Get inspired this Fall with Miracle-Gro and the Gardenieres!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I found a new website that is sponsored in part by Miracle-Gro, It's called the Gardenieres. What I liked most about it was that it features Master Gardeners from different regions.

Teena is Miracle Grows, West Coast Gardenier. She understands the seasonal temperatures that vary. I love Teena's garden layout and her location on the West Coast makes me think we have similar growing climates.  But, in a word, she's intimidating.  Not her really, more her breathtaking garden. One of the things I learned from reading the project is that planters have different requirements depending on where they are placed. I love that the project is ongoing as she shows the process for changing spring flower planters into hearty summer flowers and plants. The project offers step-by-step and best planting techniques to make my own project a success.

I will be visiting Miracle-Gro's videos for help when we do projects, maybe even Find beauty in the Fall.

I love to do my gardening in containers and a few years ago Miracle-Gro came out with a Moisture Control Potting Mix and this is a must have if you do, do container gardening because it:

• Has natural fiber technology to absorb excess water and release it to the plant as needed.
• Protects against over- and under-watering.
• Has Miracle-Gro® Plant Food mixed in the soil.
• Ideal for all container gardeners 

That's right, it will save you from watering the heck out of your potted babies and if you do, it will absorb the excess and give your plants little drinks here and there (This is a plus for me because I carry a 5 gal bucket of water from my bath tub to my plants every day, two to three times in a watering).  I like it that it also contains the Miracle-Gro plant food so it will take care of your plants all season long. No extra feeding and growing plants with Miracle-Gro is a must. I really do get larger and bountiful plants and veggies.  This is such a great combo and I will never use another type of potting soil again.

You can visit the Miracle-Gro Facebook page for great tips and planting hints. Also, go to the Gardenieres website to watch more videos and gain more information on fall gardening, as well as year-round gardening tips.

How to Find Healthy Cake Recipes for Kids

Cake is one of the favorite food items. Kids are very much fond of cakes and desserts. But most of the cakes contain lot of calories and so they cannot be included in weight loss or healthy diets. However there are also some healthy cake recipes. Such healthy cakes contain fewer calories and so they are quite suitable for kids. You can prepare banana cake, apple, pumpkin, carrot, dried fruits cakes etc. These cakes are very much delicious and health friendly. Such cakes will also provide important nutrients like fiber and vitamins.

Most of us prepare cakes for our kids by using white sugar. White sugar will cause many adverse effects in kids and these include insulin rise, weight gaining, teeth killing etc. Calorie content is very high in white sugar. This refined sweetener is able to depress the immunity system of your kid. Over consumption of white sugar may cause infertility. So you have to use less white sugar in the cakes. Instead of sugar, you can use fruit juice and fruit as sweeteners. You can also substitute sugar components with fruit puree, flavored yogurt and nonfat sour cream.

You should take care to avoid soft margarines in your cakes. Hydrogenated vegetable oils are usually used for making soft margarines and so they are not good for health. Hydrogenated vegetable oils will increase the bad cholesterol level in the body which in turn leads to strokes and heart attacks. You can use either softened organic butter or soft spread made from sunflower or olive oils in your cakes. Traditional icing or frosting is high in calories and fats. For frosting recipes, you can use low fat cream. It is better to top the cake with toasted nuts. Before baking, you can coat the cake with desiccated coconut. You should take care to use organic ingredients like flour, milk, fruits, oats, butter and egg in the cakes for your kids.

Healthy nutrition is very much essential for kids. So parents must take great care while preparing desserts and cakes for their kids. You can find a lot of healthy cake recipes in the internet. Various sites will provide the recipes and information about healthy cake recipes and nutritional content in them. Diet books will also provide the information about various healthy recipes. A nutritionist or dietician will be able to suggest some healthy cake recipes for your kids. Your nutritionist will help you to prepare cakes without using harmful ingredients.

You can find a lot of cake recipes on net. Click here to find some good cupcakes recipes.

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Socca or Farinata, a Tasty Pancake That Knows No Borders

I love this recipe as you can really mess around with it and truly make it your own

This tasty savoury pizza like pancake originated in Genoa and later a typical food Ligurian sea coast, from Nice to Pisa. In Italy it is known as Farinata in France Socca and South America Faina. These crepes are a staple street food in India and surrounding countries.

This is a savoury pancake made from 3 simple ingredients. Chickpea flour water and a tiny drizzle of oil. These vary in thickness according the ingredients and how much liquid you put in and how much batter you put in to cook. They can be quite thick or quite thin and crepe like making them pliable.

Chickpea flour can be found in most larger supermarkets usually in the world food section or with the other flours that are commonly available. If you really can not find any in the shops then the internet or specialist artisan shops will be sure to stock this staple. It is used around the world. It is usually quite cheap. Chickpea flour is also known as gram flour, garbanzo flour or besan.

Chickpea flour is high in carbohydrates despite this compared to other flours it has a relatively high proportion of protein.

I originally found a recipe for farinata in a Denis Cotter cook book, For the Love of Food, vegetarian recipes from the heart. A truly stunning collection of inspiring recipes. He topped his with red onion and fried sage then popped it into the oven. Delicious. A few weeks later I was scrolling through an instagram feed and stumbled across a picture that looked like a pizza, they called it socca. After some research I found they were one and the same thing! I love this recipe as you can really mess around with it and truly make it your own.

Instructions - Makes 5 to 8 pancakes - cooking time 5-7 mins each

Whizz together in a blender a handful of spinach with a handful of coriander with 3 chopped chillis and 2 cloves of garlic. Moisten with a few tablespoons of vegetable stock, just enough to help the ingredients move around.
Put the puree to one side.
Mix chickpea flour with the water a little drizzle of oil and some salt and pepper.
Leave to one side for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes skim off any bubbles that may have formed on the top of the batter mix.
Mix with a few teaspoons of the prepared spinach and coriander puree. Keep tasting to suit your own taste buds.
Put a teaspoon in a small non stick frying pan. Heat the oil and add a ladle full of batter. They can stick so a non stick pan is an essential for these pancakes. I use a large very pliable spatula to loosen these from the pan.
Cook like a traditional pancake/crepe, they take a little longer in the frying pan than a traditional pancake. I found it works better over a low heat.
I prefer mine as a thin as I can.

These can be served flat and loaded up like a pizza or open sandwich or they can be delicately rolled like a wrap.

Mostly they can just be eaten all by themselves and are tasty and filling.

Suggested toppings
I topped mine with artichoke/quinoa/celery/radish/rocket/feta cheese/linseeds/olive oil/lime juice/pimento powder and salt and pepper.

They are great with hummus, salad and a sprinkle of crispy chorizo.

They are also nice with simple fried onion and sage. Put your favourites together on top for a quick snack or serve as a meal all by itself.

I am looking forward to finding out what my favourite topping is going to be and will be trying lots of combinations in the future.

Visit - http://www.glutenfreesanctuary.com/ - for lots of tasty Gluten Free Recipes.

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Homemade Bread - Ciabatta Bread Recipe

Homemade ciabatta bread is delicious. Light textured, crunchy-crusted and gobbled up before it has chance to go stale.

But it's tricky to get right. There are a few potential stumbling blocks in the process.

Don't let that put you off, though. I'm here to help.

This ciabatta recipe gives you all the insight you need to make your own, homemade ciabatta and get it right, first time.

So, what is ciabatta?

Ciabatta (Italian for 'slipper') is a square, flattish bread, designed to be loaded with toppings. Usually made with white flour, it has an open texture, with large air-bubbles.

The dough is extra-fermented, for a slightly sour flavour and is often coated in cornmeal (although in this recipe I substitute semolina because it's easier to obtain) to make the crust extra crunchy.

It's tricky but I'll show you how.

It's tricky to make because of the extra fermentation needed to achieve the authentic ciabatta flavour. Also, it is awkward to work with the wet dough necessary to achieve the open texture. At the same time, you want the crust to be crunchy without letting the thin bread become too dry. A lot to think about, but perfectly easy to achieve, when you know how.

Here goes...

Ciabatta Recipe

You will need:
250g plain flour
3g dried instant yeast
A large pinch salt
Approximately 180ml hand-hot water to mix
Semolina to coat (optional)

Mix your dough well in advance. I suggest doing this the night before you want to eat the bread.

1. Combine the flour and instant yeast in a large bowl.

2. Add the water, little by little, until you have made a slack dough.

3. Leave the dough to ferment overnight. The longer you ferment the dough, the sourer the bread will taste. If you prefer a milder flavour, shorten this stage to an hour.

4. When you return to the dough, mix in the salt. I usually do this by hand as it's easier to squeeze and knead the dough, rather than using a spoon.

5. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes, until your dough has a smooth, stretchy texture. It should still be quite wet, which makes it tricky to handle. It will stick to the work surface and to your hands. Try not to add too much extra flour as you need the wetness in order to achieve the characteristic open-crumb texture.

6. Divide your dough into four pieces. Stretch each piece to a long, thin strip and fold it into three. The folding helps to incorporate extra air into the dough, for that all-important texture. Try to not squash the air out of the dough at this stage. Repeat the stretch and fold process if necessary, to create an oblong bread about 3cm thick.

7. Gently coat the bread in semolina and place it on a greased baking tray.

8. Leave it to rise again for about half an hour before baking at 200oC for 20 minutes.

Now, to achieve that crunchy crust

There is one further stage to this process.

Use a (clean) plant mister to lightly spray the bread with water before you put it in the oven. Repeat this spraying process a couple of times in the first few minutes of baking.

Your bread is cooked when it can be lifted off the tray easily and sounds hollow when you knock on its bottom.

Serve immediately - ciabatta doesn't keep well, which is another good reason to bake it yourself.

There are more bread recipes on my site, including my guide to Fresh Bread In 20 Minutes which is the quickest way I know to bake homemade bread for lunch.

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Top 5 Fruit Smoothie Recipes

Drinking a fruit smoothie is a wonderful way to get your fruit nutrition. Tasty and easy to make; here are the top five smoothie recipes that are sure to please you and your family. These are very simple recipes that you can whip up quickly anytime. You probably have the ingredients on hand right now!

Bananas are used often in fruit smoothies because they add a creamy consistency like a milkshake with far less sugar.

Apple Banana Smoothie

This smoothie is great for breakfast or as an anytime snack!

Ingredients:

2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3 bananas, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tbsp of greek yoghurt.
2-3 ice cubes
Cold water

Directions:

Put all the ingredients into a high-speed blender that has the power to crush ice.
Just add enough cold water till it covers half of the other ingredients in the blender cup. Blend until smooth.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Ahh... yes, the strawberry banana smoothie! This is one of the most popular of the fruit smoothie flavours, yum!

Ingredients

1 banana, peeled, frozen and cut into chunks
1/2 c. strawberries
3/4 c. pineapple juice

Directions:

Put the banana, strawberries and pineapple juice into the blender. Blend until smooth.

Raspberry Peach Smoothie

Here is a different combination, no bananas here!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. apple/peach fruit juice
1 c. fresh peach slices
1/2 c. fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 c. vanilla yoghurt
4 ice cubes

Directions:

Put the fruit juice in the blender first then add the remaining ingredients including the ice cubes. Blend until smooth.

Orange Smoothie

This smoothie has a creamy texture and a light sweet orange taste. It uses whole milk - you can substitute low-fat milk or almond/soy milk but it will be less creamy. It's best to use Navel, Valencia or Mandarin oranges

Ingredients:

1 medium orange (peeled with seeds removed)
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1/2 c. whole milk
sweetener (optional)

Directions:

First blend the orange slices and milk together. Taste to see if you like the flavour and add a sweetener like stevia, Splenda or a pinch of sugar if you wish. Next add the yogurt and blend until smooth.

Mango Smoothie

This smoothie is tangy and sweet. Be sure you have nice ripe mangoes for this one!

Ingredients:

2 c. non-fat vanilla yogurt
1 c. mango nectar
2 mangos, peeled and chopped
1 c. ice cubes

Directions:

Put all the ingredients except the ice cubes into the blender and process until smooth. Add the cup of ice cubes and blend till they are crushed and smooth.

So those are the top five fruit smoothie recipes using a variety of different fruits. Pick your favourite fruit and enjoy. There are many combinations you can put into a smoothie. You can even hide veggies in your fruit smoothies!

A great resource for those who are serious about their smoothies is available at Sensational Smoothies. Yes, this is the only recipe book you will ever need; over 180 healthy combinations including vegetable smoothies. Check it out at http://www.healthysmooth.org/

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The Ultimate Chocolate Cake

This is the cake that will make you a star. It will become your secret weapon for dinner parties and special occasions and you'll never look at another chocolate cake recipe again.

Prep time 5 mins

Cook time 1 hour

Serves 12-16

3 cups self-raising flour

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup premium quality cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda, sifted to remove lumps

200g/7oz butter, softened

1 cup / 8 fl oz milk or unsweetened yoghurt

3 large eggs

1 cup boiling hot coffee

To ice: 1 recipe Chocolate Ganache

To garnish: fresh raspberries

Heat the oven to 160C/325F. Grease the sides and line the base of a 30cm (12 inch) round cake tin or 2 x 20cm (8 inch) round cake tins with baking paper.

Place all ingredients except ganache in a bowl or food processor and mix or blitz until just combined and butter is fully incorporated.

Pour mixture into the prepared tin/tins and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the tin..If you're not using it at once, it will keep fresh for about a week in a sealed container in the fridge. You can also freeze it uniced.

When you are ready to ice the cake, slather chilled Chocolate Ganache over the top. Top with fresh raspberries and serve.

Chocolate Ganache

500ml cream

500g best quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped

Pour the cream into a medium pot and heat it until it is very hot, and almost but not boiling. You'll know it's ready when bubbles start to form around the edge of the pot. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Stand for 2 minutes, then stir until the chocolate is fully melted into the cream.

Whisk the mixture until it is smooth and glossy. Makes approx 4 cups.

Definition of chocolate cake

Chocolate cake is a common dessert cake served at many gatherings such as birthday parties and weddings, that contains chocolate. There are many different types of chocolate cake depending on the alteration of the ingredients and chocolate flavoring. The intensity of chocolate is a leading factor in chocolate cakes, especially for devil's food cake. The versatility of chocolate cake has made it a favorite in many homes.

I hope you found this recipe to your liking, for more great recipe ideas for the chocolate lover go to http://easychocolatecakerecipes.blogspot.co.nz/

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Cheshire Cheese Basket - What's in It for You!

The world around us has so much to offer and during several crucial celebration moments we are confused about what to gift to a loved one, colleague, boss, or an influential person we might meet in the course of business. These qualms are now over with a unique idea to meet demands and create special impression about you through very unique and immaculate cheese gifts. We live in a world of give and take policy; cheese crafted with creativity can be an ideal gift for someone you wish to cherish relations with. In fact, these exclusive gifts can make things simpler for you and help you gain a lot through small investment.

At times during some occasions you need to offer a gift with consideration to refrain from spending a fortune. These are occasions where you need to cover large audiences like employees, associates or at times special delegates. Gift hampers with French cheese and wine would be suitable for welcoming delegates on behalf of your organization or just to gift all your family relatives and friends. For employees and associates you can select from a wide variety of budget cheese gifts and let them remember you in every dish they might use it. Presentation of a gift can create an invisible bond. The unbeatable taste of cheese can make these bonds even stronger than you may think of!

Several online e-commerce websites have a huge collection of luxury cheese gifts to select from. For larger quantities you can contact them prior to an event and decide over the detailing of quality, quantity, and design. In fact, you can avail special discounts and free shipment on all bulk orders. These websites will help you with the selection of appropriate gift and customize to fit the event's purpose and theme. You can discuss details and quantity required so they will be in a better position to suggest most exclusive gifts to suit your requirements.

With these websites you have a wide choice of cheese types and flavors. In fact, you may select the base milk for cheese too! For special occasions and precious guests, you may plan to add accessories like wine, chutneys, pickles, spreads, and several other cheese accompaniments which add that exclusiveness. Vibrant ideas developed into pristine gifts make your day memorable and enable you to succeed with the purpose of gifting. Whether you want to give luxury cheese gifts for commercial or personal purposes it can be suitable for any occasion.

The author has an immense knowledge on luxury cheese gifts. Know more about cheshire cheese related info in his website http://www.finecheese.co.uk/

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Jam Making Principles - Four Easy Steps to Making Your Own Jam

Follow these four steps for almost every jam you make

Choose your fruit. Wash & crush itBoil the fruit in a little plain water till softWhen soft & cooked, add the sugar and pectin, mixed. Then add lemon juice or cream of tartarBoil rapidly to 104° C (220°F) and it will be ready. (about 20 minutes)

A generic jam recipe

1 kg cleaned crushed fruit 2.2lb + 125g water (1/2 cup)

1 kg sugar 2.2 lb

30 g lime juice, lemon juice (OR 2 tsp cream of tartar)

10 g pectin powder (2 tsp)

FAQ

What is the difference between jam and jelly?

Jam is chunky fruit or thick fruit puree that has been 'set' by boiling with sugar. Jelly is a clear fruit juice that has been 'set' by boiling with sugar.

Why does jam set?

When fruit is boiled with water it collapses and any pectin in the fruit is released. When sugar and an acid (like lemon juice) is cooked with fruit it reacts with the pectin in the fruit to form a jel. Most jam fruits are high in pectin naturally. If using a fruit without lots of natural pectin, you have to add apple seeds, orange skins or pectin extract to get the same result

Why did my jam come out runny?

