beer to your mix. The best beer for this drink is a dark Mexican beer.
4. Pour your michelada into your salted glass. Continually add more beer to your glass as you drink.
5. Create drinks for multiple people by doubling or tripling this recipe. You can also pass the recipe around to all your friends, and maybe they'll make you a michelada next time you're over.
Wine and cheese tasting parties can be held at any time of year. Make sure the friends you invite are open to new tastes, enjoy conversation and maybe even be willing to take part in a related game.
Instructions
1. Figure out how much cheese, bread and wine to have at the party. For tasting purposes, one bottle of wine will serve eight people. By the time each guest has sipped wine from eight bottles, he will have had a half bottle. Eight different tastes are about the maximum anyone can drink and not have his judgment impaired. Two ounces of cheese can be served for each guest. You could serve eight wines with eight cheeses, or four wines and different cheeses.
2. Make sure the seating will allow the wines and cheeses to be accessible to everyone, whether sitting or standing. Give one glass for each guest. Place a jug of water and towels or napkins at one end of the table so your guests can rinse their glasses between tastings.
Red wines are best served at room temperature. Arrange your chilled wines together and then the reds. The order for tasting is to begin with the white wines and move on to the reds, from lightest to most full-bodied. Chill your white wines for no more than two hours before the party and draw the cork just before serving. This will assure optimum flavor.
3. Don't remove the rind from the cheeses or they will dry out, and it's best not to cut the cheese into bite sizes. Let each guest cut her own. Most cheese is at its peak flavor if it is left out for an hour at room temperature before serving. Some of the best combinations of cheese and wine are those from the same country. French wines taste wonderful with French cheeses. Swiss cheeses are delicious with cool white mountain wines. Roguefort is so robust in flavor it would overpower a light wine but is great with a mellow red Bordeaux wine. Pair your cheeses next to your wines. It also is best the have a bread, crisp and crusty, to accompany the cheeses.
4. Play a comparison game to open up the conversation and for the enjoyment of everyone. Have cards made up for everyone to check off their rating of each wine. Put the categories "color," "bouquet," "body" and "score" on the cards and explain they should rate on a scale of 1 to 4, from best to worst.
5. Pour the same amount of wine into each glass and have everyone hold their glasses to the light. Tell them to notice the color, which will range from a deep dark red to a light clear red, or from gold to straw color, and put a number for how the color appeals to them.
6. Have them gently swirl the wine around in the glass two or three times to release the fragrance or bouquet of the wine. Smell it: It might be fragrant or flowery, musky, or sweet and spicy. Is it a pleasant bouquet? Have everyone rate their opinion.
7. Have them taste the wine. It will be light, as if it could be gulped down, or heavy in your mouth, a wine for sipping and savoring. This quality is known as body. A wine with a full body will, with time, become mellow, as all of its component parts become balanced. If the wine is not old enough for drinking, it will taste "astringent," causing your mouth to pucker. If your white wine tastes acidic it means it is too old and past its peak. Again, have everyone put down a rating.
8. Have them total their points to see which wines were most highly and lowly rated.
Tags: each guest, Have them, before serving, have everyone, Make sure, room temperature, serve eight
Basic salad ingredients can create a colorful and satisfying dish.
By many people, salads are considered diet food, boring or less than delicious. This is not so. Salads are light fare that, in their variety, can be sweet, savory and filling. Not to mention, salads are easy to put together and travel well as a dish to pass for picnics, parties and banquets. If you have some simple, basic salad ingredients you can put one together in minutes.
Basic Lettuce Salad Ingredients
The most common salad that can be served as a side dish to any meal is comprised of vegetables. There is no limit to what vegetables to put in your salad or what type of lettuce. There is crisp, watery iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce or mixed greens. Romaine and mixed greens have higher nutritional value. To add color to your salad pick up a yellow, red or green pepper. Add in a tomato and onions. Any of your favorite vegetables will do. Other options are olives, cucumber and avocado. Slice the vegetables and place them on top of the salad or dice them and toss them with the lettuce so they are mixed in well.
Basic Fruit Salad Ingredients
Fruit salad is not only healthy, its sweet and is a cool treat to have in the summer that provides refreshment. Your basic, simple, fruit salad will be a mix of tossed fruits. Try a combination of berries, melons and add in kiwi or grapefruit for an extra zing. Blueberries, strawberries, grapes, honeydew and muss melon all make an appearance in the basic fruit salad.
