American Baking
The smell of fresh pastry dough being rolled out swirls of frosted sugar, the heady aroma of baking apples, the spicy hints of cinnamon and nutmeg wafting from the oven…American baking is a foodie’s delight with its wide variety of tastes, textures, and flavors. Christmas cookies, Valentine’s tarts, Thanksgiving pies, birthday cakes, family favorites…..the list is endless. Delicious swirls of whipped cream, tart fresh fruit filling, the glimmer of chocolate glaze and the taste of powdered sugar off the first bite of a doughnut…it’s enough to make even the fullest person sit up and ask for more!
Christmas is not just about Santa, the Christmas tree or the holly and mistletoe. Christmas is about food, and it’s one of the most important holidays in American baking. Christmas cookies drizzled with icing and sugar; Yule logs brought over by the French which consist of soft melt-in-the-mouth chocolate sponge cake liberally interspersed with candied cranberries and whipped cream; the Italian version of the Christmas cake, the pan forte, replete with fruits and spices; the Austrian Linzer Torte with its ruby red preserves peeking through its golden lattice crust… the list goes on.
Then there are Easter recipes beginning with the quintessential hot cross buns flavored with a unique blend of cinnamon, raisins, nutmeg and currants. There are special Easter cookies and Easter macaroon tarts, there are Easter carrot cupcakes and the average American kitchen is warm with the delicious smells of American baking. Halloween which is the American way of celebrating the darker forces in Nature, all that is Gothic and noir, is incomplete without its explosion of sweet delights like the pumpkin cookies and little ghosts made of light flaky meringue. And of course no Thanksgiving is complete without flaky apple pie, gooey pecan pie, pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin bread.
There are some recipes that are so typical of American baking, like the chocolate chip cookie. No American home is complete without a cookie jar full of these treats. There’s a history to this recipe. It’s said that this recipe, that is so very popular across the world today, was discovered by happenstance. A Mrs. Ruth Wakefield, who ran the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts, was at a loss as to what she could add to her cookie dough, as she was flat out of currants and raisins. The only thing handy was a Nestle chocolate bar, which she chopped into chunks and dropped into her butter cookie dough. And voila…the chocolate chip cookie was born. It became a huge hit with her customers and in 1939 Nestle bought the rights to her recipe and named their first batches of chocolate cookies ‘Famous Toll House Cookies’. Another typically American baking recipe is the peanut butter cookie. It came into the American baking lexicon in the 1940s.
Angel food cake is another such recipe: it is so named because its airy, fluffy lightness was deemed food fit for the angels. But a large number of eggs went into this feather light cake. In fact Mrs. J.Chadwick in her 1953 ‘Home Cookery’ book specified 32 egg yolks were needed for one single cake. Another famous cookbook Mrs. Horace Mann’s ‘Christianity in the Kitchen’ wrote that 20 eggs were needed with around 3 hours of beating required!
There are so many vignettes behind each recipe, every home has their own special zealously guarded ingredient for their cakes, there are variations, different permutations and combinations, and elements added from other nations, elements assimilated sand Americanized. But the bottom line is….American Baking is a foodie’s paradise.
Roger Murray is a community writer who likes to experiment on various American cuisines. He likes to research on American baking and list down popular American recipes to much delight of other community members.
Cheese ampamp Healthy Living
Cheese provides valuable amounts of protein, calcium and vitamins B12, A and D. A popular high-protein food with vegetarians, cheese is also high in calories, having twice the number of many carbohydrate and protein foods. It’s also high in fat – the kind of saturated fat we should try and limit, so cheese should be eaten in moderation.
Creme fraiche is a French-style soured cream, which does not curdle when boiled so it is ideal stirred into hot dishes. It will also whip, adding a light piquancy to desserts. However, like double cream, it is quite high in fat (35 to 40 percent) so use it sparingly.
Fromage frais is a smooth, lightly tangy, lower fat to virtually fat-free ‘cream’, ideal for use in dressings, baked potatoes and desserts.