Undercooked (not at 104-105°C). Not enough pectin, not enough acid, or not enough sugar. The fruit does not gel easily (eg Pineapple)

Why is my jam too thick?

Overcooked, or too much pectin

What sort of pot do I need?

Bigger is better. Use a wide bottomed pot with a heavy bottom that has even heat distribution.

The 4 things you need to make jam

FruitSugarPectinAcid

About the fruit

Some fruits contain a lot of pectin and set into jam easily. Pectin is a natural substance. Apples and citrus fruit are very high in pectin. If the fruit you are using has a lot of pectin, you don't need to add extra pectin. If the fruit you are using is low in pectin, you need to add pectin powder, OR add a high pectin fruit, like apple, apple seeds or citrus peel.

About the sugar

Jam is high in sugar. Expect an average quantity of around 50% fruit and 50% sugar. The sugar and acid preserves the fruit and provides texture. It IS possible to make low-sugar jam and sugar-free jam. Do a Google search for those recipes.

About the pectin

Pectin is a natural 'polysaccharide'. When boiled with sugar, and an acid like lemon juice, it forms a 'gel'. Many fruits contain a lot of pectin naturally. Fruit has more pectin when under-ripe and less when fully ripened. Powdered pectin extract is available commercially. These are made from orange and lemon skins, or apple seeds.

About the acid

Lemon juice, lime juice or cream of tartar (tartaric acid) are the usual options. Pectin needs to be cooked with sugar and acid to form a jam or gel.

A quick list of High Pectin Fruits:

Orange skin, lemon skin, grapefruit skin, lime skin.Raspberries, gooseberries, blackberries, cranberriesApples, grapes, plums

When using the high pectin fruits above, no added pectin is needed. They have enough naturally.

Shane is a NZ Executive Chef who has been working around the globe since 2004. He's currently in South East Asia with a website dedicated to recipes and food from his work and travels. Subscribe to http://chef-a-gogo.com/ for recipes, cooking tips and interesting food. Shane answers any questions & feedback left on his website.

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Delicious French Toast Recipes

French toast is amongst the favorite breakfast dishes and you will see majority of the households in European and USA having it as their primary dish in breakfast. Many people assume that it is too complicated to prepare this dish. However, this is not true. In fact, it is amongst the easiest of the dishes to prepare. All you require to make French toast recipe is few eggs, bread and some milk. In addition to it, you can add more ingredients including chocolate sauce and maple syrup so as to make it yummy. You can make this dish using different types of bread ranging from organic white to thick wholegrain to multigrain bread. To add more flavor to it, you may add orange zest, ground cinnamon or vanilla extract to it. This article will tell you how you can make tasty and nutritious French toast.

To make a French toast you will require 3 eggs, 600 ml of semi skimmed milk, 8 slices of stale bread, some butter and pure maple syrup for serving purpose. You need to take a shallow bowl wide enough to accommodate slices of bread. In the bowl, you need to first beat together the milk as well as the eggs together until they are blended properly. Then you need to transfer the mixture to a non stick frying pan and heat it so that it becomes mildly hot. When it is hot, you shall add a small quantity of butter and tilt the pan so as to melt the butter and cover the base of the pan. After this, you need to dip the bread, just one slice at a time and allow the bread slice to soak the mixture on both of the sides of the slice. You need to continue gently placing the slices of the soaked bread into the frying pan and fry each one of them for a couple of minutes until a golden brownish colors appears on both sides of the bread. You should use a turner to flip the bread so as to ensure that it cooks properly. Once all the slices are dipped ad soaked with the mixture you shall immediately serve it along with the maple syrup as a topping.

This is the simplest way of preparing a French toast. Even though the style of preparation of French toast widely differs across the world, the basic preparation technique remains the same.

A good French toast recipe is a must for every breakfast. Learn how to cook some good frech toast recipes online.

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Beck's Best - Corn Fritters

These tasty corn delights are sure to please everyone at the table. A quick and simple entree to put together very easily and goes with just about everything. They are also delicious dipped in a bit of ranch dressing, or your personal favorite dressing or dip. You can also substitute frozen or canned corn for the fresh corn in this recipe; I do this when the fresh corn is no longer in season.

INGREDIENTS:

8 ears of fresh corn - (white, yellow or bi-colored)
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/2 cup diced green peppers
2 fresh eggs - lightly beaten
1 TBSP sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper - (optional)
1 TBSP fresh ground pepper
2 tsp baking powder
1 - 1 1/2+ cups flour - (as much as needed to hold batter together)
Canola or vegetable oil for frying

DIRECTIONS:

If you are looking for the absolutely best flavor for you corn fritters the roasting or grilling the corn first is a must. Simply remove the husks and silk from the ears of corn, rub the corn with some olive oil, sprinkle with some black pepper and salt and place on a hot grill and "roast" until caramelized. When ears are cool remove the kernels from the ears and place in a bowl. This process can easily be done in a skillet if you are using kernels. Coat kernels in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, roast on stove top stirring frequently until caramelized is achieved.

Add the green onions and red peppers to the corn and mix well, stir in beaten eggs. Next, add 1/2-cup flour, sugar, garlic, salt, baking powder, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Now add flour to mixture 1/4 cup at a time, you will want the batter of corn fritters to be a bit sticky not dry. You just want the kernels and veggies to hold together to be dropped into the frying pan by tablespoons. Slightly flatten them after dropping them into the hot oil and cook until golden brown. Allow draining well on a paper towels. Serve hot.

Try these tasty corn fritters with one of your favorite soups. To make the soups a more complete meal simply have a salad of either fruits, vegetable or both along with a delicious crusty whole grain roll, bread or a few of these corn fritters with your favorite dressing or dip everyone will be asking for seconds. These types of meals are light while being power packed with all the nutrition needed for everyone in the family. These corn fritters make a perfect comfort food that everyone in the family will enjoy every time you serve them.

Both corn fritters and low fat soups are a fantastic way to enjoy delicious comfort food while also consuming all of the nutritious vitamins and minerals from it's ingredients.

For more delicious recipes and ideas for healthy meals, soups and salads be sure to check back often by visiting us at: http://lowfatsoups.com/

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Enjoy Old Fashion Bread and Muffins With These Yummy Recipes

The recipes in this article are for some scrumptious breads and muffins like grandma used to make. From Corn Cakes With Bacon to Raisin Bran Cranberry Orange Muffins to Sour Cream Pecan Rolls, you will find these breads to be old-fashion treats. So yummy!

RAISIN BRAN CRANBERRY ORANGE MUFFINS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cup raisin bran cereal
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp grated orange rind
1 cup fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Lightly grease 12 muffin cups; set aside.

In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, both sugars, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the cereal and milk together; let stand 3 minutes. Stir mixture well then stir in the egg, oil, and orange rind. Add the flour mixture and mix together just until moistened. Fold in cranberries.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling about 3/4s full.

Bake muffins at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 12 muffins

CORN CAKES With BACON
1 pkg (12-oz) corn muffin mix
1 cup whole kernel corn
2 eggs, unbeaten
1 cup milk
6 strips bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
2 tbsp bacon drippings

Drain corn well and combine with the muffin mix, eggs, milk, crumbled bacon and drippings; stir briskly until thoroughly blended. Cook on hot lightly greased griddle until cooked through, turning once. Serve dripping with butter and hot syrup, maple or your choice.

Yield: About 20 4-inch cakes.

SOUR CREAM PECAN ROLLS
This recipe is one so old it seems like I have always made it.

1 cup sour cream
2 pkg yeast
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
4 cups flour
1/2 lb butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pecans, finely ground

Mix the sour cream and yeast in a large bowl until smooth; set aside.

Mix sugar, eggs, flour, butter, and vanilla together and add to the sour cream. Mash or roll out about 2 tablespoons of the mixture. Spread finely ground nuts over like a filling. Roll up. Should make a crescent shape when rolled up.

Sprinkle some sugar on waxed paper, enough to roll the rolls in. Roll in the sugar and place on cookie sheets seam side down. Repeat until all ingredients are used.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes, watching closely. Don't let get too brown!

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/

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Recipes That Freeze Well - Make Your Weekly Meals Ahead of Time

Recipes that freeze well will certainly take the stress out of the question "What am I going to make for dinner?" This easy freezer recipe can be made over the weekend and simply popped into the oven during the week. Recipes that are easy to freeze will allow you to enjoy quality time with your family. Try freezing dishes that are complete meals and there is no need to add any side dishes except perhaps a salad and you've got a healthy meal good to go. Let's take a look at one easy to freeze meal.

Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

Crust
1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
1 beaten egg + 2 tbsp water

Filling

2 tbsp of flour
2 tbsp of butter
3/4 cup of milk
1 cup of chicken broth
2 lbs of shredded cooked chicken
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
Seasonings to taste

1. Make white sauce by melting butter and adding flour.
2. Stir for 1-2 minutes being careful not to burn.
3. Add the milk and stir to thicken.
4. Add broth, chicken, vegetables and your choice of seasonings.
5. Roll out 1 pie crust and place in 9" tin foil pie pan.
6. Put chicken mixture into the pan.
7. Roll out the second pie crust and place on top.

For serving the same day: Brush the crust with the egg/water mixture and bake for 30-35 minutes in a 375° oven.

For Freezing: Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer.

When you are ready to bake put the pie straight into a 375° oven for 40 -50 minutes until done. You can brush with the egg and water mixture at about the halfway point.

Now you have a dinner ready to serve, just pick up a prepared salad at your local supermarket and you have healthy meal. This is much healthier than falling into the fast food habit. It's like making your own fast food only better!

There are many easy freezer recipes that can be prepared on weekends. A great time saver during the week for a busy family. It is well worth the effort to prepare several meals ahead of time just get your family involved and have a cooking day. Healthy and homemade these meals are guilt free. Take a little bit of stress out of your life by preparing easy to freeze meals.

The Best Cooking Guide for Freezer Meals is available at Frugal Mom. Check it out! Cooking in quantity and freezing saves a great deal of money and is worth the small investment of time to free yourself during those rush hour weekdays!

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Jamaican Jerk Seasoning Recipe

A jerk seasoning recipe will provide you with an excellent rub of meat. It is full of the flavors of Jamaica and the Caribbean. Chicken and pork are the favorite meat to put this on, but beef and fish can also be flavored with it, along with vegetables. The traditional way of preparing the meat is smoking it to bring out all the flavors of the meat along with the rub. However, it can also be used to as a dry rub for barbequing.

It only takes are few minutes to make this rub or to turn it into a jerk sauce. This sauce has just a few extra ingredients in it to make it liquid with the same flavors included as the rub. Make more than you need of both and keep them on hand for your next cookout or smoking adventure. You can also use whichever cooking method is convenient for you like your oven if the weather is not ideal for outdoor cooking.

Jerk Seasoning Recipe

Ingredients

1/3 cup of allspice berries ground

5 to 7 cloves of garlic

1/3 cup of dark brown sugar

3 to 5 Scotch bonnet peppers (cored, seeded and chopped) you may want to wear gloves preparing these

3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

2 bunches of scallions (chopped)

2 Tablespoons of soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

Black pepper and coarse salt to taste

Directions

Mix all the dry ingredients (except salt and black pepper), Scotch bonnet peppers, scallions and garlic together in a bowl. Then add the soy sauce and stir until the mixture is damp. Add the coarse salt and ground black pepper at this point. You can easily double this recipe and refrigerate what is not used. It will keep for several days this way.

Many variations of this recipe are around today. Everyone adds his or her own touch to it. Some people take it away from the Jamaican Jerk Hut traditional flavors. If you want to keep the Caribbean flavors in this rub, do not veer too far from the original ingredients.

Jerk Sauce

This sauce is just the jerk seasoning recipe in a liquid form with a few additional ingredients. It can be a marinade for meat and vegetables. To make it, simply take the above recipe and add 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup of dark rum to it. Now you can blend the mixture in a blender to the desired consistency. Place about 3 Tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet and heat, and then add the sauce. Cook until all the oil is absorbed into the sauce. The mixture is finished when it slightly thickens. Cool and refrigerate until used.

The jerk seasoning recipe allows you to put forth a great Jamaican or Caribbean meal for your family to enjoy. Add some vegetables, meat and fruits typically eaten in the area to introduce your family to the delicious flavors this region of the world has to offer.

A Jerk Seasoning Recipe will provide you with an excellent rub of meat. It is full of the flavors of Jamaica and the Caribbean. Chicken and pork are the favorite meat to put this on, but beef and fish can also be flavored with it, along with vegetables. The traditional way of preparing the meat is smoking it to bring out all the flavors of the meat along with the rub. However, it can also be used to as a dry rub for barbequing. It only takes are few minutes to make this rub or to turn it into a Jerk Sauce. Check out the original recipe at [http://www.jamaicanjerkseasoning.org]

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Dinner Ritual to Call for a Soul-Mate

It is believed that, following some Roman traditions, the secret society felt that any meat that comes from the sea is appropriate in calling for a soul-mate. There is a strong association with the goddess Venus, who came from the sea. Food coming from the water has a special energy. Running water has the property to group items according to their density. You can see that in small river bays, where all the similar matter is gathered together. The same energy is called upon to reunite the soul-mates.

The "Nitrcor"

Rose quartz
Swan feathers
Small pink drawstring bag
Pink/red rose petals
Pink ribbon

Each person who is looking for his or her soul-mate should bring these elements to dinner.

Meal preparation

Ingredients

8 tuna fish steaks
10 red apples
2 tablespoons of vanilla scent
½ bar of cinnamon
Olive oil
4 large spring onions
1 teaspoon of ginger
A pinch of fresh basil (8 leaves)
A pinch of fresh rosemary (a teaspoon tender leaves)

The sauce
Cut the spring onions into thin slices. Put a pan on medium heat with some olive oil and let it heat for a few minutes. Put in the spring onions and fry them until soft. Now cut the apples into small, irregular pieces and put them in the pan along with the vanilla scent, the bars of cinnamon and the rosemary, ginger and basil. You may want to add a little water. Now start stirring slowly, saying:

"The greatest energy of love rises within me.
I call upon the ancient ones,
Angus and Isolt, Eros and Lada,
to guide me to my soul-mate.
I call upon the romance angels
who are welcomed to my life
to help me, heal me and guide me.
The greatest energy of love rises within me
and my spiritual connection
with my life partner and soul-mate
is now switched on.
Mote it be."

The tuna steak

Take a tuna steak and gently put olive oil on it. As you do so, repeat the same prayer:

"The greatest energy of love rises within me.
I call upon the ancient ones,
Angus and Isolt, Eros and Lada,
to guide me to my soul-mate.
I call upon the romance angels
who are welcomed to my life
to help me, heal me and guide me.
The greatest energy of love rises within me
and my spiritual connection
with my life partner and soul-mate
is now switched on.
Mote it be."

Put the steaks on the oven tray and spread fresh rosemary leaves on them and some extra olive oil. Leave in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes and then for 10 minutes at 150 degrees Celsius. Keep an eye on them; make sure they don't overcook.

You can accompany this meal with green salad, potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots.
Dinner ritual
Table setting

This ritual must be performed on the Friday just before the full moon. The guest who is looking for a soul-mate should bring his or her own rose quartz, rose petals and swan feather. Place the crystal in a glass bowl in the middle of the table and the feather under the guest's plate. The host or hostess sits on the north side of the table. Light a pink candle at each side of the bowl.

Decorate the table with shells and heather motifs and put pink and red flowers around the dining area.

Meal ritual

Put out all the food on the table. Make sure that everything you need is on the table so you don't have to leave or go back to the kitchen. Ask all the guests to hold hands.

Creating the container for the dinner ritual

First you need to create your sacred space in order to protect the meal and reject all negative energies. Ask the guests to imagine they are surrounded by a golden sphere, and then say:

"This golden sphere is the shield of The Great Spirit's love.
It bends where we bend.
It goes where we go.
It protects us from all things, seen and unseen.
Nothing can get in unless invited.
This is our will,
so mote it be."

Meal blessings

Say:

"The purpose of this ritual is to call for a soul-mate."

Say:

"Thank you universe for the food,
the love of my friends and their unconditional support.
I call upon Eros, Isolt, Aengus and Lada,
mighty deities of love,
to join us and bring their power forth.
Please Eros! Please Isolt!
Please Aengus! And Please Lada!
Infuse us with your mighty and loving energy,
with the pink colour of romance throughout this food on the table.
Thank you for your blessings.
Mote it be"

During the meal the host or hostess should initiate topics about love and romance, such as funny stories about how their parents met.

Closing the sacred space

Say the following:

"Thank you Eros, Isolt, Aengus and Lada
for your presence and blessings,
you can go back to your lovely realm.
This sphere of protection is now open but never broken.
The ritual is over, the energies are now with us
and in motion and
the soul-mate sought is on his or her way."

Now ask your guests to put their rose quartz and pink/red rose petals in the small pink drawstring bag, attached the swan feather to the drawstring bag and ask them to take it home and keep it in safe place.

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Advantages of Using Fresh, Whole Ingredients in Your Home Baking

Everyone loves baked goods and the benefits of baking at home with simple baking recipes extend well beyond the irresistible smell of fresh bread or pastries filling up your kitchen. Buying ingredients in bulk instead of repeatedly buying prepackaged baked goods is a great way to save money in today's economy.

