Best Corporate Gift Baskets

The idea of giving gifts has been in our culture since times immemorial. We love the experience of receiving and giving gifts for just about every special occasion that's happening in our lives. By means of giving gifts we show our gratitude, express how deeply sorry we are, and show how much we care or appreciate a person. Today giving gifts is not only done during the holidays or for special occasions, but also can be done on a regular day just as a special treat.

Corporate gift baskets, similar to other gifts, help corporations build strong, long-lasting relationships with their business associates, who may include customers, clients, and employees. This is very important whether you own a small business or you have a huge enterprise. It is essential to show your appreciation to your business associates, employees and colleagues. It's also a good idea to ask them if they are satisfied with their work, the benefits they get from your company and if they have any constructive criticisms or suggestions.

If you don't know what items you can put together in your gift corporate baskets then this might help you a lot. There are many kinds of gift baskets including gourmet gift baskets, fruit baskets, Christmas gift baskets, vineyard product packs, floral (fresh and dry) gift baskets and edible gift baskets. If your employees are celebrating a special event on their life you can choose from these and pick the best one that suits their personality and preference. Taking the time and care to pick out items especially for someone makes them feel special and appreciated. This kind gesture can go a long way in helping make important connections, getting referrals, helping deals go through and keeping good employees happy.

For team building or an anniversary party in your company this could be a good idea for a giveaways or raffle. You can make any business event more exciting by adding a basket giveaway to the agenda. People love to play games with winner and find friendly competition a lot of fun.

If this is the first time that you want to give corporate gift baskets but don't know where to go then you can simply start looking on the Internet (there you can always find items to customize your gift). There are a lot of companies that offer shipping for gift corporate baskets. Since you are a busy person you can just call them, or go online, and order then let them deliver the gifts to your office. So, this coming party at your company or after a business deal is completed, treat your employees or associates to some corporate gift baskets.

Tom Budko is a fan of http://nanasbananabread.com/ simple, but yet delicious, Nana's Moist Banana Bread, this corporate gift basket will blow away even the most discriminating palate with our first class ingredients and capricious flavor.

http://EzineArticles.com/6489736

Quick, Easy and Economical Recipes For Your Table: Island Burgers and Penne Pasta Casserole

If you are a busy cook who wants to feed your family good meals on a tight food budget, the recipes in this article will be perfect for you. Each is a tasty recipe your family will love yet you can have it on the table quickly. The Island Burgers with their ingredients of honey, spices, soy sauce, and pineapple will transport your taste buds to an exotic island. The Penne Pasta Casserole will treat those taste buds to a bit of Italia!

ISLAND BURGERS
1/2 cup honey
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 lbs lean ground beef
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 can (23-oz) sliced pineapple, drained
8 hamburger buns or sandwich rolls, split, buttered, and toasted
Lettuce leaves, optional

In a large bowl combine the honey, paprika, curry powder, ground ginger, and ground cinnamon. Add the ground beef to the mixture and mix together well. Shape into 8 equal patties.

Grill hamburgers over medium-hot heat 3 to 4 minutes per side. Brush with the soy sauce and grill another 5 or 6 minutes until juices run clear or burgers are done to suit you. Baste and turn a couple of times during this cooking. Shortly before burgers are done, grill the pineapple slices until browned, turning once to brown each side.

To serve, place burgers and pineapple slices on the toasted buns or rolls and add a lettuce leaf if desired.

PENNE PASTA CASSEROLE
1 lb lean ground meat (beef or turkey)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 can (14 1/2-oz) diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
1 can (6-oz) tomato paste
1/2 cup water
3 1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Prepare the uncooked pasta according to the package directions.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

While pasta is cooking, brown the meat and onion in a large skillet until the meat is no longer pink; drain off any excess fat. Return meat and onion to skillet and stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add some garlic powder, if desired. Cook just until heated through.

Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine the cooked and drained pasta with the meat mixture. Stir in 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese. Pour the mixture into the sprayed baking dish. Spread the remaining cup of cheese evenly over the top of the casserole.

Bake uncovered for 20 to 35 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's quick and easy recipes visit her blog at http://grandmasquickfixrecipes.blogspot.com/
For her crockpot/slow cooker recipes visit her at http://grandmasslowcookerrecipes.blogspot.com/

http://EzineArticles.com/6507279

See How Easily You Can Prepare a Homemade Caesar Dressing

The famous Caesar salad and dressing is believed by most historians to have been born in a kitchen with depleted supplies-Caesar Cardini's restaurant kitchen to be exact. A restaurateur in Tijuana, Mexico, Cardini was running short on ingredients one particular Fourth of July weekend in 1924. It was then that he gathered what was left of the basic ingredients, tossed them together in front of patrons at the tableside, and fathered the legendary Caesar salad. It gained popularity reaching even the Hollywood crowd, and from then on the Caesar salad and dressing has never left the world cuisine.

There has been multiple variations of the recipe for the Caesar dressing, but the main ingredients remain the same, more or less: olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, egg, and black pepper. If you've been to the salad dressings lane of grocery stores, you'll surely notice a lot of brands of bottled Caesar dressing, ready to be purchased and poured over your romaine lettuce and croutons. But why not avoid the MSG and other additives by being a home chef and making your own homemade Caesar dressing?

To put together your own homemade Caesar dressing, get a hold of the key ingredients: eggs, olive oil, black pepper, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce, along with today's commonly added flavor enhancers for the Caesar dressing, such as anchovy fillets or paste, garlic, Dijon mustard and salt. Some even mix in red wine vinegar. If you use anchovy fillets and garlic, mash them with salt in a bowl, then beat the mixture with egg yolks, pepper and mustard until creamy. Stir in lemon juice. To make sure your dressing is emulsified well, add the olive oil into the bowl very slowly, drop by drop, whisking constantly. As the mixture begins to thicken, you can gradually pour in the oil in a slow, steady stream. Continue to beat the dressing until it reaches a thick and creamy consistency.

Plain yogurt also makes an excellent base for homemade Caesar dressing. Simply add plain yogurt and red wine vinegar to the recipe above for a tasty, creamy and healthy version of this classic dressing. Caesar dressing is typically used on salads topped with croutons, parmesan cheese, shrimp and chicken but it can also be applied as a glaze to chicken or fish when grilling. The pepper and anchovies create a sensational flavor for your white meats that is sure to please even the pickiest of pallets. This is an excellent idea for any leftover dressing that you have.

The Caesar salad and dressing has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Learning to make your own homemade Caesar dressing can be an invaluable kitchen skill, because today its popularity wouldn't make anyone think it was once just a combination of left-over ingredients in a busy restaurant kitchen one Fourth of July weekend.

Click here Now to learn how to make a zesty Caesar Dressing and download your FREE gift; Basic Knife Skills and Vegetable Cuts video series!

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Try These Yummy Recipes for Some Delicious Sweets for Your Family and Friends

Who doesn't love sweets? I believe I was born with a sweet tooth somewhere in my gums and I know there are many of you out there who are just like me! This column is for you. If you want to soothe your sweet tooth, try these recipes for Delicious Chocolate Cinnamon Dip, Canadian Popcorn Nut Crunch, or Drop Doughnut Puffs.

DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE-CINNAMON DIP
8-oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 can (14-oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp light-colored corn syrup
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Milk, if needed to reach dipping consistency
Favorite plain cookies for dipping

In a medium saucepan melt chopped chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and the corn syrup until combined well. Stir in the vanilla extract and the cinnamon. Serve sauce warm, stirring in the additional milk if needed. Serve with the cookies. Or serve over ice cream for a sundae, if desired.

Yield: 2 cups

CANADIAN POPCORN NUT CRUNCH
2 quarts popped popcorn
1 cup blanched whole almonds, toasted
1 cup pecan halves, toasted
1 cup cashews, toasted
1 cup Brazil nuts, toasted
1 cup almonds, toasted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Lightly spray a 5-quart Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray. Add the popcorn and all the nuts; bake at 250 degrees for 20 minutes.

While nuts and popcorn bake, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and butter in a saucepan. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 290 degrees (reaches the soft-crack stage). Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla and cinnamon.

Pour the syrup mixture over the nuts/popcorn mixture very slowly while stirring constantly until all the mixture is well coated. Immediately spread onto baking sheets that have been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cool and break into pieces.

When completely cooled, store in airtight containers.

Yield: Approximately 4 quarts.

DROP DOUGHNUT PUFFS
1 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp instant coffee granules
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Oil for deep-frying
powdered sugar for dusting, if desired

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and coffee granules; blend well. Add the egg, milk, and the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil; mix together thoroughly. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer until hot or at the temperature your appliance suggests. Drop the batter into the hot oil one teaspoonful at a time. Fry until puffy and browned. Drain on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's dessert recipes visit her blog at http://ladybugssweettreats.blogspot.com/.

For her diabetic dessert recipes visit her at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com/.

http://EzineArticles.com/6499363

Enjoy Old Fashion Salads With These Delicious Recipes From the Past

The recipes in this article will bring you back to Grandma's table. Cranberry Fluff, as the name implies is a fluffy salad with whipped topping (cream). Obviously, the Olive Spinach is a green salad. The Patio Salad is a combination macaroni/green salad. Or perhaps you have your own ideal salad combination but would like a homemade salad dressing. Try this Homemade Celery Seed Dressing. Each of these recipes are from my 1950s Hoosier childhood.

CRANBERRY FLUFF
1 lb fresh cranberries
3 cups sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 container (12-oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Grind cranberries. Add the sugar to the cranberries; stir together well. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for 24 hours. Before serving, fold in the nuts and whipped topping.