Haloumi cheese is a soft semi-hard cheese with a salty flavor made from sheep or goat’s milk. Ideal for salads or eating on its own.
Mozzarella is a mild cheese that is high in moisture and low in fat. It melts well and is great on pizza.
Kefalotyri cheese is a very hard, scalded cured sheep or goat’s milk cheese with a milder flavor than Parmesan.
Feta is firm and crumbly with a salty taste from the brine in which it is preserved. Available in a reduced fat form and suitable for fresh salads.
Gorgonzola is an Italian, blue-veined, semi-soft cheese with a piquant flavor. Used in sauces and stuffings.
Parmesan is a hard cheese for grating and serving with pasta, made from semi-skimmed unpasteurized cow’s milk.
Cottage cheese is available in very low fat versions, this soft cheese can be included in a healthy eating plan.
Quark is a soft cheese made with skimmed milk and is, therefore, very low in fat. It is a traditional cheese for using in cheesecakes, but it is ideal for savory dishes, too.
Ricotta is an Italian whey cheese which is soft and creamy. It is especially good in sweet or savory fillings.
How to reduce dietary fat when using cheese:
Use low fat cheeses such as ricotta, mozzarella, or cottage cheese. Use strong, aged cheese, such as mature Cheddar or Parmesan – only a small amount is needed to add flavor. For cooking, choose mature cheeses. Leave some full-flavored cheeses unwrapped in the refrigerator to dry out: this concentrates the flavor and makes them go further when they are finely grated.
Among the most useful cheeses are fully mature Cheddar, fresh Parmesan, mature gruyere and Pecorino.
Haloumi can be grilled in the oven rather than deep fried. Lower fat soft cheeses are ideal for stirring into hot food to make an instant, creamy sauce.
Sandra Prior runs her own bodybuilding website at http://bodybuild.rr.nu.
Cocktail dresses under 100 are Your Best Choice
Beautiful clothes for women are just like the colorful wings for the butterflies. They are indispensable and necessary. Some shining and gorgeous gowns are over budget, even some of them may cost your money out. So why try some cheap clothes which are also in good style? When there are some important occasions like the formals, proms and cocktail party, you have to pour your pocket out and spend much money on your new occasional dresses. Now I will share some cheap cocktail dresses under 100 with you, which can help you save your money and your time.
For some tall women who have big body figures, you can choose some cheap cocktail clothing which can make you look slimmer. This cheap special one can be a short sexy gown with plunging V-neck and a balloon skirt. The lays can be a very stylish thin gold strap which is sophisticatedly tied being a petite ribbon. Little black dress is the versatile occasional gown for almost every woman, especially black color can make one person look thinner than common.
White cocktail dresses which are just one of the visions of some instantly which can make me go all dreamy eyed. Maybe you can see it on my face that the sappy expression and the love struck your eyes. For some hopeless fashionistas or hopeless clothes addict, nothing even the most delicious cheesecake can make them go more gaga than a gorgeous cocktail dress. When you stand in a large amount of cocktail party wear, how can you make up your mind and make your decisions? A short sexy leopard one, or a knee-length strapless sweetheart one with bubble skirt? Some women always say that they live in the eternal dilemma like every fellow clothes addict. Yes, that is why it is difficult to make a selection among a pile of clothes.
As I have mentioned that a LBD is versatile. Many women tend to choose the little black dress or little white gowns as their occasional gowns when they have no ideas. But if it is a business party you are invited to, you can’t show off your inter flirt or your sultry side of your personality, you can try the little black dress which can show off your attraction, charm and your power. Black can hide something of your inner heart including some artifice. Be sophisticated and trust your stuff, which can help your make your perfect work performance. In one word, cocktail dresses under 100 are deserved you to buy and help you save your money.
Except for the gowns you selected, you should also take the accessories into consideration. Good luck to you! I am sure you can find the perfect cocktail dress for yourself
For other tips on cheap cocktail dress please visit instylegirls.co.uk to see dresses under 50 and stock dresses.