Finding great bread recipes and taking the time to bake them for your family shows them how much you care about their health and well-being. Home baked goods are more nutritious. They are fresher with fewer additives and chemicals. You can even include your family in the baking process. Baking together is a fun way to spend time with your children and in the process you can teach them life long lessons about the importance of good health and nutrition.

Probably the biggest advantage to home baking is that it puts you in control of the ingredients that you use. You can use a boxed cake mix if you're in a rush or if you have the time you can make recipes from scratch and choose every item that goes into your project. This takes the mystery out of eating and is particularly helpful if you or a family member has food allergies to consider. In addition, making things from scratch makes you more aware of exactly what you are putting in your body. Taking the time to bake at home will help you to keep excess weight off naturally without the need to diet because you will be making healthy choices regularly in ways that don't sacrifice taste. For example, if you are watching your weight you can choose to create your favorite desserts by replacing butter or vegetable oil with less saturated fats like olive or sunflower oil. Some recipes even allow you to skip the fats altogether by using more unconventional ingredients like organic applesauce to add moisture to your creations.

Home baking gives you the option of using the highest quality ingredients. Using whole ingredients makes your baked goods even healthier. Whole foods are foods that are still in the natural state; they haven't been processed or refined. Think of the difference between a baked potato and mashed potatoes, one is in its natural "whole" state and the other has been altered, the skins removed and butter and milk or cream has been added. When you use whole ingredients they still contain all of their natural vitamins, minerals and nutrients. One of the most basic ways to make you baked goods healthier is to use whole wheat flour instead of the more commonly used white flour. The whole wheat flour is more nutritious because white flour has been processed and stripped of vital nutrients such as fiber. If you prefer the taste of white flour you can use a mixture of the two, slowly increasing the ratio of whole wheat flour over time. When you bake, the choice is all yours and the possibilities are endless.

The advantages to using whole foods in your home baking projects are not only all of the good things that are left in. Perhaps an even more important is what is left out. Often whole foods are organic or grown without harmful pesticides. This also translates to less chemicals going into the body. Prepackaged baked goods contain preservatives and other additives like salt, sugar and saturated or trans fats, including dextrose and the dreaded high-fructose corn syrup. These additives are meant to give the products a longer shelf life and in some cases they add additional flavoring to compensate for lesser quality ingredients. These chemicals are harder for the body to process than the whole, natural ingredients that you would use when baking at home. The added fats and sugars translate to added calories and increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, not to mention obesity.

We all want what's best for our families. Nowadays there are so many choices in the grocery store when it comes to baked goods. At the end of the day no one can take better care of your family than you can. Taking the time to look for great bread recipes and then bake fresh breads, pastries and desserts are steps in the right direction. By using high quality fresh ingredients you are taking that extra step to provide your family with nutritional, healthy food that is deceptively decadent and creating healthy eating habits that will follow your children through life. When you really want to give your family the best, healthiest option there is no better decision that baking at home.

Orla Hayman is baking mad. Her passion comes from being taught as a small child on how to bake, she likes nothing more than helping other people develop their confidence in the kitchen with easy cake recipes.

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Is The Paleo Diet Healthy?

First, what do I mean by a paleo diet? I'm referring to an increasingly popular way of eating that rejects most of today's processed and packaged foods. Following this diet means that you eat like our hunter-gatherer ancestors did thousands of years ago. You still eat meats, seafood and vegetables, etc. but you select those that have not been overly processed or doctored by the food industry. Instead, you opt for natural, healthy foods.

Did you know that today, the average American eats 31 percent more processed and packaged foods than fresh, natural foods. Can you believe that? Sadly, it's true.

How Did We Get To This Sad State?

We're all so busy and strapped for time, that we've been choosing to eat pre-packaged, foods that are quick and easy, just heat and eat. Trouble is, we've been ignoring all the (mostly artificial) additives, flavorings, preservatives and colorings that are routinely added to those "convenience" foods.

What do you think the price has been for choosing convenience over eating fresh healthy foods? Actually, many nutritionists tell us the price is our health.

Are they just trying to scare us into a different diet by exaggerating the dangers? Or do they know something that we don't?

The evidence, increasing every day from ongoing research, suggests that maybe we should pay more attention to them... and to our diet.

One Major Culprit Is Sugar

Let's take a look at one of the major ingredients in our processed/packaged "convenience" foods as an example - refined sugar. This substance was completely unknown to your prehistoric ancestors. Today, sugar has become a major ingredient in the American diet. Think I'm exaggerating? Consider the following statistic.

The average American now consumes (are you ready for this) about two and one half pounds of sugar every week. Most of us don't even know that we're eating that much sugar. For heavens sake, why not? Because sugar is hidden in the ingredients listed on the FDA labels of most of the processed and packaged foods that we eat.

Understanding The Ingredients Label

The ingredients on the FDA food labels are listed in descending order by weight. That means the closer to the top of the list an ingredient is, the more of it there is in the food. So the relative position of sugar in a package's ingredients list gives you an idea how much sugar the food contains... a lot, or just a little.

Also, you need to know that in food ingredients lists, sugar goes by many different names. The bulleted list below is one that you might want to carry with you to the supermarket. Every item in the list is a form of refined sugar. And you'll often see more than one of them in the same ingredients list. Just remember, they are all sugar!

Agave nectarBrown sugarCane crystalsCane sugarCorn sweetenerCorn syrupCrystalline fructoseDextroseEvaporated cane juiceFructoseFruit juice concentratesGlucoseHigh-fructose corn syrupHoneyInvert sugarLactoseMaltoseMalt syrupMolassesRaw sugarSucroseSugarSyrup

In the last decade alone (a short 10 years) the consumption of refined sugar by Americans has increased from approximately 26 pounds per-person-per-year to a whopping 135 pounds per person!

Sugar Is Not The Only Culprit

And sugar is only one of the ingredients that is routinely added to processed and packaged foods these days. No wonder that our current diet is so unhealthy, and that switching to the paleo diet is so appealing.

When you consider all the other additives, flavorings, preservatives and colorings, it's no surprise that our nation is populated with people suffering from obesity, autoimmune diseases, heart problems, diabetes, arthritis, cancers and more! When you create an acronym for the "Standard American Diet" it spells the word SAD. What an accurate description of how we are eating these days.

Changing Your Diet, Two Good Rules of Thumb

To begin cutting down the amount of refined sugar you consume, a good rule of thumb is to avoid all products that list any of the sugars above at or near the top of the ingredients list. In addition, don't buy products that have several different sugars sprinkled throughout the list.

And, if you're serious about switching to a healthier diet, another good rule of thumb is that if there are more than two or three ingredients listed in the ingredients label, it's probably not healthy and you shouldn't eat it.

Following a paleo diet is one way to improve your eating habits for the better, and it's easy to do. Just begin thinking paleo when your in the market or in a restaurant. And get yourself a good paleo recipes cookbook and use it. Recipes from paleo cookbooks take the burden off you... the unhealthy ingredients have already been removed.

Common sense food choices and some simple actions that you can take will help you break old habits and the addiction to "convenience" foods. To protect and improve your health, you really should start on a paleo diet... now! Visit my website to learn more about how you can identify healthy paleo foods and begin eating healthier.

Floyd Taylor is a writer who has recently converted to the paleo diet. Visit his new website http://goodpaleorecipes.com/ to find out more about paleo foods and paleo recipes. You'll also find recipes from paleo cookbooks to try before you invest in the book; popular recipes like dessert and snack recipes.

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The History of Pizza and the First Frozen Pizza in America

Pizza was actually considered a meal for peasants in Italy for centuries. And as we really cannot determine who made the first pizza many food historians would agree dishes that were similar to pizza can be traced back to the Greeks and Egyptians. That said people have been enjoying such a delicious dish for many years.

The pizza as we most know of it today has been traced back to an individual by the name of Raffaele Esposito of Naples Italy. Raffaele was an Italian owner of a Tavern by the name of Pizzeria fi Pietro e Basta Cosi in the Nineteenth century. And as suggested above he has been traced back to the inventor of the modern day pizza. Raffaele has cooked his pizzas for Queen Margherita of Savoy to welcome her to Naples in 1889. This is when Raffaele made a pizza to resemble the Italian flag which was a combination of tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil, The Famouse Pizza Margherita.

The first pizzeria in the United States came from an Italian immigrant named Gennaro Lombardi. And in 1905 Lambardi's was opened when the City of New York provided the establishment with the first license for a pizzeria in the US.

With the rising popularity of pizza in the United States many chains started to appear. The early pizza chains were Shakey's Pizza founded in 1954 in Sacramento California. And by the way Shakey's was one of my favorite pizza places when I was a kid. Also some other earlier pizza chains were Pizza Hut founded in 1958 in Kansas, Josey's Pizza founded in Georgia in 1943.