OLIVE SPINACH SALAD
4 cups torn fresh spinach
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
1/2 cup sliced pimento-stuffed olives
1 avocado, peeled and thin sliced
1 egg yolk, raw
1 clove garlic, halved
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard

Combine the spinach, tomatoes, boiled egg, olives and avocado; toss lightly. Chill.
Combine the remaining ingredients; beat thoroughly. Add to the spinach mixture and toss lightly but thoroughly.

Note: This salad contains a raw egg yolk. Handle with care.

PERFECT PATIO SALAD
Have had this recipe for years but have no idea why it is called a patio salad. Possibly because it was served outside once patios became popular. This is an old recipe my late mother had for years and I've had for years since.

2 cups (8-oz) elbow macaroni, uncooked
3/4 cup clear French dressing
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes

Prepare macaroni according to the directions on the package. Blend the French dressing with sour cream in a large bowl. Add the drained macaroni, broccoli, onion, and pepper to taste; mix and chill.

Line a salad bowl with the lettuce leaves and heap the macaroni salad in the center. Garnish with tomatoes and lemon wedges, if desired.

HOMEMADE CELERY SEED DRESSING
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp salt
1 medium onion, grated
2/3 cup vinegar
1 pint vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp celery seed

In a medium mixing bowl combine the sugar, mustard, salt, onion, and half of the vinegar and beat. Gradually add the oil, celery seed, and the rest of the vinegar. Store in a sealed quart jar.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's old-fashion recipe collection visit her blog at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com/
For more of her recipes and diabetic information visit http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com/

http://EzineArticles.com/6461867

Hosting a Themed Party: Food, Fun and More

Themed parties are wonderfully festive ways to celebrate any and every occasion, and they are on the rise. People are spending more time and money to make sure that they can replicate every detail of their chosen theme as accurately as possible. But while you spend every waking moment doing the planning, buying, decorating, and inviting, who is worrying about the cooking? Hopefully you aren't.

These days caterers have become far more adept at trying to fill the gap between huge catered events and smaller parties. These smaller, more durable catering outfits are ready to cater anything to an 800 person wedding to an 8 person dinner party, and they can do it for much less money than you think.

The reality is, catering can fit into whatever theme that has been devised seamlessly. If you take the time to communicate with your catering professional about what your plans are, as well as your expectations, you can let them take the reins of cooking and serving without having to do all the logistical grunt work yourself.

Make sure you've communicated your theme thoroughly to the caterer and that they understand the atmosphere and nuance you're trying to convey. If you have a vision for what recipes and cooking styles you want to see utilized, then be sure to let the caterer know exactly what you're thinking. Most caterers pride themselves on being able to adapt their technique and cuisine to fit the style and budgets of their clientele.

But caterers aren't mind-readers. A big mistake to make in this scenario is to glibly communicate your wants to the caterer and hope they can guess from the theme what kinds of foods and preparations you were thinking of. Letting your caterer know what your expectations of a menu are is the best protection you have against being delivered an experience that's not what you wanted.

As with all themed events, always remember that the devil is in the details. The food and drinks might seem easy compared to the décor and other items you'll place to give the feeling of having been transported to another place and time. If you like, you can consult with your caterer and find out what kinds of similar work they've done, and if they've any helpful tips on accentuating your theme.

Themed parties bring the festivity and exotic feeling of different eras and places, and you can bring these lovely parties to your friends without having to bend over backwards (unless that's the theme, course).

Interested in hosting a themed party? Every party needs food and getting it catered is a simple and cost effective option. Dukes Catering of Joliet IL has a menu to fit any catering event. Our extensive catering menu can meet any taste and budget.

http://EzineArticles.com/6493118

Chicken Fajitas With Peaches - The Perfect Summer Recipe

There was a knock on my door the other night. As I looked through my peephole, I saw my neighbor, Jessica, holding a bowling ball size plastic bag of peaches and plums. She and her husband grew up here in West Los Angeles and both sets of parents have fruit trees in their back yard. "We have so much," she told me. "Would you like some?"

Loving summer fruit, I said, "Sure, I'll take a few!"

"Uh...you don't understand. Ben and I have a whole BIG bag of fruit in the house. This is for you, if you'd like them."

You mean this wasn't the BIG bag? I certainly wasn't going to turn her down, so I happily took the fruit. Now, what the heck was I going to DO with all of it? Basically, it's just me and Bobby, my other half. Oh, and my cat, Moe, who, if offered the choice of eating fruit or being snuffled by a German Shepard would seriously have to think about it. Actually, so would Bobby.

This would mean I'd have to eat it or cook it. It just so happened that I had taken out a few chicken breasts to make some fajitas that night. I looked at the ripe peaches. I looked at the fajita ingredients. I looked at the peaches. Why not? I had to change some ingredients to make everything fit, but this is what I came up with. I think the recipe is the perfect combination of refreshing fruit and spicy Mexican flavors. Have fun with it. Try cilantro to the onion mix instead of using the thyme on the chicken, if you'd like. Get creative! I won't mind. Really.

Chicken Fajitas with Peaches

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Top of Form

Servings: 4

Nutritional Breakdown per serving:

Calories: 275 Sodium: 86gr

Total Fat: 8gr Total Carbs: 31gr

Sat. Fat: 1gr Fiber: 4gr

Cholesterol: 41gr Sugar: 21gr

Protein: 20gr

Recipe Ingredients

4 halves chicken breast

1 tsp (2g) chili powder

1 tsp, (2g) ground cumin

1 tsp, ground (2g) white pepper

1 tsp, (2g) dried thyme

2 tbsp (14g) Olive Oil

3 cloves (9g) minced fresh garlic

2 large peaches, about 2 cups (154g) sliced thin

3 large sweet onions (331g) sliced thin

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds and all (14g) chopped (more or less according to heat preference)

1/2 cup (240g) low sodium chicken broth

3 tbsp (16g) balsamic vinegar

Juice of 1/2 lime yields (44g)

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Pre-heat the broiler. Mix the cumin, white pepper, chili powder and thyme together and coat the 4 chicken breasts. Broil chicken breasts, turning after about 5 minutes. Take out and set aside. In a large saute pan over medium heat, heat the oil and add the garlic. After 1 minute, add the peaches. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onions and jalapeno and stir. Cook about 5 minutes. Add balsamic and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook down until onions are soft and translucent and peaches have become very soft. Add lime juice and stir. Serve with rice or beet flavored tortillas.

Written by Rona Lewis, Fitness and Lifestyle Coach, Healthy Gourmet Chef and Motivational Speaker. You can find lots more tips and recipes on her website. http://www.ronalewis.com/ Her funny, healthy cookbook series, "Does This Cookbook Make Me Look Fat?" is available there, as well!

http://EzineArticles.com/6471394

Grandma's Chicken Recipes: Casserole, Pie, or Grilled Options

I know, I know. Yes, for someone who hates chicken, I sure do share a lot of chicken recipes! But chicken is a favorite among my children and grandchildren and you know grandma's aim is to please those grandchildren! Today I am sharing some of their favorites; Picnic Potato Chip Chicken, Chicken Pie, and Butter Grilled Chicken Breasts.

PICNIC POTATO CHIP CHICKEN
1 large frying chicken, cut-up
2 sticks butter or margarine
1 large package potato chips

Melt butter in a shallow dish. Crush the potato chips into fine crumbs. Dip each piece of chicken into the melted butter then roll in the potato chip crumbs. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for one hour and twenty minutes. Bake uncovered.

Note: Since most of my grandchildren only like the white meat, I have updated this recipe over the years and now I use the skinless boneless chicken breasts and cut the baking time back considerably. This recipe keeps the chicken moist and bake only until the chicken juices run clear when pierced with a fork.

CHICKEN PIE
This recipe is one my mother got from a can of Hunt's Tomato Sauce when I was a child in the 1950s. It quickly became a family favorite (for everyone except me!). Canned biscuits were really coming in to popularity at that time also.

1 1-lb can chicken in gravy OR 1 10-oz can chicken a la king
1 8-oz can Hunt's Tomato Sauce
2 tablespoon instant minced onion
1/2 teaspoon rosemary, crushed
1 8-oz can peas, drained
1 3-oz can mushrooms, drained
1 5-oz can boned chicken, diced
1 pkg. refrigerated biscuits

Mix together all ingredients except biscuits. Heat and pour into 1 1/2 quart casserole. cut biscuits in half and arrange on top of chicken mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. 4 to 5 servings.

Note: At the bottom of the recipe is the following notation: "Hunt's Tomato Sauce is so easy to use! Just cook it into stews, soups, spaghetti, rice, meat loaf, eggs, fish, vegetables, gravies. Perfect for leftovers."

BUTTER GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 chicken breasts (about 3 lb), halved

Melt butter in saucepan. Add green onions, salt, and pepper; cook gently for about 3 minutes. Remove onions from heat and add the lemon juice. Place chicken in a bowl and cover with the sauce. Let stand, stirring occasionally while charcoal is heating up. When the coals are white-hot, brush the grill with fat and arrange 6-inches from the coals. Place chicken breast halves on grill, skin side up, and brush with the remaining sauce. Grill about 30 to 50 minutes, turning every 10 minutes until chicken is thoroughly done; after each turn, brush with remaining sauce. Makes 6 servings.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's old-fashion recipe collection visit her blog at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com/ For her recipes slow cooker/crock pot recipes visit her blog at http://grandmasslowcookerrecipes.blogspot.com/

http://EzineArticles.com/6508828

How to Store Fruit Cake

You can store home made fruit cake for years although the type you buy is not usually stored for that long, because, after all it has a sell-by date, and has additives and preservatives in it. You can, however, prolong the life of a fruit cake from a store, by simply freezing it after wrapping it in tin foil very securely.