Most Awaited New Year and Christmas Holidays
Christmas celebration starts before the Christmas Day. There are several norms and nature of a Christmas Eve. The fundamental religious norm is to attend the Midnight Mass at the Church…even for those who go to the Church rarely. It’s a mixed feeling of excitement and joy on how brilliantly can this festival be enjoyed. There are so many things to do! Decoration is one of the essentials which bring in the ambience of the Birth of Jesus. Christmas trees with glittering stars also add to the essence. There is a culture of distributing Christmas Gifts to the loved ones. So shopping should be complete by the Christmas Eve. The kids are really anxious and keen on the eve, to know what the Santa has in store for them. They are almost awake for the whole night awaiting their Christmas gifts. Cookies, puddings, gingerbread, herbs, spices, poultry as well as other meats are the common cuisines of this festival 2012 calendar.
Christmas is celebrated in various ways in various countries. Australia celebrates its Christmas in summer, since it is situated in the Southern Hemisphere. Adelaide Christmas Pageant Parade is the unique feature of the festival here. More than 50,000 Christians attends this parade. Christmas is celebrated within 24th December to 6th January. They call this period as Navidad. Children receive gifts from ‘The Three Wise Men’ of the ‘Gift of the Magi’ as well as the Papa Noel (the Santa Clause). Thus they get a double treat. China has its Christmas on 25th of December and it is a public holiday here. The people mainly go to Hong Kong and Macau for holiday trips. Wishing with greeting cards and gifts are a custom over here. Christmas is much of a religious affair in Colombia. 7th December is the Christmas Celebration day over here. People from towns and different communities gather at one place to reflect the sign of unity. The Baby Jesus commonly called as El Nino give gifts to the kids new year cruises.
Decorate the Christmas tree with flowers, holy leaves and small tinkle bells. Put proper lights and fixtures along the fences as well as on the façade of your house. Christmas is a symbol of merriment..so enjoy this to the fullest. Go for small get together with your family and friends. You can also arrange for picnics or a dance party. Cuisine is one of the most important parts of this festival. Some of them are chocolate, cakes, sweet potatoes, meat balls, hams, turkey salad, chicken tikka, pastas, cheesecakes, cookies, Roman puddings, Grilled Salmon, Passion fruit etc.
Just after the Christmas comes the New Year. After a claustrophobic busy life the New Year break is the longest span of time when people get an opportunity to spend time with their loved ones. Nowadays the easiest method to wish people is a New Year SMS. Generally this service is free on 31st December and 1st January or may be it can charge a rupee. New Year Party is another lucrative option to make your 31st the memorable day for the coming year. Delicious food, party games, casinos, pool parties, rain dance, theme parties etc. are the varied choices of entertainment. Year 2012 is 12 days away…I am eagerly waiting for it…are you?
new year 2012 and christmas celebrations are the two important occasions of the year. Apart from sending new year gifts and cards,people also plan to know their 2012 horoscope in advance to makes life more easy.
Cake Boxes Are Not For Cakes Only
Cake boxes and gift bags offer a certain level of protection to cakes and other baked products when being transported to different locations. Baked products are adequately protected by these special cardboard boxes to preserve them properly before serving.
Preventing spillage or destruction of their original make, these boxes are specially constructed to keep cakes, pies and other pastries in their delicious and natural form.
Even having its own base, the cakes and pies need external protection when being transported such as in cases of delivery and the cardboard cake boxes and certain gift bags would keep the foodstuff safe from germs and dirt.
The boxes are versatile that it can be used for other delicate food products, specifically baked products. Coffee cakes, special breads, biscuits, doughnuts, and cupcakes are among the many items that cake boxes and gift bags could carry and hold.
Many baked products need ample protection especially when being transferred from one location to another, in terms of preserving its integrity and keeping them fresh, and proper containment is primary to this objective.
Special pies are known for its critical nature in being prone to spillage and it begins with the baking process until it is consumed. Putting the pies in sturdy cardboard boxes is a good way to protect them, aside from affording good storage in tabletops located in homes or in businesses.