Of course we cannot forget about the frozen pizzas. In fact the first frozen pizza was invented by an individual by the name of Rose Totino. Rose went to high school not far from my high school in Minnesota, Edison High in Northeast Minneapolis was her school. Rose and her husband Jim opened their restaurant in Minneapolis in 1951 on shoe string budget, but they achieved success pretty quickly, so quick that Jim was able to quit his job at a bakery within 3 weeks.

Anyway, Rose and Jim's invention of the first frozen pizza started petty much as a take and bake, yes the first Papa Murphy's. Jim would work the crust and Rose would apply the sauce. Thae idea evolved into Rose and Jim contracting the crust out of Chicago and then they would apply their sauce. That separate business of frozen pizzas started in 1962 and it grew so big the couple sold the rights to Pillsbury in 1972 for $20 million, not bad for an idea and a dream.

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Healthy Banana Smoothie Recipes

Banana smoothies are delicious, naturally thick and have a milkshake like consistency. Yummy! This doesn't mean they are not healthy. If you prefer you can substitute soy or almond milk for the dairy milk. It is also best to use ripe bananas, so if your bananas are becoming over-ripe just toss them in the blender for a healthy smoothie. These smoothies are super easy to make. Enjoy!

One Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 c. milk
1 banana, cut up
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ice cubes

Directions:

Add the milk, banana, vanilla extract and the ice cubes together in the blender. Cover and blend until smooth about 30 seconds. If your blender doesn't crush ice you can crush it up yourself by putting it in a freezer bag and hitting it with a mallet. Best to do this on a cutting board and not on your countertop! Add the crushed ice and blend. This recipe makes one serving.

Two Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 bananas, cut up
1 c. plain yogurt
1 c. orange juice
4 tsp. honey

Directions:

Place all ingredients in the blender (you can also use a food processor). Blend until smooth. Since you have not added ice to this smoothie, add a couple of ice cubes to your glass or put your smoothie into the refrigerator to chill. This recipe makes 2 servings.

Smoothies are a tasty way to eat healthy and keep your weight stable. You can even disguise greens like spinach or kale in a smoothie - perfect for the kids. Drink your way to health with smoothies!

A great resource for those who are serious about their smoothies is available at Sensational Smoothies. Yes, this is the only recipe book you will ever need; over 180 healthy combinations including vegetable smoothies. Check it out at http://www.healthysmooth.org/

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Healthy Sandwich Recipes Kids Will Love

Sandwiches are a lunchtime staple for kids (and adults!) of all ages, but not all are created equally. If you want to make sandwiches that kids of all ages will love, but that are full of wholesome ingredients and essential nutrients, consider treating your kids to one of these healthy sandwich recipes.

Start With Delicious Whole Grain Bread

Healthy sandwich recipes start with a great base and using a whole grain bread is an excellent place to start. Look for a whole grain bread that's packed full of essential nutrients, including fibre, vitamin B12, folate, selenium and more. The fibre in whole grain bread helps children stay fuller longer, so they won't be rushing to the refrigerator for a snack every hour of the day.

Add Some Veggies To A Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese is certainly delicious, but you can up the nutritional value by adding some veggies to the melty, gooey goodness. If you're looking for an alternative to a traditional grilled cheese made with cheese singles, dress up your sandwiches with fresh mozzarella, thick cut tomato slices and some fresh basil. If you aren't a fan of tomatoes, consider adding some chopped up broccoli pieces, sliced zucchini or other vegetables to your cheese singles.

Use Honey Instead Of Jelly

Peanut butter is a favourite of kids of all ages, but jelly can be high in sugar. Instead, use honey as a more natural alternative to jelly or jam. Honey can even help if you or your children suffer from seasonal allergies. If you choose a local honey, some of the allergen inducing pollen makes it way into the honey. This can help your body develop a natural immunity to the pollen, reducing your allergy symptoms.

Add Vegetables And Crunch To Your Tuna Salad

Tuna salad is pretty wholesome on its own, as long as you use low-fat mayonnaise. Mix together a little chopped green pepper, crisp canned corn and finely diced red onion with some albacore tuna (packed in water, not oil!) and just a tablespoon or two of low-fat mayonnaise. Add some romaine lettuce, tomato and maybe a slice of cheddar cheese to two slices of whole grain bread for a filling sandwich.

Sides For Your Healthy Sandwich Recipes

Complement your healthy sandwich recipes with healthy side options. Instead of potato chips and heavy dips, look for fresh fruit, low-fat pretzels or even baked pita chips with hummus. With so many delicious options for healthy sandwich recipes that use whole grain bread and wholesome side dishes, there's sure to be something to make every member of your family happy.

Maria Noble is a Canadian mother and writer who likes writing about ways to improve her family's health, including making healthy sandwich recipes that are full of essential nutrients. A lot of her research comes from analyzing one of her favourite products, whole grain WONDER® bread.

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The Magic Book of Cookery

There once was a place called Cheb in a remote corner of Central Europe. Back in the 17th century it was still in the Kingdom of Bohemia. It was a lovely village, surrounded by mountains and a magnificent forest.

For many years witches had been hunted, and as a result pagans had to hide, deny their beliefs and pretend to be ordinary members of the community. One group of them that then became a secret society. They called themselves The Friends of Euphrosyne.

Euphrosyne is the Greek goddess of joy and laughter. She is fun-loving and very wise. With her two sisters (Thalia and Aglaea) they are known as the "Three Graces", a powerful trinity whom a few ancient hidden pagan clans used to worship.

Euphrosyne is there to remind us to let go and have fun. She tells us to be proud of what we are, and to be empowered by our good humour. She also reminds us to laugh every now and then. After all, laughter is one of the greatest gifts we have.

The Friends of Euphrosyne turned to this deity after they discovered that the most effective magic was that carried out with fun, joy and the spirit of friendship. They developed their rituals over time so that they could easily be camouflaged or assimilated into social gatherings.

Madame Magdalena was the coven's High Priestess, the book writer and guardian. Her family line came from a powerful witch ancestry; she was very proud of it and was ready to protect her family's wisdom and traditions with her life. At the same time, she was also aware of the dangerous times she had to face.

The secret society practised their craft in peace for some time before they were discovered by some German witch-hunters who reported them to the Bishop of Prague. They were accused of witchcraft, but before they could be arrested, the whole coven vanished. They say the members spread around Europe and overseas. The witch-hunter never found their book of shadows.

The book containing all their rituals was called The Magic Book of Cookery. In the years after the coven was disbanded the book travelled around Europe and the Americas. For many years it was kept safe and protected, but now it is time to reveal its secrets and make it come to light. It is a book of ancient wisdom. May you enjoy it with your friends and use it to add a little extra fun and pleasure to your life.

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How to Make an Authentic Mexican Pozole Soup

A wonderful smell comes from the kitchen when Pozole is on the menu. It is a traditional Mexican dish that is cooked in three different styles, depending on which State of Mexico it comes from. White Pozole comes from the State of Guerrero, which can be found in the Southern part of Mexico, and is considered to be the most tasty of the three different styles.

Ingredients

1 Kilo of Boneless Chopped Pork

1/2 a Kilo of Pork on the Bone

3 Kilos of Fresh Large White Sweet Corn (Maize)

2 Large Onions

Garlic to taste

2 Large Avocados

1/2 a Lettuce

12 Large Radishes

6 Chiles (Serrano)

Oregano

Pork Scratchings

2-3 Packets of Corn Tortillas (Mexican Tostadas)

Salt to taste

Preparation for 12 Large Portions

Wash the maize, and put it into a large metal stock pot together with one onion, the squeezed garlic (to taste), and enough water to cover. Place the stock pot on a high gas flame for about one hour, checking so as not to allow the water to boil dry. Put both the boneless pork, and the pork on the bone into the stock pot (add more water if necessary). Continue cooking on a high flame for a further two hours, until the pork is completely cooked together with the maize. Half of an hour before the cooking time has finished, add three or four large pinches of salt (to taste).

The maize should be soft when it is chewed (pre-cooked tinned maize will cook a lot quicker, so the cooking time will need to be adjusted, if used).

Meanwhile the maize and pork are cooking, wash and finely chop the half lettuce together with one onion and 6 chiles. Wash the radishes and finely slice them.

Serving Instructions

Serve the Pozole into large soup bowls. Place two to three large pieces of sliced avocado into each soup bowl, together with a few small pieces of pork scratchings. Place the finely chopped lettuce on top, together with two to three teaspoons of chopped onion, a sliced radish, half of a chopped chile, and finish by sprinkling oregano over the top.

Eat served with the corn tortillas (tostadas).