The best sorts of fruit cake to store are the ones you make yourself that are laced with liquor, brandy, dark rum, whiskey, wine and port make good choices. When you make a fruit cake it takes at least a month to mature, or mellow, so you shouldn't freeze one until it has been allowed to mellow for a few months.

When you make a fruit cake, you should make it three or four months before you want to eat it as this gives it time to reach its full flavour potential. If you just want to keep it for a few months, store it in an airtight tin such as an old biscuit tin, and once a month, or every six weeks. Add more liquor to the cake, by piercing it in a few places and pouring the liquor over the top of the cake and leaving it. The liquid will slowly seep into the cake and the flavour will be superb when you are ready to eat it.

If it is a top tier or a lower tier of your wedding cake that you want to store, you will need to leave any pillars or dowels in it, as the cake should not be exposed to the air. You can wrap it in several layers of greaseproof paper and then tightly wrap this with aluminum foil and store it in a tin in a cold dark place. You can also get cardboard cake boxes, and after wrapping the cake you can store it in one of these very successfully.

In your grandparents' day, they still had pantries, which were ideal places for storing fruit cakes, and my parents actually stored their wedding cake in a cardboard box on top of their wardrobe. Seven years after their wedding it was used as the cake to celebrate my brother's birth. It had icing and marzipan on it and that was still fine, I remember.

Another way to store a fruit cake for years is to wrap it in cheesecloth or tea towels which have been soaked in the same alcohol as was used in the cake, then tightly wrap it all in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and soak the cloth in alcohol again every few months and rewrap this.

You can also store fruit cake that has no alcohol in it, and can wrap it in greaseproof paper and keep it in a tin or cardboard cake box for a number of years. This won't last as long as one with alcohol in it though, as the alcohol helps the preservation process.

The best type of fruit cake to store is the one you have made yourself.

http://www.herbs-treatandtaste.blogspot.com/
If you enjoyed this article why not visit this site and find different recipes, and information about the food we eat and how plants are used for medicines.

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Old Fashion Casserole Recipes for Your Family's Table and They Are Economical, Too

Sometimes I find that the best recipes are the old ones. So I have pulled a collection of casserole recipes from my old-fashion recipe collection. These old time recipes are tasty, easy, and economical. And in today's economic climate, most of our families are looking for economical ways to put meals on the table. Why not add these dishes to your family's table: Gourmet Potatoes with Sausage, Hamburger-Zucchini Casserole, or Cornbread Pie.

GOURMET POTATOES WITH SAUSAGE
6 medium potatoes
1/4 cup butter + 2 tbsp
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion, including tops
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb smoked sausage

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a 2-quart casserole dish.

Place the potatoes, unpeeled, in a large saucepan; cover with water and cook until fork tender. Drain water and allow potatoes to cool. Peel the potatoes and shred coarsely. Over low heat, in another saucepan, combine the cheese and the 1/4 cup butter and stir until almost melted. Remove from the heat and blend in the sour cream, onion, salt and pepper. Fold in the potatoes. Turn the mixture into the casserole dish. Dot the potato mixture with the 2 tablespoons of butter and sprinkle with the paprika.

Slice the sausage into about 1/2-inch pieces and fry to remove the grease and drain on paper towels. Place over the top of the casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Leave casserole uncovered.

HAMBURGER ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE
1 lb hamburger
1 medium onion
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 cup water
1 small zucchini, chopped
salt and pepper (as desired)
garlic or chili powder (optional)
1/2 stick butter
4 to 5 slices day old bread, crumbled

Brown hamburger and onion; drain. Add tomatoes, water, salt, pepper, and garlic or chili powder if using; mix together well. Stir in the zucchini. Cook on low for about a half hour or until the liquid is absorbed.

Pour the mixture into a buttered casserole dish. Mix the bread crumbs with the butter and sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Brown under the broiler for about 6 minutes or until golden brown but be careful not to burn.

CORNBREAD PIE
Combine in a skillet:
1 lb hamburger
1 large onion, chopped
Brown well and add:
1 can tomato soup (10 1/2-oz)
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 can (12-oz) whole kernel corn
1/4 cup chopped green pepper

Mix well and let simmer 15 minutes. Turn into greased casserole or baking dish. Top with cornbread. Bake in moderate oven, 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

CORNBREAD TOPPING:
Stir together:
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

ADD:
1 egg, well beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbs. bacon drippings

Pour onto the beef mixture. Do not worry if this topping sinks during baking. It will rise again and look crispy.

For more of Linda's old-fashion recipe collection visit her blog at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com/
For more of her recipes and diabetic information visit http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com/

http://EzineArticles.com/6483308

Easy Cheesecake - Help To Keep Your Next Easy Cheesecake From Being A Disaster

When you baked your last cheesecake... was it all cracked on the top? How about lumps, did it contain a good deal more lumps than the usual room full of camels? I have got some remedies for everyone! Baking can be a precise craft where there are a few things which can help you bake a very good easy cheesecake at home!

Pans, pans, pans

You may ask, what type of pan do you make use of to make a cheesecake? Well, generally, cheesecakes are baked in a spring form pan. The typical size spring form pan is 9 inches around. This kind of pan has a couple of parts. It has a round base piece and a circular piece with a hook-like closure which allows the round bottom piece to nestle into its bottom groove.

You may also make a rectangle-shaped cheesecake and use a 9x13 pan for baking.

Crust or not to crust

Have you ever tried a cheesecake without using a crust? It is actually very good. Someone gave me an original New Your style cheesecake recipe many years ago. It was handed down through several generations (who came over to the US from Italy). The recipe doesn't require a crust. It is possible to exclude the crust from any cheesecake recipe, in case you want. (Except of course, from a no-bake cheesecake recipe. But, here, we are discussing the baked style of dessert)

I enjoy a good quality crust. You are able to pick a basic crust including things like graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar. Also you can get creative and try Nilla wafers, gingersnaps, chocolate or even chocolate chip cookies (the crunchy kind) or chocolate graham crumbs in the place of the standard graham crumbs.

The Cheese

You may ask what kind of cream cheese can I use in my easy cheesecake recipe. My estimation is to use the full fat, full flavor cream cheese. I've attempted low fat cream cheese in doing my cheesecake and it really took from that creamy taste and rich flavor.

Note to self: If your recipe calls for a full fat ingredient, stick with it.

Earthquake!

Alright, why do you have a fault line down the center of your cheesecake? Several problems might cause this. First, over beating the batter may cause cracks in the dessert. Incorrect oven temperature can cause it too. But, when it comes down to it, cheesecakes are vulnerable cakes and often crack. There is also a way for helping your cake stay in one piece. You can put the pan that contains your unbaked cake, inside another pan that contains about 1 inch of water, while the cake bakes. We call this a "water bath".

Lumps, lumps and more lumps

Why is my cake so lumpy? Well, was your cheese at room temperature before you began to mix it? If it was not, that is likely the cause of your lumps. Make sure you get started preparing your cheese after it is at room temperature. And be sure you beat it enough, as to remove the lumps.

Be certain never to over mix your ingredients, though. Over mixing may cause the easy cheesecake to sink in the middle!

I am all set to eat

I know, I know, you wish to immediately indulge in your cheesecake the moment it emerges from the warm oven. NO! Don't do it! Hold yourself back. Your cheesecake may break apart when you remove it from the pan prematurely. Plus, a cheesecake always tastes much better the following day, after it has sat in the refrigerator overnight. If you do not have the time to wait that long, let it sit in the fridge at LEAST 4 hours before cutting into your easy cheesecake.

Who would like to have our own FREE recipe book full of easy cheesecake recipes? Just head over to EasyCheesecakeInfo.com to pick up your Free copy. While you are there, take a look at the recipes and videos posted on http://www.easycheesecakeinfo.com/

http://EzineArticles.com/6513059

How to Make An Easy Cream of Potato Soup

Why use a mix when it's easy to make fresh, tasty potato soup yourself? The salty bacon compliments the sweetness of the sauteed onions. Wrap it up all together with a little heavy cream and lots of potatoes. The trick is to mash some of the potatoes and leave some in chunks. Decrease the fat by substituting turkey bacon for regular bacon and skim milk for the cream. Because you're browning the onions in the bacon fat the soup will not be pure white but take on a beige color from the bacon and lots of flavor.

Cut three slices of low sodium bacon into one inch slices. Fry until the bacon browns. If you're on a low fat diet, drain the fat. Or use turkey bacon instead. Chop one medium onion into 1/2 inch cubes. Chop two slices of celery into 1/2 inch cubes. Sautee the veggies over medium heat until they're soft. That should take, maybe five minutes. Keep an eye on them. Onion contains sugar and they'll burn quickly at too high a heat.

Add one quart of low sodium chicken broth, or 4 cubes of low/no sodium chicken bouillon cubes and four cups of water. Let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes. No, we haven't forgotten about the potatoes.

Peel three medium to large potatoes and chop into 1/2 cubes. Add the potatoes to the soup and let simmer on low heat another 10 minutes. The potatoes should be soft and easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove about a cup of the potatoes and mash with a fork. Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of cream. If you're on a low fat diet add 1 cup of skim milk with 1 tablespoon of flour. Stir the flour into the milk, add the mashed potatoes and then add back to the soup.

Bring up to a boil. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. The flour will continue cooking as the soup cools.
Serve with a fresh fruit salad.

Leftovers are great the next day. If you don't have quite enough soup left, add 1- 2 cups more chicken broth, 1 cup of frozen corn, and one cup of little cooked shrimp.