Basic Chicken Salad
Chicken salad can be made more than one way, each one is quick and easy. For a light chicken salad, simply add pieces of cooked chicken to your basic vegetable salad. If you want to make chicken salad to use in sandwiches you'll need pieces of cooked chicken, sliced or shredded, mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and if you wish, you can add in walnuts or grapes for texture and added sweetness. Combine the ingredients together in a large bowl until they are well mixed. Place the chicken salad in a pita or on bread.
Salad Dressings
Salad dressings add extra flavor to whatever salad you put on them. There are a variety of store-bought dressings to choose from or you can make your own. For a low-calorie salad dressing that adds a savory zip to your vegetable salad, mix together red wine vinegar and olive oil, and pour on your salad in the desired quantity. Although not technically a salad dressing, you can give your fruit salad a dessert-like quality with a dollop of whipped cream on top. Fruit salad is often topped with yogurt, too. Other salad dressings available at the store are thousand island, ranch, Italian and French.
Tags: Salad Ingredients, your salad, chicken salad, cooked chicken, fruit salad, ingredients together, mixed greens
Shelled pecans or whole pecan can be used in wedding favors
While many new brides and grooms often give more generic gifts as wedding favors, favors that relate to the bride and groom and reflect their interests and backgrounds are the ones remembered by guests for years to come. Couples from the south may enjoy providing guests with pecan-themed gifts to celebrate their homes and backgrounds.
Edible Gifts
Edible favors that use pecans in their construction include homemade turtle candies, miniature pecan pies, giant slices of pecan pie wrapped in cellophane tied with colorful grosgrain ribbon, large pecan sandy cookies in elegant wrapping, bags of candied pecans, wrapped pecan candies, elegantly wrapped bags of shelled or whole pecans and miniature chocolate pecan chess pies.
Decorative Gifts
Decorative gifts such as silver, glass, or wooden nut bowls can be filled with whole or shelled pecans and wrapped in cellophane tied with ribbon. Cut or smooth glass jars, Mason jars with lids and small candy dishes can be filled with candied pecans.
Family Tradition Gifts
Couples that have special recipes in their families using pecans can create sentimental recipe gifts for wedding favors. A pecan pie or pecan cookie recipe card along with a small story explaining the origin and use of the recipe can be attached to a bag of shelled pecans dressed with a large bow. Additionally, sweet salad dressing recipes can be attached to bags of candied pecans or pecan shortbread cookies can be presented with the recipe attached.
Risotto is a rice-based dish that is usually cooked in a pot on the stove. Preparing it in a rice cooker eliminates the need to stand over a hot stove and make sure it's not burning, boiling over or sticking to the bottom of the pot. Most rice cookers have a preset cooking cycle, so no monitoring is required during the cooking process.
Instructions
1. Rinse the rice and pour it into the rice cooker's metal pot.
2. Heat the stock on the stove or in the microwave until it is just steaming, about 1 to 3 minutes. The hot stock reaches a boil more quickly in the rice cooker, speeding up the cooking process.
3. Add stock to the rice, and stir.
4. Cover cooker and hit the "Start" button. After the cooking cycle completes, leave the cooker on the warming cycle for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, covered. This allows the rice to absorb any additional liquid that may not be quite cooked down.
5. Remove the risotto. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, stir, and serve.
Asbestos removal requires professional assistance.
Cottage cheese ceilings, also known as popcorn ceilings, carry some dangers. These ceilings were sprayed on and touted as acoustic or sound blocking. The use of asbestos, as an ingredient in these ceilings, was banned in 1978. The problem persists, however, as these cottage cheese-like texture ceilings are still in some homes today. Homeowners often wish to remove these outdated ceilings but don't realize the dangers of do-it-yourself removal.
History
Beginning in the early 1950s, acoustic ceilings provided an easy solution to problem ceilings. The cottage cheese texture could cover cracks, stains or uneven ceilings. It was also inexpensive, increasing its use. Because it had some sound-deadening qualities, it was sometimes used in new home construction. Currently, textured ceilings have fallen from favor, and homeowners who have this type of ceiling often want to replace it.
Asbestos
Asbestos is a mineral that was valued for construction materials because of its strength, insulating properties and resistance to fire. Problems began when it became clear that asbestos could cause cancer if inhaled. The use of asbestos for manufacturing cottage cheese ceilings was banned in 1978. However, it was still legal to use existing stores, so asbestos-containing material was used into the 1980s.