You can just imagine if you had a strawberry pie spilling its contents on the car’s upholstery in the absence of a sturdy container. There would be unimaginable staining of the car when this happens, and only protective containers such as Cake boxes and gift bags would prevent such occurrences.
These boxes usually come in clean and white surfaces on the outside. Aside from making the product look clean and fresh, the white surface allows for labeling with a pen or marker.
It would be most practical to keep stock of these boxes and bags for your daily use. These boxes are shipped flat with flaps ready for quick assembly. It is simply amazing what these containers can do to preserve your food products for a certain period of time.
These boxes come in different sizes and configurations. Wholesalers over the Internet stock up on different boxes and cardboard containers. Boxes for cakes are slightly taller than those used for pies. Some boxes would hold a large single layer cake while other boxes conform to their cake packaging requirements.
Typical measurements of these boxes are 10x10x5.5 inches, 10x10x2.5 inches, and 9x9x4 inches. There are also different dimensions for special cake dimensions and configurations.
Businesses which deal with different pastries such as cookies, tarts, tortes, cupcakes, pies and cheesecakes could not flourish without the use of these containment boxes and bags. These boxes make sure that the products get to the user intact in its freshness and goodness.
The Cake boxes are very essential partners to the proper preservation and presentation of food items especially baked products. Gift bags are also handy vessels to keep such food products for proper presentation.
A List Of Krispy Kreme Flavours
How is it possible not to like Krispy Kremes? Well it probably is, but if I eat one I don’t comprehend how you can’t only fall in love with their very own doughy wonderfulness! And there’s just so many flavours!! Here, just look at this luscious number of Krispy Kreme Flavours in the UK:
• Chocolate Kreme
• Strawberry Gloss
• Original Glazed
• Chocolate Iced
• Chocolate Sprinkles
• Maple Iced
• Chocolate Custard
• Glazed Rasberry
• Apple Cinnamon
• Chocolate Dreamcake
• Lemon Meringue Pie
• Millionaires Shortbread
• Strawberries and Kreme
• Glazed Cruller
• Cookies and Kreme
• Butterscotch Fudge
• Mango Passion Cheesecake
Mmmm just going through those makes my mouth water!
In any case! The primary reason I happen to be writing this weblog is a result of the very fact I just went to Selfridges in The city of birmingham and acquired several doughnut desires! In addition, I stole a hat, here is the proof:
Taken by my stunning girlfriend when we left for the car park.
My selected lovelies were:
• Maple Iced
• Chocolate Dreamcake
• Strawberries and Kreme
• Butterscotch Fudge
I am not embarrassed to say We had consumed the maple ring before we were back in the car! Nom Nom! And did you realize they do home delivery?? I didn’t till just now when I Googled the flavours! Haha.
Another little gem I came across on Google was this: Making Dough: The 12 Secret Ingredients of Krispy Kreme’s Sweet Success! Now that just sounds awesome! The tale of Krispy Kreme! After all it’s a great icon, I’ve heard stories of folks camping outside of the stores! Surely that gives a clue regarding how awesome they are! Now I haven’t read through this book, though Now i’m considering it after reading the reviews, also, its on kindle! YAY!… I don’t possess a kindle, but I do totally desire one! Any offers? No? Well I’m always here for anybody who truly wants to get me one! Haha
Its on amazon for £19.95 as a hardcover, which I may get soon! And its just £12.55 for the Kindle edition! For sale, down from £15.69!
For people as interested as me, the following is the link to list of Krispy Kreme Flavours has quite a few of the reviews %26 a link for the product page!
Me, writing about life.
Wisdom of random stuff that happens! Life is not fair, but sometimes that works in your favour… mostly it doesn’t though. Best Blog In The World
How to Make Old Fashion Appetizers for Your Next Party
Take a step back in time with these old fashion appetizer recipes. Great for any party but would be especially fitting for a 50s or 50s themed party. Bring out the music from the 50s and 60s, serve Appetizer Cheesecake, Braunschweiger Ball, and/or Old Fashion Cucumber Dip and party on!
APPETIZER CHEESECAKE
This recipe is from the mother of children I went to school with in the 1950s.