It's easy to vary the potato soup by adding a few different ingredients. Add clams for clam chowder. Smoked sausage goes nicely with the potatoes. Or try chopped leeks and dill and leave out the bacon. Add chicken and peas and chopped parsley.

Make up a double batch and freeze half for another night's supper.

Dee Power is the author of several nonfiction books. Her hobbies include gardening and cooking healthy dinner recipes, and sharing her grilling tips. She lives with an Irish Setter and an English Springer Spaniel.

http://EzineArticles.com/6468513

Pumpkins Aren't Just for Jack-O-Lanterns! Try These Delicious Pumpkin Recipes

As we approach Fall, my mind turns to the beautiful Southern Indiana Falls of my childhood. The leaves, especially on the maple trees were such a myriad of colors, the fields held scrarecrows and fodder shocks. Hay bales and colorful pumpkins were everywhere. But one of the best parts of Fall were the delicious desserts when we cooked up those pumpkins. Not only do you get some good pulp out of the pumpkin, the seeds are delicious, too. This first recipe combines those tasty seeds with walnuts and almonds for a tasty baked cluster. The second recipe makes a delicious layered dessert.

PUMPKIN SEED NUT CLUSTERS
1 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds
1 cup walnuts, broken into pieces
1 cup plain slivered almonds
3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease a couple of baking sheets; set aside.

Spread the pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and almonds out on a large cookie sheet with sides or a 10 x 15-inch baking pan. Toast in oven at 325 degrees 10 to 15 minutes until golden; cool.

While seeds/nuts cool, beat the egg whites in a large mixer bowl until soft peaks form (soft peaks will curl over rather than stand stiff). Gradually add half the sugar, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form.

Stir together the other half of the sugar, the flour and the salt. Gently fold this mixture into the stiff egg whites. Fold in the toasted seeds and nuts mixture. Drop the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets by rounded teaspoonsful. Bake at 325 degrees 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheets for a couple of minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: 48 clusters

PUMPKIN SPICE DESSERT
1 cup biscuit and baking mix
1/2 cup quick cook oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup stick butter
1 can (16-oz) solid pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 can (13-oz) evaporated milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp stick butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl cut together the biscuit and baking mix, oats, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup butter until crumbly. Press the mixture onto the bottom of a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium mixing bowl beat the pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves together until well mixed. Pour pumpkin mixture over the baked mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl mix the chopped nuts, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons butter together until crumbly. Sprinkle the mixture over the pumpkin layer. Bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely before cutting to serve.

Note: Great served with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's dessert recipes visit her blog at http://ladybugssweettreats.blogspot.com/.

For her diabetic information and recipes visit her at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com/.

http://EzineArticles.com/6508400

Kashmiri Food Delight In Delhi

Kashmiri cuisine is known as Kashur Khyon in Kashmiri. This cuisine has the history of many hundred years. There have been many influences to this cuisine from different areas. The first major influence was from the food of the Kashmiri Pandits. The Timur who invaded Kashmir had also influenced the cuisine greatly. Mutton is the major and notable ingredient found in all Kashmiri foods. There are over 30 varieties of Mutton items. The Balti curries which came from the Baltistan region of Pakistan administered region of Kashmir are yet another popular items that are available. There are many restaurants in Delhi region that serve delicious and exotic Kashmiri food.

Chor Bizarre: This is a famous restaurant Delhi, India which mainly served North Indian and Kashmiri cuisines. In North Indian and Kashmiri cuisines is importantly noted that no two things are similar in anyways. Even the type of plates used for serving is entirely different from each other. There is a great salad bar inside this restaurant. This is a Rolls Royce car. The chaat bar is an Old Fiat and one of the tables used ere for serving is a reconstructed bed of the Maharajas. Wazwan, Kashmiri feast with 36 courses, batter fried lotus stems and Goshtaba are the highlights of this restaurant.

Coriander Leaf: Kashmiri food and Mughlai food are mainly served here. They also serve items from the Pakistani, Delhi, Lucknow and Hyderabadi cuisines. In the whole of India, this is one of the best places to have really spicy Mughlai food. We actually feel the taste of Pan India Muslim taste in the food served here. Nihari, Halim Lasooni Palak ke Kofta, Peshwari Kabab and Surkh Murg are the highlights of the place.

Kashmiri Wazwan: This is one of the best restaurants Delhi, wherein authentic, delicious and ambient regional cuisine that is even perfect to fit the Kings at Kashmiri Wazwan can be experienced. Kashmiri cuisine does not have any other similar cuisines in India. As far as the taste and variety is considered the food is really rich. A number of more than 30 Kashmiri dishes are served here at a time all which is listed in the menu. The interior décor done here is so great that it is infused with real Kashmiri accents. The service available here is also great and prompt. Goshtaba, Rista, Tabak Maas with Biryani are all the highlights of the restaurant.

Kashmiri Kitchen: This is one of the famous Kashmiri restaurants in South Delhi. This restaurant is located in the Malviya Nagar of New Delhi. Home delivery is also available for a minimum order of Rs 600. The restaurant is open from 10 in the morning till 10 in the evening. This is a non-veg restaurant where the food and the ambience ratings are really high. Zafrani Kokur, Tabak Maaz and different types of kababs are the general highlights. In the menu there is a separate section seen for special Kashmiri dishes for which prior order is to be given at least before 12 hours and he minimum order should be at least for Rs 1000.

To know more visit http://justeat.in/delhi

Just Eat provides home delivery services and table reservations through online. Find restaurants in South Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and ten other cities in India through Justeat, India's leading online food ordering service. To know more visit http://justeat.in/delhi

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How To Make Gazpacho Soup

Some like it hot some like it cold, well actually only the idiots like it hot as Gazpacho soup should be served cold, if not slightly chilled, as it is a great refresher on a cold Summers day.

It is a very simple recipe an only takes a few minutes to prepare. The basic ingredients you will need are as follows: -

1kg of Ripe Tomatoes - Peeled, deseeded and chopped into small chunks

½ A Cucumber - Peeled, deseeded and chopped

1 Green Pepper - Peeled, deseeded and chopped

4oz of fresh bread with the crusts cut off

1 small onion - Roughly chopped

1 garlic clove - Chopped or presses in a Garlic presser

1 Tablespoon of white wine vinegar

4 fluid ounces of Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste as required

4-6 Ice cubes, ideally crushed

Basil sprigs as garnish

So now you have assembled all of the ingredients then let us begin making the soup!

Firstly hold back a few of the tomatoes, pepper and cucumber as a garnish for the soup.

Then place all of the bread in a blender, and blend until the bread is in crumbs. Then add the rest of the tomatoes, cucumber and pepper. Blend until smooth, then add the onion, garlic, olive oil and again blend until very smooth.

The tomatoes should give the soup enough juice to make the soup into a nice liquid, but you can also add water if the soup is too thick. Often if it is too thick then it down to adding too much bread into the mix. Trial and error is the key to getting it right! Then season with salt and pepper as required.

To serve the dish (Which really is best served very cold, and not hot as a few famous celebrities have sent it back to the kitchen to be heated for!) divided into four serving bowls, add the crushed ice cubes to soup and still them well in.

Then place in the fridge for 30 minutes or ideally an hour. Then when it comes to serving the gazpacho soup lightly garnish with the tomatoes, pepper and cucumber that you held back. Lightly scatter a few basil leaves on top and then serve with some fresh crusty bread (French baguettes are ideal).

So there you have it the ideal recipe for gazpacho soup. This recipe takes just minutes to prepare and is a great appetizer on a hot Summers day.

For more great recipes and advice on How To Grow Tomatoes for gazpacho soup, then find out more about How To Grow Vegetables today.

http://EzineArticles.com/6454493

How to Keep a Salad From Getting Unhealthy

While there are plenty of ways to make salad, you are going to find that there are some that aren't healthy. The problem is that people will often add certain foods into them and this can result in our bodies taking in more fat and calories than actually benefiting from the vitamins and nutrients in the actual foods that are good for us.

Keeping in mind that some of these foods are better for us than others, it is important that you look at the options that you have and come up with a great salad that is going to leave your entire family satisfied and well nourished at the same time.

Perhaps one of the best foods to add to your salad to keep it healthy will be tomatoes. These are packed with antioxidants and even lycopene which is great for the heart and as well as the male prostate. Keep in mind that if you are looking for a healthy choice, these tomatoes are best when the vine is still attached prior to serving.

Another good choice for your salad is of course going to be a carrot. These are jammed packed with beta carotene. Along with this, you are going to find that lettuce is essential and it contains Vitamins C and K as well as chlorophyll. When you add those together and throw in some onions that have been proven to help prevent atherosclerosis, you can be sure that your salad is going to remain good for you.

In this process, you can even choose to add other items as well. This will include things like spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, squash, sugar snap peas, and the list goes on, all are good additions. What you need to keep in mind is that vegetables that have been washed and prepared properly are always going to be an excellent option. If you want to add some depth to the salad, you can get your protein from sunflower seeds, peanuts, pine nuts and even walnuts.

Now, when most people are making a salad they do great up until the point of salad dressings. Since this can actually ruin the salad that you are making, you will want to be sure that you consider the basics. A good idea is always to go with a little olive oil and even to mix in some vinegar in it. If you choose to go with more common choices, make sure that they are low in bad fats and contain little to no cholesterol at all. Along with that, you are going to want to be sure that they are not filled with a bunch of preservatives either.