Identification
It is impossible to tell if your ceiling contains asbestos just from the date of application. If you suspect that a cottage cheese ceiling in your home may contain asbestos, lab testing can confirm this. Homeowners can collect samples, but specially trained lab workers know take samples safely. Once the samples are collected, the lab can determine if there is asbestos and how much.
Dangers
If a ceiling in your home contains asbestos, don't panic. The asbestos only becomes dangerous if particles are released from the ceiling and fly around in the air. Ceilings in good condition can safely be left in place. Take simple precautions to ensure that the ceiling does not get damaged. Do not clean or disturb it for any reason.
Removal
If the ceiling condition warrants removal, leave it to the professionals. While removal by a homeowner is possible, it can go wrong and expose people to asbestos. The process involves taping plastic on walls and floors so that water can be sprayed on the ceiling. Water keeps dangerous dust from forming. Special protective gear, such as breathing masks and suits, make the removal process difficult and hot. If something goes wrong during a professional removal, the technicians have the equipment to remedy the situation.
Tags: cottage cheese, banned 1978, ceiling your, ceiling your home, ceilings also
A traditional wooden rolling pin is what most of us visualize when we consider buying one. That's the type that our mothers and grandmothers probably used in their kitchens. The classic rolling pin is still quite popular, but there are many other choices available and even some that are of interest to collectors.
Instructions
1. Determine your needs in a rolling pin. Most people use a rolling pin to roll and smooth out dough to make pie crusts, breads, cookies and various types of pastries. This rolling pin is a cylinder made of wood, approximately 12 inches in length, with ball bearings on the inside aligned with a handle on each end that rolls smoothly over the dough as you apply pressure. The types of wood for a rolling pin include mahogany, cherry, beech, walnut and even pine.
2. Roll out the dough with a more professional or modern rolling pin that is made of marble, granite, nylon or even silicone. These types of rolling pins are usually made in a single long cylinder approximately 2 to 3 inches in diameter with no handles. The length of these can vary depending on the preference of the baker. The benefit to some of these, particularly the silicone, is that the dough does not stick to the surface.
3. Consider buying a rolling pin that is made of metal such as nickel, aluminum or tin. A nickel rolling pin is usually very heavy and is used to roll out large, thick batters of dough. Prices for these types of rolling pins vary depending on the length and type of metal, but they can be around $100 or more.
4. Pound out your dough carefully if you buy a rolling pin that is made of glass, clay or porcelain. These types are believed to have originated in England and some European countries. The glass cylinder is most often hollow so that ice can be placed inside to keep the dough cool while it is being rolled out. These glass and breakable-type rolling pins are not as popular because they are quite fragile.
5. Make holiday cookies and pastries by buying a rolling pin that has embellishments around the cylinder. As you roll the rolling pin over the dough, you cut out cookies for baking or pastry designs to assemble. These are available at gourmet kitchen stores and are more expensive than standard rolling pins.
6. Collect rolling pins by buying ones made of "Depression glass." These were popular around the years 1930 to 1940. They can be found in a variety of colors, just like other pieces of Depression glass. These rolling pins are fragile and sometimes hard to find, so they are a favorite of collectors. Your best options to find some of these would be to shop at antique stores that specialize in Depression glass.
Tags: rolling pins, rolling that, Depression glass, rolling that made, that made, approximately inches
Fruit flies are bothersome insects that can invade your home or garden and quickly multiply. The flies are attracted to the smell of vinegar. Creating a trap with vinegar and dish soap effectively eliminates the flies. When the flies try to land, the dish soap does not allow the flies to sit on the surface. The fruit flies will fall into the vinegar and drown. Placing the vinegar bottle traps in the location where you notice the pests will allow you to remove them naturally without the need of chemical products.
Instructions
1. Pour 1 cup of apple cider vinegar into a jar or bottle.
2. Add 2 tsp. of a liquid dish detergent to the vinegar.
3. Place the vinegar bottle in the location where you have noticed fruit flies. Examine the jar or bottle to ensure that the flies appear attracted to the vinegar. Move the jar or bottle to a different location until you attract the flies.
4. Replace the vinegar every 2 to 3 days until you kill all the fruit flies.
Tags: dish soap, fruit flies, location where, vinegar bottle
Give your steak extra sizzle with a homemade marinade.