Pozole can be prepared with chicken rather than pork if required, although the cooking time for the chicken will need to be reduced. Like wise, it may also be prepared without meat for a tasty vegetarian dish. Although Pozole can be eaten directly after it has been cooked, it is best left for 24 hours and thoroughly reheated the next day for a true authentic Mexican taste.

Pozole may be eaten for breakfast or throughout the day, usually with a cold drink.

Philip Albert Edmonds-Hunt is from the County of Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom. He has travelled most of Europe, and he has lived in Spain on more than one occasion. Philip has also travelled much of the USA and now lives and works as a Freelance Writer and English Teacher in Mexico. He is the owner of The Oxford Quill, a small but reliable business offering a range of services such as Professional Article Writing, Proofreading, and Website Design. If you would like to learn more about how to prepare traditional Mexican food, check out: https://sites.google.com/site/theoxfordquill/how-to-make-mexican-egg-tacos

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Will The Gang Be Gathering at Your House? Try These Recipes For Easy Eats

Whether to watch the game, play cards, just hang out, etc, when your gang of friends and family show up, food is usually a part of the plan. The recipes in this article are easy and tasty so you can prepare the food and still enjoy whatever is happening around you.

CORNY GREEN CHILE DIP
When looking for a bit of a different dip to go with your Tex-Mex meal or snacks try this easy dip.

1 lb shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cream-style corn
1/2 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
1 can (4-oz) diced green chile peppers
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker or crockpot; stir to blend well. Place lid on cooker and cook on high for 1 hour or on low for 2 hours. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

SOUTHWESTERN SLOPPY JOES
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 tsp minced onion
1 jar (16-oz) your favorite salsa
1 pkg (1 1/4-oz) taco seasoning mix
1 can (4-oz) corn taco shells, break into bite-size pieces
8 buns or rolls for serving

In a medium to large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef until no longer pink; drain well and wipe skillet with a paper towel. Return meat to skillet.

Stir the minced onion, salsa, and taco seasoning into the meat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until the mixture is thick and bubbly; stir occasionally.

Before serving, stir in the taco shell pieces. Place meat mixture on buns and top with your favorite condiments.

Suggested Toppings:
sour cream
shredded Mexican-Blend cheese
chopped tomatoes
chopped red onion
sliced black olives
shredded lettuce

CHOCOLATE-PECAN CRISPS
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flaked coconut

Cream the butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl until blended. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and pecans in a small bowl to blend together well. Add to the butter mixture, blending until a stiff dough forms. Sprinkle the coconut on a flat work surface.

Divide the dough into 4 parts. Shape each part into a roll about 1 1/2-inches in diameter; roll in the coconut until heavily coated. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm; at least one hour but up to 2 weeks. (May be frozen up to 6 weeks.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or just leave ungreased.

Cut dough into slices about 1/8-inch thick. Place slices 2-inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 13 minutes or until firm. Do not overbake. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

Yield: 6 dozen cookies

Enjoy!

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Ingredient Basics for Home Baking

Most baking projects call for similar ingredients. Before taking on any new baking project, make sure you read the recipe in advance. If you keep most of the basic ingredients on hand, you will be set. But, if from your cookbook you choose a white chocolate and cranberry cookie recipe, you may have to pick up a few more items from the grocery store.

Refrigerated Ingredients

A large part of your basic baking recipes will call for either butter or margarine. Buy them in stick form for easier measuring. A lot of recipes call for eggs. Try to use large ones whenever possible. Another refrigerated item you may need for a baking project is milk. Substituting non-fat for whole milk may change the richness of the finished product so keep that in mind.

Dry Ingredients

Most recipes will use all-purpose flour unless otherwise noted. You can also use this flour for rolling out pie crust or cookie dough and to prep a cake pan. There are three kinds of sugar you may want to stock in your pantry. Granulated will be used most often and brown sugar will come in a close second. Powdered sugar is mostly used for icings and dusting on cakes, so you can wait on purchasing this until you need it. Always keep both baking soda and baking powder on hand because you will use them both a lot. If you have a chocolate brownie recipe or a chocolate cake recipe that you might use frequently, consider purchasing a container of unsweetened cocoa to keep on hand.

Spices and Flavorings

The main spices that you will use are cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. These are items that you will want to stock. If you plan on baking anything with pumpkin, you can invest in those spices as you need them. The most important flavoring you will need is vanilla extract. You will use this frequently. You can purchase imitation, but for the best flavor, splurge on the higher quality vanilla if you can. You will find that an occasional baking recipe will call for a different flavoring other than vanilla. Purchase those when you need them.

Oils and Fats

A lot of baking recipes will call for vegetable oil such as canola or safflower. Buy a smaller bottle if you use this infrequently so it won't go bad on you before you use it all up. If you plan on making pie crust from scratch, you will need to keep a can of shortening in your pantry. Shortening is also great for greasing a cake can before flouring it and also great for greasing a pan for bar cookies. To stay on the healthier side, you can use a cooking spray to grease pans instead.

There are standard ingredients such as flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and oil that you will use again and again if you bake on a regular basis. If you find a sticky toffee pudding recipe that you have to try, you may need to make a trip to the grocery store for a few special items you don't have in your pantry. But, if you stock the basics in your kitchen, you will be ready when your sweet tooth begins calling.

Orla Hayman is a keen and passionate home baker who likes nothing more than helping other people develop their skills in the kitchen, in particular teaching people how to make delicious cakes, breads, and other treats with simple and easy baking recipes.

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The Paleo Recipe Book Reviews

It's been said that if you want to lose weight, and I mean REALLY WEIGHT... you have to change the way you eat! Now, naturally you can become a Vegan, however you do lose out on certain enjoyable nutritional value in your diet.

I was discouraged about going cold turkey on that one, no doubt, being from Texas and living the lifestyle of eating B.B.Q and Tex-Mex. But being slapped by my practitioner who emphasize that there is not an alternative if I want to be around when I'm 90 - so I had to change!

So, the most important quest in my life, is how to enjoy the foods I'd grew up with, and having the approval from my doctor. It had to be the Paleo diet. Naturally I dislike the term "diet", and who doesn't? But my discovery of the Paleolithic diet (abbreviated Paleo diet or Paleo diet), popularly referred to as the caveman diet, was simply a modern nutritional meal plan based on ancient recipes of wild plant life and various hominid animal species that inhabited the earth during the Paleolithic era - somewhere from a period of about 2.5 million years ago. The "Paleolithic Diet" from our ancestral heritage.

Now slapping myself in disbelief, I had come to a conclusion that in order to alter my nutritional requirements I needed to learn how to prepare my foods that consists of fish, grass-fed pasture raised meats, vegetables, fruit, fungi, roots, and nuts, that excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils.

From this point on I knew I had to tighten up my belt and my choke on my pride, grab a seat and sit down and begin my in-depth investigation on the Paleo diet, and what I found was... "The Paleo Recipe Book," a collection of intriguing recipes of organic whole-foods that not only taste good but was considered healthy for you. a diet reason known as "The Caveman diet".

So what is the benefit of the Caveman Diet?

It makes sense to learn the benefits of this diet. I mean, you wouldn't start a Fried Chicken Diet without knowing what the benefits are right? Come to think of it, the only benefit would be that you'd only have to wear sweat pants from now on. Thankfully, this recipe book is far more sensible. So without further ado... here are the top benefits of this Paleo diet book.

A Slimmer Waist-

That's right, I said it. Since starting this diet I discovered that I can trim down, not over a long period but significantly. I lost twenty-one (pounds) that the vast majority was fat. Surprising I saw myself a lot thinner. The best part was it took about a week and a half more or so to see the results.

You'll obtain more Energy-

It's crazy, right? Imagine that when you feed your body what it's biologically programmed to consume, you optimally function better. This low carb Paleo diet recipe had me feeling energetic and alive than I ever felt in my life. No more of those heavy B.B.Q parties and rich artisan foods that slow me down. A surge of life sprang through my veins that I couldn't contain myself. It's surely something you might take for granted, but to feel an energy that's cleaner and healthier cannot be underestimated.
It's Scientifically Proven to improve your Health!

In a recent scientific study, it's proven that when you return to a traditional Paleo food diet it has a slew of medical benefits... even if you do it in as interim trial. A few benefits include improved blood pressure, decrease of insulin secretion, an increase of insulin sensitivity and improvement of lipid profiles. Alright, so what the heck does this all mean? Realistically eating food on the Paleo diet list can help reduce your chances of getting diabetes, heart disease and obesity. So, how cool is that!?!

So, finally what does this Paleo Recipe Book include?
• 370+ Paleo diet recipes
• Full pages of recipe photos for easy understanding
• Bonus 8 week meal plan
• Bonus Herb and Spice Guide
• Cooking guides, charts and reference sheets
• Cooking the perfect steak, choosing the perfect foods, etc.