Along with all this, consider that meats and cheeses tend to reduce the health factors of these salads as well. If you are looking for a health meal that is quick and easy, you can do it with natural vegetables, fruits and nuts. They will fill you and give you all the nutrition that you need. Best of all, they can be prepared in a fraction of the time that it would take to make a fully fried meal.

Rick Mongiovi shares his recipe for tomato salad recipe and more appetizer recipes for salads, fillings, cheese service and more on his site at Best-Made-Appetizers.com.

http://EzineArticles.com/6468387

Quick, Easy, And Tasty Soups: Roasted Chicken, Cream Of Spinach, Meatball Vegetable Stew

I am a soup person year-round but I know some people prefer soups in the Fall and Winter. Even though it doesn't feel like Fall here in North Texas with our 40 straight days of triple-digit temperatures, I know many of you will soon be having cool weather. In honor of your cooler weather and what we hope we will see eventually, this article is all about soup. Whether you like it to be brothy, creamy, or thick (stew), we are sure to have a recipe here to please you.

ROASTED CHICKEN SOUP
2 cups roasted chicken, shredded or diced (Can buy chicken in deli)
2 tsp olive oil
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
8 cups chicken broth
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
3/4 cup curly noodles

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until they begin to brown, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the onions are tender and caramelized, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.

In a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the broth, pepper, carrots, and celery to a boil. Stir the noodles and chicken into the broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes until the pasta is tender. Stir in the onions; soup is ready to serve.

QUICK AND EASY CREAM OF SPINACH SOUP
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
dash of ground nutmeg
4 1/4 cups milk
1 pkg (10-oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and water squeezed out

In a large saucepan melt the butter; add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the onion is tender. Stir in the flour, mixing well to avoid lumps. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Gradually blend in the milk while stirring. Continue to cook, stirring, for about a minute or two until thickened. Stir in the spinach and remove from the heat.

MEATBALL VEGETABLE STEW
If you love beef stew but don't really have the time to cook the beef and make the stew, try this recipe that uses meatballs.

4 cups water
2 medium russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium carrots, cut into 3/4-inch slices
1 large onion, cut into chunks
2 tbsp beef bouillon granules
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch slices
1 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 tsp browning sauce, optional

In a large Dutch oven, bring the water to a boil. Add the russet potatoes, carrots, onion, bouillon, bay leaf, thyme, basil, salt and pepper. Return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

While the above simmers, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, and Worcestershire sauce. Shape into 1-inch balls. Add meatballs to the Dutch oven along with the sweet potatoes and zucchini. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for another 15 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the peas. Combine the flour and cold water; stir into the stew along with the browning sauce, if using. Bring to a boil and cook and stir for a couple of minutes until thickened.

Yield: 6 servings.

For more of Linda's quick and easy recipes visit her blog at http://grandmasquickfixrecipes.blogspot.com/ She also has a large collection of old fashion recipes at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com/

http://EzineArticles.com/6491371

Quick and Easy Recipes for Tasty Salads That Are Delicious! Perfect for Your Buffet Table, Too

Whether you are looking for an entree salad or a side dish salad, we have a recipe for you. Choose from the recipe for on Orange Pineapple Salad or one for a different twist on an old standby, Ham Waldorf Salad. Both are very tasty but about as different as two salads can get. Perfect for luncheons, an entree salad or a side dish, both would add a great touch to a brunch or buffet table. The Ham Salad has some great variation ideas. You could replace the ham with diced or shredded chicken for a completely different taste. Want to go a little fancy? Replace the grapes with fresh pineapple chucks and serve the salad in a hollowed out half pineapple. Wouldn't that be pretty on your buffet? The Orange Pineapple Salad is a totally different yet very refreshing salad made with dry flavored gelatin, pineapple, mandarin oranges, whipped topping, and crunchy pecans. Both are quite yummy!

HAM WALDORF SALAD
2 cups cooked lean cubed ham
2 cups chopped red Delicious apples
1 cup thin sliced celery
2/3 cup seedless grapes, halved
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
3 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup Splenda granular (or sugar)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cups chopped pecans for garnish, if desired
red lettuce leaves for salad plates, if desired

Combine the ham, apples, celery, grapes, and the toasted pecans in a bowl.

In a small bowl blend together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Splenda; stir into the ham mixture. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, place lettuce leaves on 4 salad plates and top each with 1/4 of the salad mixture. Sprinkle with the pecans, if desired.

Variations:
Replace ham with chicken.
Replace the grapes with pineapple chunks and serve in a hollowed out half pineapple.

ORANGE PINEAPPLE SALAD
2 small (4-serving size)pkgs orange-pineapple gelatin
1 can (11-oz) pineapple tidbits, drained (save juice for later use or drink it)
1 can (11 3/4-oz)mandarin oranges, drained, juice discarded
1 large carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
3 cups large curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix the cottage cheese with the whipped topping. Stir in the gelatin powder to blend well. Gently fold in the drained pineapple,oranges, and pecans. Refrigerate until serving time.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's quick and easy recipes visit her blog at http://grandmasquickfixrecipes.blogspot.com/
For her diabetic diabetic recipes and information visit her at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com/

http://EzineArticles.com/6498302

Chivry Green Dressing Versus the Emerald Goddess

The Chivry group's green salad dressing is really my dad's adjustment of an old recipe from a Swiss chef friend of ours. It's really a very simple method of utilizing many of the left over scraps from the kitchen with some fresh herbs from the garden thrown in. Salad dressings need to taste good, but they also need to fit in with the overall menu to limit too many extra ingredients. Parsley stems, celery ends, onion ends are all examples of kitchen scraps incorporated in the dressing.

Not content to support the things as they are, I whipped up a similar salad dressing with some very definite alterations. I titled this offshoot of Chivry group's green dressing the somewhat humorous (in my mind anyway) title of Emerald Goddess salad dressing. Of course this recipe is merely the jumping off point because I rarely make the salad dressing the same way twice. I tend to have fun with whatever spices and herbs jump out at me.

Basil and parsley are important, but the real basis of Chivry group's green salad dressing is the onion and the garlic where the Emerald Goddess is an onion-celery twist on the recipe. I add avocado and apple cider vinegar to my dressing (and sometimes an egg if I am feeling it). Although the present recipe abstains from the using Maggi, it is probably because I didn't have a bottle in the kitchen when I was filming it.

The Chivry green dressing is not only a crowd pleaser, it is simple to make and somewhat inexpensive (the fresh herbs bump the cost up...Maggi itself is not too cheap, but a bottle lasts quite a while). The seasonality of herb driven dressings are a topic that I will shy away from right now. Let's just say that the Chivry group's green salad dressing is a late summer dressing that can be enjoyed year around if you don't mind purchasing basil and parsley in the off months.

The only real curve ball with the Chivry group's dressing is Maggi. Maggi is a Swiss wheat sauce, similar to soy sauce, that can be purchased at German markets or sometimes can be found at a local Cash & Carry. Although a worthwhile seasoning to have in the kitchen, it is not an imperative ingredient for the Chivry group's green salad dressing. Sample the dressings yourself and decide which is your favorite.

Cheers!

D.G. Miller created http://duckspoon.com/ as a vehicle to both capture his family's favorite recipes as well as teach folks how to cook beautiful food from scratch. Duckspoon is a user generated website created in the hopes of sharing family recipes and bringing people together.

http://EzineArticles.com/6352069

Making Your Own Homemade Pasta

When it comes to making your own homemade pasta, having the right pasta machine is essential. Pasta makers come in all different shapes and sizes and can be manual or automatic. The manual pasta makers are the authentic, original machines. Now of days they are making electric pasta machines, which takes a little away from how authentic the hole process is.

When looking for the right machine for your home and restaurant, which one is right for you? Whether your getting one for your home, or for a restaurant, will pretty much be the biggest decision you'll have to make. If your getting one for your home, the machine will only need to be small, just big enough to make enough pasta for your family, or a small group of people.

If you own a restaurant and want a highly efficient pasta maker, then getting a bigger, faster, or maybe even an electric pasta machine would be a good idea. When dealing with a restaurant, the speed, amount made, and quality is the key to success.

There are many pasta cutters out there that work fantastic, and will get the trick done. But then there's ones that are high in quality, and will last you forever. When it comes to deciding on the right one to purchase, take quality, durability, and efficiency into consideration. I like to read reviews on the machines before I purchase one. Seeing what other buyers have to say is very helpful when making a decision on purchasing something.

If your thinking about getting into making your own homemade noodles for your pasta, then getting a pasta machine is the right idea. Go out and grab a nice, affordable, quality pasta machine for your home or restaurant, you wont regret it!

Getting a pasta maker was a great decision for my household. My grandmother just moved in and loves to cook just as much, if not more than my mother. My family is from Italy and we love a good sauce. Every Sunday we break out all the ingredients, the pasta makers, and everything we need to make our homemade pasta.

My friends come over every once in a while and say my mother has the best sauce out there! And to top it off the noodles are homemade right in my kitchen from our new pasta cutter. When it comes to a good homemade pasta, nothing beats the homemade noodles, with the homemade sauce and meatballs to go with it. Little bit of Parmesan cheese, and your ready to go!

http://EzineArticles.com/6473889

The Essence of Traditional Pie and Mash

What is the essence of traditional pie and mash? This very British dish started life in London over 150 years ago and was the staple diet of many poor London workers during the 19th Century. The savoury pies were made with cheap cuts of meat after the Thames failed to support the eel population, these eels were the original filling for the pies as they were plentiful and cheap. But the pies were baked and sold within the city of London, so they were fresh, cheap and hot. They were also a filling meal which kept these manual workers going during a hard days work.