2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup green pepper
1/2 cup celery
1/4 cup olives
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsps lemon juice
5 drops hot pepper sauce
1 cup cracker crumbs
Finely chop the green pepper, celery, and olives and mix with the sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce. Line a 4-cup bowl with clear plastic wrap. Spread 1/2 cup of the sour cream mixture in the bottom of the bowl. Layer with half of the cracker crumbs, then 1 cup of the sour cream mixture, 1/2 cup of the crumbs, then the remaining sour cream mixture. Cover and chill for 24 hours. Unmold onto a serving platter; remove the plastic wrap. Top with the remaining cracker crumbs. Serve with fresh vegetables and assorted crackers.
BRAUNSCHWEIGER BALL
This is an old Southern Indiana recipe.
1 lb braunschweiger
1 pkg (8-oz) cream cheese
milk, as needed
1/2 tbsp chili sauce
1 onion, minced
dash of garlic salt
Chopped pecans, optional
Chopped olives, optional
Mix together the braunschweiger, chili sauce, onion, and garlic salt; being sure it is mixed well. Form mixture into a ball and chill. Add enough milk to the cream cheese to make a consistency similar to frosting. Spread the cream cheese over the braunschweiger ball. Roll the ball in crushed pecans or chopped olives.
OLD FASHION CUCUMBER DIP
This recipe is from an old country cookbook.
1/2 large cucumber, peeled
1/4 onion
8-oz pkg cream cheese
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Blend the cucumber and onion together in an electric blender; drain well. Mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise, and garlic powder together in blender and add well drained cucumber and onion mixture. Serve with your choice of chips, crackers, or fresh veggies.
Enjoy!
Grandma Linda is a collector of vintage recipes. She enjoys sharing these old-time recipes on her blog at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com
Tips on Choosing a Good Dessert Wine
For people who love sweets, a meal is not completely satisfying unless it finishes off with a sumptuous dessert. Some of the most popularly sought after desserts include cakes, pastries, fruits, pies, nuts, sorbet, breads, pudding and chocolates. While they are great on their own, their flavours can be enhanced and complemented by the perfect wine. But how does one know what wine to match which dessert?
A good dessert wine serves to bring about the best in every dessert. The popular notion of wine is different when it comes to dessert wines though; this is because dessert wines are especially sweet. As such, a dessert that doesn’t compete with the sugariness of the wine is a good option. For instance, dark chocolates that contain more than half of cocoa ingredients in it go well with a dessert wine. The basic guide then in choosing matching desserts and wines is to get to know how different dessert wine selections taste like.
Sauternes wines from France are made from S%26eacute;millon grape, Sauvignon Blanc, or Muscadelle grapes. These wines almost have a yellowish or golden colour and they have a citrus taste. The Gew%26uuml;rztraminer and Tokay Pinot Gris wines in particular are great with chocolates and other intensely flavourful afters.
Meanwhile, in Portugal, the port red wines are known for their enticing flavours and alcohol content. They come in tawny, ruby, and vintage varieties. Tawny ports have a suave nut-like tang to it that go well with toffee and milk chocolates. In the meantime, vintage ports are so zesty that they are best with banana cream pies, dark chocolates, and walnuts. All the port varieties are generally enhanced with pumpkin pies, cheesecakes, chocolate mousse and cobblers. Similarly, Vin Santo from Italy has a nutty essence that is likened to a hazelnut. The sweetness is not that much that it can be taken with almond cakes, almond shortbreads, and biscotti.
Interestingly, there are wines that are manufactured from grapes that are covered with ice on the vine. In Germany, they are appropriately called ice wines and they have a balanced, sugar-enriched and invigorating acid flavour. Consequently, ice wines can be paired off with desserts like apples, peaches, pears and hazelnuts. Thinking about ice wines might make you imagine ice cream with dessert wine together, but unfortunately, the cold can mute the taste buds that sorbets are not to be served with sweet wines.