Most marinades serve a dual purpose; they tenderize meats that soak in them, while adding an extra depth of flavor to your steak. Once you master the chemistry of a marinade, you can easily create new flavor combinations. Your marinade will need equal parts of an acid and an oil, with other seasonings to your personal taste.
Instructions
1. Select an acid for your marinade. Vinegar and citrus juices are common choices, as are wines. Give your steak an Asian flair, for example, by starting with an orange juice base. Give it a Southwest kick with vinegar or red wine.
2. Mix in your favorite herbs or seasonings. Add a little soy sauce and garlic to the orange juice, or use parsley, garlic, rosemary, thyme and basil for a traditional marinade. If you like, sweeten the flavor with a little honey, maple syrup or sugar, or give the marinade a little spice with chopped jalapenos.
3. Drizzle in a good quality oil. Extra-virgin olive oil is a good choice, as it adds its own layer of flavor, although any light vegetable oil will work.
4. Place the stirred marinade and your steak in a zippered plastic bag for an hour or more, up to overnight for heavier, less tender steak cuts.
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Dips are essential for parties because they are easy to whip up and cater to a variety of different food preferences. Provide a platter of snacks and different dips for different tastes. Dips are used to add flavor to vegetables, crackers, chips or a variety of other foods.
Tomatoes
Make a delicious salsa with tomatoes, onions, garlic, salt, lime juice and cilantro. Salsa can be chunky or juicy, depending on your preferences. Cut up all vegetables and mix together or put the ingredients in a blender. Melted cheese and salsa mixed together make a queso dip, a party favorite. Blended tomatoes, Italian seasoning, turmeric, garlic and olive oil and onions make a Mediterranean dip for pita bread or corn chips.
Sour Cream
Sour cream can be used as a base for a wide range of flavors. Add onions, garlic and salt to sour cream for a veggie or potato chip dip. Add bacon and a little bit of hot sauce to the dip to make it heartier and spicier. Create a dip that adds some zest to snacks by mixing sour cream, mayonnaise, dill weed, salt, garlic and lemon juice. Dill dips are flavorful additions to vegetable platters.
Garbanzo Beans
Hummus is a creamy dip that can be used with pita chips, vegetables and crackers. Garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas, are the main ingredient for hummus. Olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt should also be added. Add small amounts of water at a time to adjust the thickness. Change the flavor by adding other ingredients, such as jalapenos, pine nuts or red pepper. Mix all the ingredients in a food processor or a blender.
Avocado
Create guacamole by combining avocados, cilantro, lime juice, garlic and salt. Tomatoes, onions, jalapenos or hot sauce are additional ingredients to add to a guacamole recipe. For a creamy avocado dip, combine cream cheese, avocados, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Another avocado dip uses avocados as the base, with tahini, salt, garlic, cumin, olive oil and lemon juice.
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Those who frequent Thai restaurants have undoubtedly become familiar with pandan leaves. These fragrant leaves, sometimes descried as "Asian vanilla," have a sweet, grassy flavor that complements rice and delicate meats. Southeast Asian cuisine frequently uses the spear-shaped leaves as a wrapper for food, to impart flavor and a fresh green color. Marinated pieces of chicken, wrapped in pandan leaves and fried or grilled, is one of the classic Thai street foods, easily reproduced in the average American kitchen.
Instructions
1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized cubes, approximately 2 in. on each side. Marinate the pieces for 2 to 3 hours, as directed in your marinade recipe.
2. Select a pandan leaf and pass it over the burner on your stove a few times, to heat it and make it limber. Hold the leaf between the thumb and forefinger of your non-dominant hand, with 1/3 of the leaf above your hand and 2/3 below it, and the shiny side facing away from you.
3. Bring the lower portion of the leaf up, and fold it around behind the vertical portion of the leaf, to make a rough cone at the point where the leaf is folded. Pinch the folded portion where it crosses behind the upright portion, and hold it in place with your thumb and forefinger.
4. Place a piece of the marinated chicken inside the roughly conical pocket formed in the corner of the leaf. Take the longer portion of the leaf from behind the upright portion, and fold it to cover the top of the chicken and enclose it.
5. Wrap the long end of the leaf around the point of the cone, and back up the other side. Slide the end under the loop that enclosed the chicken, and pull it through to make a tight package.
6. Trim away the long ends of the leaf with a pair of scissors or a knife, and set aside. Repeat, until you have used up all the chicken or all the pandan leaves. Fry or deep-fry the chicken rolls in hot oil. Serve hot, to be unwrapped and eaten with the fingers.