Out of these times evolved the pie and mash shops that so many of us Londoners are familiar with. The more successful pie street traders obtained their own premises and grew their business through the quality of their food. The shops had very simple decor and an even simpler menu. But the very essence of these shops were that they provided a quick, hot meal at a value for money price without the frills. And all this offered with a smile and a joke from the people who owned and worked in these shops. They were mainly for the working classes but who could resist such a cheap and wholesome meal?

Every shop has the same basic menu but the food is always very slightly different. This is because the pies are made fresh and cooked on the premises so each shop has their own family recipe for the pies and the liquor. The liquor was originally based on the stock left over from cooking the eels which was thickened to make a gravy sauce with added parsley. It's green colour can put some newcomers off but the taste is quite bland. A splash of vinegar is all that's needed to liven it up.

Pie and mash is still incredibly popular all over London and the UK. Many establishments have chosen to sell upmarket premium pies with lovely buttery herb mash and a price tag to match. Whilst this can still be a delicious meal, the true pie and mash eating houses stay close to the foods roots. They serve traditionally made pies, they bake fresh on the premises and they serve quickly at a great price. Pie mash and liquor was the original fast food, before burgers had even been invented. By supporting your local pie and mash shop or restaurant this traditional dish can live on for many more years.

Sean Horton is a Director of Goddard's Pies Limited who have been making pie and mash since 1890.

http://EzineArticles.com/6467536

How to Create a Summer Fruit Salad

When the weather gets hot, no one wants to heat up the oven. Summer fruit salads are a good way to stay cool, healthy and nourished just when you need it most. Here are some ideas on how to create the perfect salad for you.

Fruit Salads for Lunch

Fruit salads are not necessarily like traditional salads but they can be just as filling. It all depends on the type of fruits that you include in your creation.

Fiber is your friend. There are several summer fruits that contain a boatload of fiber. As you know fiber fills you up and also helps to flush fat from your digestive system. To boost your intake, include fruits like apples, pears, berries, guava and kiwi. All would make a nice addition to your salad.

Try sweet summer fruits. Many types have natural sweetness that can satisfy even the pickiest sweet tooth. These can be your base for your salad. Suggestions: peaches, nectarines, watermelon and strawberries.

Have you heard the adage, "Too much of a good thing..."? That applies to fruit as well. So you get the sweet taste but not too syrupy especially for a meal, add some tangy citrus fruit to your salad. Suggestions: oranges, pineapples, tangerines, lemons and limes.

Some fruits can turn brown quite easily when exposed to air. Your creation might lose its appeal if the flesh looks mottled when it comes time to eat it. Try tossing your fruit with lemon juice to keep it from going brown after being cut.

To put your summer fruit lunch salad together, start with your favorite greenery. Some use lettuce leaves or kale or turnip greens. This keeps the juice with the fruit so it stays juicy from the time you serve it up until the last bite.

Cut the chosen fruit into cubes. Some fruits can be sliced with the skin on for better nutrition. Toss your fruit with a citrus juice to keep it fresh. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Fruit Salad for Dessert

Fruit doesn't have to be eaten as is for dessert. Liven things up a bit so that everyone will want more. Start with a lunch fruit salad and add a dressing. This is not your vegetable salad dressing. Think sweet and tangy and delicious.

Here are some ideas for toppings and dressings for your summer fruit salad:

• Yogurt and orange juice

• Brown sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, vanilla extract

• Sugar, cream cheese, lemon juice

• Yogurt and honey

Dressings can be served on the side or poured over the fruit salad. Toppings with brown sugar can be boiled to create syrup. Toss it with the fruit. Either way, you create a tasty dessert for a hot summer night. Beware of the extra calories you are adding too.

Want an alternative to a heavy meal this summer? Try a summer fruit salad for lunch and/or dessert.

I also invite you to check out our summer cooking tips which offers great advice on keeping your kitchen cool during the hot months.

http://EzineArticles.com/6488485

Hungarian Jam-Filled Sweet Rolls - Magyar Lekvaros Bukta

Lekváros Bukta - or Hungarian Jam-Filled Sweet Rolls are in fashion again! This is a real Hungarian specialty. Bukta are oven-baked dumplings, made from a sweet yeast dough, sometimes served plain, but more often than not, filled with thick jam preserves. Bukta are a rather highly esteemed sweet dessert and traditionally, are prepared all year round and available in countless variations with infinite possibilities for fillings. They are baked in a large pan so that they stick together.

This recipe has always been a favourite of mine, since the three Czegeny girls were little girls and allowed to help in the kitchen with cooking and baking in my mother's Hungarian kitchen. The treat in our lunchboxes was always a special surprise as well. This recipe is especially old and secret family one. My mom filled them with thick plum preserves (Lekvar) or apricot preserves or ground walnuts, ground poppy seeds and even farmer's cottage cheese - Túró. The most popular filling appears to be the thick plum or apricot jams. Bukta are topped with powdered sugar or eaten plain and warm, but it get's better, enjoy them with piping-hot vanilla home-made Devon custard.

This sweet delight is pronounced, "buukta" and oddly enough, the name means to "spill or fall out - haphazardly". When the rolls are just out of the oven, they are flipped or spilled out from the baking sheet onto a pastry board. Letting them spill out means "Ki-bukni" They are enjoyed straight from the oven, when they are as fluffy as a baby goose down pillow. Some like it cold, or in my case, frozen. (left-overs get hidden in the freezer and rescued on occasion- the dentist is none too thrilled with the concept)

Originally, Buchteln were a Bohemian sweet dish. However, in the course of time they have become part of the traditional Austrian-Bavarian cuisine. Although we would like to claim them as truly Hungarian, and as is true of many of our Hungarian desserts which have their roots in Austrian dishes - we find that those Austrian roots go back to Bohemian roots (regions of the Czech Republic). These rolls in Slovenian are called buhteljni and in Czech - they are called buchty. The Polish also have something similar. And having said that, although considered home-dessert fair, one of the most famous Austrian Buchteln are served in the Café Hawelka in Vienna. (Ref - Wikipedia)

Although many traditional recipes for Bukta use a bready dough, my mother - Chef Helen Szabo uses a basic sweet dough prepared from sour cream. This versatile and very forgiving and workable sweet dough recipe is soft and silky and can be used for Cinnamon Buns and Braided Raisin Bread and of course - this special treat that I am sure you will enjoy -Bukta.

Yeast Proofing

2 Packets Active Dry Yeast
½ cup milk (lukewarm)
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp flour

Basic Sweet Dough

4 cups flour
4 egg yolks
½ cup milk (lukewarm)
1 cup sour cream
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1 stick sweet butter
½ tsp salt

Fillings

Ground Walnuts
Ground Poppy Seeds
Apricot jam
Plum jam
Cottage Cheese (Farmers style)

Extra Ingredients

1 stick sweet butter, melted (for brushing)
1 egg, beaten (brushing) (or whole milk)
Castor or icing sugar (for dusting)

(Yield between 26-32 rolls)

DIRECTIONS: In a medium bowl, combine yeast, sugar and lukewarm milk. Sprinkle with flour and let proof (about 20 minutes). Blend all other ingredients together, and then add yeast and remaining milk to form a soft dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume (about 45-60 min)

Remove dough from bowl and roll out onto floured surface to 2.2" thick. With a pizza roll cutter, cut dough into 2.5" X 2.5" squares (or smaller if you prefer) and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Place jam or preferred filling into a Ziploc bag so you can pipe it right onto the squares. Cut off plastic end and squeeze out about 1 tablespoon's worth onto each piece. Alternately you can use 2 spoons to fill each square. When complete, brush parchment sheet with melted butter. Roll up the dough rolls and then place them rather snugly in rows onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

When complete, generously brush rolls with melted butter so they won't stick together. Cover and let sweet rolls rise for another 30 minutes until almost doubled in size. Finally, brush with beaten egg to create a light golden shiny crust. Bake in a pre-heated at 350oF for 25-35 minutes or until golden. Remove immediately from oven. Let rest for about 5 minutes - then flip out onto a cutting board. Place sweet rolls onto a plate and dust immediately with icing sugar and serve piping hot. For a special dessert -serve with hot Devon Vanilla Custard below.

Devon Vanilla Custard

½ cup cream
¼ cup milk
1 vanilla bean
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch

Bring milk, cream, sugar and vanilla bean to boil. Add starch. Whisk well sauce thickens. Beat with a whisk for about 5 minutes. Serve hot over Bukta!

For more "Secrets of Hungarian Cooking" - please visit our website to own your own copy of the famous Helen's Hungarian Heritage Recipes - by Clara Margaret Czegeny and Chef Helen Szabo-Czegeny.

Treat yourself to a new style of eating. Simple, flavourful, fresh ingredients and absolutely delightful.

Clara M. Czegeny is self-proclaimed Hot Hungarian Chef and Author of Helen's Hungarian Heritage Recipes Cookbook. For free recipes and more on Hungarian food and heritage and traditions, visit http://www.helenshungarianrecipes.com/.

http://EzineArticles.com/6486773

Fall = Apples = Delicious Treat Recipes

Fall and apples just seem to go together even though we do enjoy apples year-round. When you pass the Farmer's Market, notice the beautiful display of apples in your grocery store, etc, pick up a bag and head home to these yummy recipes and bake up a real treat for your family and/or friends. Choose from Apple Date Dumplings with a Caramel Date Fluff Topping or an Apple Custard Pie, if you must. But I say, "Why not just try them both?"

APPLE DATE DUMPLINGS
6 apples, pared and cored
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped dates
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp chopped nuts
1 egg
1 tbsp milk
Pastry for 2-crust pie

Roll pastry into two 14-inch circles. Cut each circle into three equal wedges. Place one apple on each wedge.