Muscat wines are for individuals who enjoy munching on raisins as they are crushed from grapes that are typically made into raisins. It likewise has this rich aroma and a taste that is very similar with mild fruits such as peaches and apricots. To achieve the palatable temptation of Muscat wines, the dessert should be composed of smooth Tiramisu, milk chocolate or white chocolate.
All these wines are highly recommended, however, tasting them on your own can prove to be delightful for you and your guests. This experience then can be used until wine and dessert matching becomes an addition to your expertise.
The Basics of Fundraising
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Stay at home moms, school children or just about anyone who wants to raise some funds for either a good cause or for some personal reasons need not worry about which fundraising idea they would use and considering that there are actually a of fundraising ideas out there. It’s actually up to you to pick the one that it suitable for you target market.
Common as well as tried and tested fundraising ideas that are sure to be able to earn you a lot of money are the following:
1. The Basics
- Use baked goods that look appetizing
- There is no need to be extremely competitive with your peers
- Presentation is as important as quality
- Sell as much baked goods as you can
- Offer a package deal where you lose money on one item but make it back on another
2. Offer Samples
A good fundraising trick when it comes to bake sales is to provide your customers free taste so that they’ll be able to sample the goods before they actually commit into buying them. You may think of this as costly but you wouldn’t really hand out actual sized muffins or cookies, just bits of it will do and if your baked goods are really good then your customers will probably end up buying more since bake sales are fundraising events that don\’t really occur very often thus customers may wish to stock up a bit.
Other popular baked goods that sell easily during bake sales are:
- Home made cookies
- Cakes
- Pastries
- Cheesecakes
- Soft pretzels
- Pies
3. Cookie Dough
A new fundraising idea when it comes to bake sales is to actually start selling cookie dough that comes in all sorts of great tasting flavors! This item has a high selling factor because you can price it far lower than regular cookies (as it takes you less time and effort to make). Make it as unique as possible. There is actually no need to spend too much on eye catching packaging. You just have to be very creative and incredibly resourceful for this one.
Types:
- Chocolate chunk Chunks of chocolate are fabulously laid out onto the cookie
- Peanut butter Nutritious yet an incredibly sweet delight
- Sugar Baked to golden and crisp perfection, this is already a household specialty
- Snickerdoodle Deliciously sweet cinnamon that is mixed with your cookie dough
- Oatmeal raisin Chucked with delicious sun dried raisins with oatmeal that is reminiscent of what your grandmother used to make
- Candy There are rainbow embellished cookies that can easily catch your little tykes’ fancy usually made with M%26M chocolate as toppings
- Chocolate macadamia nut Just the sound of this luxuriously creamy cookie dough is enough to make your mouth water
- Triple chocolate Chocolate lovers rejoice at this incredibly sweet and delicious home made treatan
- Chocolate walnut crunch Another cookie dough favorite at fundraising events
4. Pizza Cards
Another popular fundraising idea nowadays is selling pizza cards and the community discount fundraising card. During these hard times, people would actually avoid a couple of bargains here and there but scrimping on food was never an option. That is why pizza cards are a great fundraising project. Not only is it very convenient to sell pizza cards (you can just phone up people, offering them the pizza cards or just knock on your neighbors’ doors and start offering your product), but there is actually no need for you to organize an event for this anymore. In addition, a lot of people are easily attracted to how cheap pizza cards actually cost.
Pizza companies actually love this fundraising idea as they tend to get more customers and would actually gain a lot of profit if you’re able to sell 30 pizza cards. You in turn will also earn a lot since if you buy the pizza cards in bulk you’ll actually be able to buy them from the supporting pizza company for just $3.00 each! It’s perfect for all sorts of fundraising events from school charity fundraising events to the neighborhood fundraising project.
5. Discount Community Cards
Discount community cards, however, are the most profitable and popular fundraising product ever. This actually proves to be a bigger bang for your customers’ buck as they can choose to avail of all sorts of products or services from the various neighborhood establishment area. Unlike the pizza card wherein you can only use it for getting pizza, the discount community card is far more flexible. Great for bargain hunters.
Learn about fish facts and jellyfish sting at the Knowledge Bin site.