In a bowl combine the brown sugar, dates, cinnamon, nuts; fill the cored apple centers with this mixture. Moisten the edges of the pastry wedges and fold over the apples, sealing and pricking tops over the filling. Place dumplings in an ungreased baking dish. Blend the egg and milk together and brush over the pastry. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until apples are cooked. Make the following topping and serve over the dumplings.

TOPPING (Caramel Date Fluff):

1 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped dates

Beat the whipping cream with the brown sugar and vanilla until stiff. Fold in the chopped dates. Serve over the dumplings.

APPLE CUSTARD PIE
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1 9-inch pie shell, unbaked
2 tbsp chopped walnuts, optional

In a medium bowl combine the sugar and corn starch; whisk in the eggs. Stir in the butter, corn syrup, and vanilla extract. Fold in half the apple slices. Pour into the prepared pie shell.

Place the remaining in an overlapping circle design on top of the pie. Sprinkle with the chopped walnuts, if using.

Bake the pie at 375 degrees for 50 minutes or until the center of the pie is set. Cool completely on a wire rack.

If using a frozen pie shell, do not thaw. Place pie in a preheated oven on a preheated cookie sheet and bake as above.

Yield: 8 servings

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's dessert recipes visit her blog at http://ladybugssweettreats.blogspot.com/ For her diabetic information and dessert recipes visit her at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com/

http://EzineArticles.com/6506313

Appreciating the Different Types of Chocolate

There's probably no one in this world who has never loved chocolate at any point in their lives. Children are particularly fond of it because it rich, sweet taste, while adults may take a fancy to its romantic appeal. This type of sweets has been a particular favorite of guys wooing gals, while for others, it even serves as an aphrodisiac. Regardless of the reasons, here's a rundown of the different types of chocolate that we can all enjoy:

Dark Chocolate and Sweet Dark Chocolate

The Dark one, also known as plan or black chocolate, contains no milk solids and only cocoa (70-80%) with the addition of fat, sugar and a lecitihin emulsifier. A sweeter version of it is sweet dark chocolate which usually has 20-40% cocoa content. Of all types of chocolate, these two have the most health benefits, including improving heart functions, fighting cancer through antioxidants, and more.

Unsweetened / Bittersweet / Semi-sweet Chocolate

Unsweetened and bittersweet are often used interchangeably, but one difference between them is that unsweetened chocolate is made primarily of ground cocoa beans for baking purposes and cannot be eaten on its own. Bittersweet, on the other hand, contains chocolate liquor, sugar, fat, vanilla and lecithin. In general, both are called couverture chocolates which have, at least 32 % cocoa content. Semi-sweet, on the other hand, has 30-40-% cocoa solids and emulsifiers and lies halfway between sweet dark chocolate and bittersweet chocolate.

Milk / White Chocolate

Milk or white chocolate is made from chocolate with dry milk solids and cocoa butter, light in color, tastes more like milk instead of chocolate and can be very sweet. Of the different types of chocolate, this is the one that may come as both a drink or as a solid candy without any pronounced good taste. Milk chocolate is actually more recommended for kids than the darker types because it is made primarily of milk, which has high calcium content that kids need for bone development.

Gianduja Chocolate

Gianduja chocolate is sweet and made primarily from nut paste (usually hazelnut or almonds), cocoa solids and sugar. It can come in dark or milk chocolate varieties, as a flavoring or as an alternative to milk or dark ones. Modern confectioners may also use the term Gianduja for any sweets that comes as a combination of nuts, chocolate and sugar. Gianduja chocolate got its name from a Giandija carnival and marionette character who represents an archetypal from an Italian region where many hazelnut confectioneries could be found.

Compound Chocolate

Compound chocolate has cocoa and vegetable fat as main ingredients, instead of cocoa butter. Of all the different types of chocolate, this one may not even be technically sold as chocolate, but it is a very common coating for different types of sweets.

Chocolate is undoubtedly one of the world's most beloved foods, and whatever the reasons we have for loving it, we know there's a rich variety out there for us to enjoy.

http://goarticles.com/article/Appreciating-the-Different-Types-of-Chocolate/5178366/

Numerous Purchasing Suggestions About Choosing Gourmet Meals By Firms That Focus On Healthy Meal Deliveries

If you are a man-on-the-go and do not have skills for cooking as well as the time to cook your own meals, but would like to maintain a healthy shape, home delivered meals can offer you exactly what you want. The wonderful thing about these meals is that you simply get to eat healthy meals without stressing about preparation and menu planning. You enjoy your meals right at the convenience of your own home, which allows these prepared diet meals to be more reliable than other diet plans.

These diet meals are guaranteed to offer you an excellent and healthy diet. If you've tried a lot of diet plans previously you can relate with the hassle of checking all of the calories on your meals, to the regular diet dairies you record, and also to the difficulty of inspiring oneself to control your own diet. With home delivered meals, the calories of the meals that are provided are carefully calculated, so that you can get the look that you want the healthy way. No more diet diaries because everything has been ready even before you get started with your regular diet, and meals are of sufficient servings and taste to keep you motivated.

There is even more to Meal delivery services. They give you the option to change your menu weekly, making you anticipate to a diverse diet adventure. Extensive options are available to you, and you can personally ask to have any of your favorite foods. Nonetheless, these meals continue to be approved well before delivery by the nutritionists to suit your diet specifications.

In addition, you have more liberty with your diet delivery services. You could decide to have your meals served to you daily or opt to have them brought to you in a bundle. Getting them delivered on a particular hour, let's say at lunch time or dinner time is yet another favorable option. If you have an allergy problem on a particular food ingredient, rest assured, they will customize the meals for you.

If you are conscious about the sanitation of the way the meals are prepared, you don't have to worry. The meal is handled with proper care and attention the same as how the meals are prepared at home. Meals are assured to be clean and fresh, away from risks of food poisoning and contamination.

Furthermore, diet meals previously have no flavor. Now, with meal delivery services, you get to savor delicious diet meals, guilt free. Chefs these days have created healthier ways to make these meals more flavorful, making you even more inspired maintaining your diet without starving yourself with bland and sloppy meals. The method is called Sous Vide technique, that cooks meals within controlled heat and seals them in vacuum packaged bags. This seals all of the juicy tastes of each meal full of natural vitamins and nutrients.

Apart from having these meals delivered directly at your doorstep, they will also help you save time and money. You will not have to sit for hours and plan of your daily diet menu. You do not have to worry about grocery shopping during rush hours. No more long drives to the grocery store and no more long lines to get by.

Delivered meals are also reasonable and as low as $3 per serving. For a gourmet diet meal, this is definitely worth it when compared with all the complications of cooking one. You can get diet meals from breakfast up until supper, which are of generous servings, for almost $15 per day. Multiply that for seven days makes it roughly about a hundred dollars of total cost and savings of more. This is definitely not bad for eating healthy meals, losing weight quickly, enjoying them conveniently at your home, and save you time.

Indeed, meal delivery makes life easier as well as getting a healthy fit you.

Read more about buying Gourmet Meals and having chef prepared Meal Deliveries mailed to your home. Additionally, you will get significant Discount Codes and free shipping offers that will help you spend less on your purchases.

http://goarticles.com/article/Numerous-Purchasing-Suggestions-About-Choosing-Gourmet-Meals-By-Firms-That-Focus-On-Healthy-Meal-Deliveries/5175616/

Trendy And Comfortable Coffee Cups: To Make The Beverages Sip More Pleasurable

Beverages and hot drinks seem tastier if served and sipped in stylish coffee cup or mug. Shelves of departmental or crockery stores are well occupied with variety of beverages cups. Traditionally, hot beverages cups and mugs are made of ceramic and glass but nowadays we have become more aesthetic appeal conscious; therefore, these are being made in different materials including Polystone, aluminum, bronze, stainless steel and ABS etc. Designer coffee mugs in the racks near the dining table or in the kitchen have become the reflective mirror of living style for the visitors. The use of these cups and mugs is not limited only to homes, even in offices these are being used to impress the visitors.

Domestic purpose coffee cups are made of first grade ceramics. Coffee mugs especially designed for outdoor areas or probable rough use are made from edible grade steel. These cups and mugs can withstand mechanical pressures that come because of packaging or falling. The insulated mugs are also being used extensively. These are the favorites to frequent travelers because of their high insulating capacity. The beverages in double wall coffee cup remain hot or chilled for longer time. The vacuum created between both the walls makes them better choice for the people who want elongate sipping moments.

If you want to enjoy the favorite beverage while driving keeping your coffee cup in the cup stand at dashboard, get the one with spill proof lid. Such cups and mugs have a sprout for sipping. Some designs allow to use straw. The lid can be pressed type or thread type. The premium brands offer oven and dishwashers friendly cups also. Some brands offer special range for drive time. These cups and mugs eliminate many practical problems we generally face at the time of driving. These are designed with broader base and more height. The base is designed according to the size of standard cup holders.

The specially designed coffee cups are being as business gifts also. These have high utility potential for every recipient. Double-wall insulated Mugs are more popular for this purpose. These are available in variety of sizes; however, 18 ounces size is most preferred one. These are available in different themes also. So, selection can be done on the basis of nature of products and services being rendered. Fire Engine Red, Purple Metallic, Pearlescent Blue, Satin Metallic and Champagne Metallic insulated coffee cup sets with natural theme are preferred by this class buyers because versatility of theme.

James J. Steve is writing the articles for coffeecakes. It offers gourmet gifts that include our best selling gourmet best coffee cake, whiskey fruit cake, fruit cake, coffee cup, tea cups, travel mugs, stollen cakes and much more.

http://goarticles.com/article/Trendy-And-Comfortable-Coffee-Cups-To-Make-The-Beverages-Sip-More-Pleasurable/5176361/

Quick and Easy Ways With Pasta: Linguine Carbanara, Noodles Romanoff, and Spinach Pesto

When you are in a hurry to prepare a hearty meal for family and/or friends, grab a box of pasta and get to work. Pasta is quick, easy, and almost everyone loves it. These recipes are for the busy cook who still wants to serve tasty, nutritious meals. The Noodles Romanoff is as easy as it gets! The Linguine Carbonara and the Spinach Pesto Pasta offer a variety sure to suit your family. Add a quick salad or steamed broccoli, some whole-grain bread, quick dessert if you desire, and you have a meal.

Quick and Easy Noodles Romanoff
8-oz pkg egg noodles
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles well and return to the pan. Add the sour cream and Parmesan cheese. Toss noodles lightly to coat with the sour cream and cheese. Serve immediately while still hot.

Yield: 4 servings

LINGUINE PASTA CARBONARA
8 oz linguine
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Cook linguine as directed on the package. Drain but do not rinse; return to the pan. Whisk together the eggs, butter, and milk; toss with the linguine. Add the remaining ingredients and heat thoroughly, stirring occasionally. Serve sprinkled with additional cheese, if desired.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

SPINACH PESTO OVER PASTA
6 bacon slices
10 oz pkg spaghetti or fettucini noodles
1 pkg (10-oz) frozen chopped spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
dash of fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet cook the bacon until crisp. Drain the grease off bacon but save 2 tablespoons of the drippings*. Crumble the bacon and set aside.

Cook the spaghetti or fettucini as directed on package.

While the pasta is cooking, cook the spinach according to package directions in a medium saucepan. Place the undrained spinach, reserved bacon drippings, garlic, and pepper in a blender or food processor. Cover and process until smooth. Add the undrained cottage cheese, replace cover and blend until smooth.

Arrange the pasta on a large serving platter. Pour the spinach pesto over the pasta; toss to mix well. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon and the Parmesan cheese over the top before serving. Serve immediately.

*For a healthier dish, substitute olive oil for the bacon drippings.
(Note: What a great way to get your picky eaters to eat spinach.)

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's quick and easy recipes visit her blog at http://grandmasquickfixrecipes.blogspot.com/
For her diabetic information and recipes visit her at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com/

http://EzineArticles.com/6462149

The History of Cake Very Informative

Inhabitants all over the globe eat cake. There are never-ending numbers of recipes for all kinds of cakes linking all kinds of flavors and more are created on a daily basis. Today, recipes for cake typically comprise flour, sugar, eggs, and butter. Milk or water and baking powder are also general ingredients. On the other hand, these ingredients have only believed ordinary for regarding the last 200 years.
Customarily, cake has been identified as a baked flour good sweetened with sugar or honey. The statement itself has Norse origins and in the long-ago cake was considered a structure of bread. Very old peoples used breads in spiritual ceremonies and would, for that reason, make the breads in a round shape which signify the cyclical natural world of life. The round form also symbolized the sun also the moon. The early Egyptians were the first civilization to bake a type of cake somewhat similar to present cake, using a sweetener. The Greeks enjoy cake with nuts in them. The Romans were a populace who used cakes as an offering for their Gods plus used cheesecake-like cakes.
The 1600's brought approximately to utilize of cake hoops or 'moulds' to bake cakes. These allowed highly designed cakes for exceptional occasions. Once Marie Antoinette said the well-known express "Let them eat cake" she was not referring to recent cake with sugar and frosting. At that time, cake referred to the oddments left in bakers pans that were typically a simple paste of flour and water. The bakers would graze the pieces out of the pans and put them outer for beggars at the end of the day.

It was in the 1800's that the French began the custom of having dessert at the end of a mealtime. This caused much concentration to be paid to sweets and other confections. Bakers began change from yeast to beaten eggs to add ascend to a cake. Beating the eggs greatly allows air to be let interested in the egg mix, which will include rise to the cake in addition.
In early America, cakes were viewed as an indication of wealth. For the period of the time of the Industrial Revolution, baking soda and baking powder were invented. This was a vast leap towards the improvement of cakes. In the past, bakers had to apply yeast or heavily beaten eggs to help out the cake rise and these methods can be hard and time consuming. With baking soda also powder, it became much easier to bake cakes in general. Ovens also mechanically improved due to additional correct temperature control.
The first frostings ever made were other like icings and somewhat thin. They frequently involved simply boiling sugar, egg whites, and anything flavoring was favorite. Then, this combination was poured over the cake and baked again. This procedure caused the icing mix to harden and turn into very polished.
The ability to bake a first-class cake has long been a prized skill. Housewives, in meticulous, honed this skill because it was a symbol of generosity. It was moreover in the 1900's that thicker butter cream frostings replaced icings.

http://goarticles.com/article/The-History-of-Cake-Very-Informative/5165603/

Raw Salad Recipes - With Kale

Ever since the invention of the taco salad, the definition of salad has changed from an easy preparation of raw greens to a complex mixture of vegetables and meats and edible bowls. But there's no reason why you can't make a simple raw salad recipe that is both delicious and good for you.

Kale is one of the newest stars of a raw food diet and with good reason - its dark leafy greens are full of important nutrients and anti-oxidants. Many people will tell you that kale needs to be cooked before you eat it; well, they used to say the same thing about spinach and they were wrong then and they are wrong now. There are a number of things to consider, however, that can make raw kale even tastier in your raw salad recipe:

Look for lacinto or 'dinosaur' kale - it's less bitter and has softer leavesMix together a simple dressing of oil and lemon juice or vinegar to add some flavorAlways remove the ribs and cut the leaves into small pieces when eating raw kaleSpend some time massaging and/or marinating the leaves to make them softer and easier to digest.

With kale as your starting point, you can mix in whatever other ingredients you like in your salad, and you'll be able to eat raw kale that is loaded with nutrients and tastes great. Enjoy your kale. You'll be glad did.

Simple Kale Salad
Serves 6
Make sure to finely chop or shred the kale leaves.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil2 tablespoons lemon juice1 to 2 teaspoons chili powderSalt to taste2 bunches kale, stems and tough ribs removed, leaves very finely chopped

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix oil, lemon juice, chili powder and salt with whisk. Add kale, toss to combine and serve. Let this salad sit for an hour or so to soften leaves if desired.

Simple Mediterranean Kale Salad
Ingredients:
1 large bunch kale finely chopped2 carrots shreddedpint of grape tomatoes1/2 cup soaked pinenuts1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes soaked and chopped1 red onion cut into thin ringsRaw black olivesJuice of one lemon1/4 cup cold pressed olive oilSea saltBragg's liquid aminos

Directions:
Mix all ingredients and chill in fridge overnight.

Add these kale raw salad recipes to your diet and you'll get all of the advantages of kale's hearty nutrients and none of the chewy, bitter flavor that you might have come to expect. Eat well.

Chris Stevenson loves raw food and knows you will too. The best way to start enjoying the benefits of a raw food diet is just to enjoy a raw salad once a day. Visit SuperRawFoodDiet.com for more raw salad recipes.

http://goarticles.com/article/Raw-Salad-Recipes-With-Kale/5139426/

On whom can you depend when it comes to diet supplements and health foods, such as probiotics

Even though we hear about health benefits of substances such as fish oil, probiotics or melatonin on a regular basis, a lot about their impact and nutritional value is rather ill-defined. Which means that we take on more risks linked with paying for something that in fact does not work or work in a manner that is badly understood. Nevertheless, if you have the passion to live healthier, happier life, we will be keen to spend more and more every year either on products prepared with nutrients whose names are in the media 24/7.

Actually, it is usually the case that some of the information is contrary to the other, particularly if several stakeholders present their viewpoints. Of course, producers, distributors and sellers draw in the course of less disapproval and more admiration, scientific institutes are believed to be autonomous, but there are a lot of allegations of their partiality towards the industry, regulators appear to be aimed at setting things straight, although their intentions and results might not be perfect for consumers, who - by the way - also have a range of opinions about what impact such products actually bring. What needs to be addresses is that whom should the customers depend upon in this jumbled confusion of interests. Let's look at particular actors involved in this process.

1. Producers, distributors and retailers
It would not be right to cancel them as the ones that believe minimum. Like in every industry, you need plenty of trust and social resources to flourish as your customers are probably going to spend, particularly again and again, on something that is the genuine. If you keep cheating, your fate is inevitably doomed, especially in the long run, as people turn away for better solutions. Consumers are just too smart to purchase waste and diet supplement producers should bear this in mind all the time.

2. Analysts
There is generally atmosphere of analysis and independence around scientists and it has very good foundation. It is much more difficult to consistently twist research evidence than manipulate media messages. On the other hand, it is a reality that studies can be sponsored and complete institutes are established for the only reason of supporting profitable claims about probiotics or fish oil. Science is imperfect too, so blind faith is not suggested either.

3. Supervisor
If you think that the government can effectively apply its actions to regulate this area of life and business, create hard evidence on glucosamine or probiotics. You have to remember, though, that despite their best intentions officials do over- and under-react sometimes, their decisions might be based on incomplete data and political forces are at play here.

4. Other customers
From talking to your neighbor who is a fan of niacin yoghurt to reading review sites on the Internet, this might be the least partial source of information, but sadly also not very objective.

http://goarticles.com/article/On-whom-can-you-depend-when-it-comes-to-diet-supplements-and-health-foods-such-as-probiotics/5101412/