Here is my recommendation for the best Paleo diet cook books that are on the market right now. Yea, you know you want this.

• Paleo Recipe Book - This is the product that I recommend most. It is the most comprehensive of all the cookbooks and the best place to begin. I also like it because it comes with supplementary products such as a Paleo diet meal plan, and a guide to herbs and spices.
• With admiration of the author - Sebastian Noel, of the Paleo Diet Life Style - I learned that he became somebody that really experience a hardship in his life and found retribution by writing the Paleo Diet.

In conclusion -

This is probably the best book you will ever need - it changed my life and even though you might consider regret, not in a million!

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Old Fashion Canning Recipes

If you prefer to can your own vegetables, make your own jam, jelly, etc, you will love these old fashion recipes. From Banana Butter to Pickled Onions, here are some unique tasty recipes.

BANANA BUTTER

If you are wondering what is Banana Butter, it is a canned butter like apple butter, for instance.

6 clean hot half-pint canning jars
6 hot flat canning lids and rings
3 1/2 lbs ripe bananas
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup finely chopped red maraschino cherries
1 tsp butter

Thoroughly mash bananas; measure 4 cups into a large kettle or Dutch oven. Add the sugar, lemon juice, cherries, and butter; mix together well. Bring the mixture to a roiling boil while stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered for 20 minutes while stirring often. Pour into the hot canning jars, leaving a half inch of headspace. Tighten the lids onto the jars. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove jars from the hot water and set on countertop to cool.

BEET RASPBERRY JELLY

5 med beets
1 - 1 1/2 cups water
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 pkg (3/4-oz) powdered pectin
3 1/2 cups sugar
1 box (3-oz) raspberry gelatin

Wash the beets thoroughly and cut off roots and tops. Place in a large kettle with the water. Boil until you have 3 cups of beet juice. Strain the beets through a strainer, retain juice and discard beet mush.

In large kettle, combine the 3 cups of beet juice, lemon juice, powdered pectin, sugar, and gelatin. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove mixture from the heat. Pour into hot sterilized jars and add hot 2-piece lids. Listen for jars to seal. When jars seal they make a popping sound and indent slightly in the center. Refrigerate any jars that do not seal!

PICKLED ONIONS

This is another old Indiana canning recipe from the 1940s when I was a child.

1 gallon small white onions
1 cup salt
1 to 2 (depending on taste) sugar
3 tablespoons white mustard seed
3 tablespoons whole peppercorns
1 1/2 quarts white vinegar
3 tablespoons grated horseradish
Small red (hot) peppers and bay leaves

Cover onions with boiling water. Let stand 2 minutes. Dip in cold water, then remove outer skins. Sprinkle with the salt. Cover with water and let stand overnight. Rinse. Drain. Pack into hot sterilized jars. Garnish with a hot pepper and a bay leaf per jar. Simmer sugar, mustard seeds, peppercorns, and horseradish with the vinegar for 15 minutes then boil 3 minutes. Pour over the onions, then seal completely.

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/

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Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Most of us have a craving for particular food on occasion. One of the cravings I had recently was for Mexican Food, not just any Mexican Food but Chicken Enchiladas made with flour tortillas. Thus began a search for a recipe that might work for me. I found one that seemed interesting, but it seemed like a large recipe and it needed some tweaking. I have the tweaking down, but now I need to work on the quantity. Next came a search of the internet for another recipe, since it never hurts to make a comparison. I found one that looked promising on Delish.com. Of course there were a few modifications that could be made to it as well. These are both very easy recipes to make and are best when eaten right after they are made (the food quality seems to deteriorate some when frozen). Here are the two really yummy, easy to make Chicken Enchiladas I found and adapted to my taste.

Both recipes call for chopped cooked chicken. My favorite way of preparing the chicken is to roast it in the oven. This gives the chicken more depth of flavor. Use boneless skinless chicken breasts that have been thawed and dried; place them on a rimmed cookie sheet and drizzle them with olive oil. Rub the oil over the chicken making sure each piece is well coated, then sprinkle them with Mrs. Dash Salt Substitute. I prefer the original flavor. Place them in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. After cooling they are ready for chopping for your recipe.

Easy Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

· 1 can cream of chicken soup· ½ cup sour cream· 1 cup Pico de Gallo· 1 can chopped green chilies· 2 teaspoons chili powder· 2 cups chopped cooked chicken· 3/4 cup shredded Colby jack cheese· 6 flour tortillas (6 inch) (warmed)· 1 small tomato chopped· 1 green onion sliced

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Stir soup, sour cream, Pico de Gallo, green chilies and chili powder together in a medium sized bowl.

2. Stir one cup of the soup mixture, chicken and ½ cup cheese in a large bowl.

3. Divide the chicken mixture evenly among the tortillas. Roll them up and place them in a 9x13 sprayed casserole dish. Pour remaining soup over the filled tortillas. Top with remaining ¼ cup Colby jack cheese.

4. Bake for 40 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Top with tomatoes and green onion.

5. You could add ½ cup drained and rinsed black beans and ½ cup drained corn to the soup mixture before filling the tortillas. (A delicious addition).

Serve these with a tossed salad of greens and your meal is complete

I hope you enjoy these enchiladas and will make your own changes to the recipe.

Keep reading for my experiment with the other recipe.

Chicken Enchiladas Part II

This recipe came from a friend who had made them as a gift for a family member. I enjoyed them so much that she shared her recipe with me. The recipe served four hearty appetites with plenty leftover. They are great for the lunch box the next day, but I thought freezing compromised the quality. The original recipe called for a large can of boned chicken. That would definitely work well in a pinch; however I prefer to roast chicken breasts if I have enough time.

Chicken Enchiladas II

· 3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts roasted and chopped (or 1 large can chicken drained)· 3 cubes chicken bouillon· 24 ounces sour cream· 2 -4 ounce cans chopped green chilies· 11/2 lb. shredded Colby jack cheese· 1 package (8) burrito sized flour tortillas· ¼ tsp. onion powder· ¼ tsp. garlic powder· ½ tsp. cumin

1. Chop the chicken (If using canned chicken drain it and shred it using a fork).

2. Heat 3or4 Tbsp of water in the microwave and add bouillon cubes to dissolve. (If using canned chicken use the drained liquid and heat in the microwave).

3. Combine chicken, sour cream, green chilies, dissolved bouillon cubes and seasonings.

4. Spoon 2 heaping Tbsp. of mixture onto one side of the flour tortilla, sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. of cheese and roll burrito style. Place on a greased cookie sheet with sides. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

5. Spread remaining mixture on top of filled tortillas and cover with cheese.

6. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Delicious when topped with your favorite salsa.

Calories and fat could be cut by using both fat free or light sour cream and cheese. Also there are also fat free tortillas available.

Try these recipes and add your own variations to them to make them your own. The second enchilada recipe can easily be cut down to make it more manageable, just halve the ingredients.

Jan Duggan is a retired senior manager with over 30 years in the high tech electronics industry. He and his wife Mary are fulfilling a decade's long ambition of running their own business. Their website, http://www.mycookwareshop.com/, offers a variety of quality cookware, cutlery and dinnerware from nationally recognized manufacturers, and features some of their favorite recipes from around the country. They have 2 married daughters and 6 grandkids which keep them busy and youthful. Both Jan and Mary enjoy cooking and entertaining and love to travel in any spare time they find.

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Modifying Desserts for Special Diets

Do you or someone you know have special dietary needs? You can modify most baking recipes to accommodate an allergy or special dietary needs. If you are making treats for a potluck or a bake sale, you may want to consider modifying your home baking recipes to be on the safe side so everyone can enjoy them.

Nuts

A lot of people have nut allergies. You should always think about who will be eating your brownies from your chocolate brownie recipe before you decide on whether to add walnuts or pecans. If you are sharing them with a group of people whom you aren't familiar with, you should probably opt for no nuts. Another option would be to make two batches-one with nuts and one without nuts.

Chocolate

It is hard to believe that anyone would opt to not eat chocolate. But there are a few people who simply can't eat chocolate because of an allergy. There are so many other ways to flavor treats besides using chocolate. If they are allergic to chocolate, their allergy could be triggered by cocoa, milk, nuts, or soy lecithin. You could always ask the person with the allergy what their favorite treat is.

Dairy

There are a lot of people who have health problems when they consume dairy products. Before you bake something for someone, ask what kinds of things bother them the most. Realize that common items they may have concerns with could be cream cheese, milk, eggs, and butter. When everything is mixed together and baked, it may not be a huge problem for them if they don't consume a lot. It's best to ask the person what they can tolerate.

Diabetic

A lot of people have diabetes and should not consume foods with very much, if any, sugar. There are a lot of cookbooks now with great recipes for diabetics. You can substitute purred fruit and other items for the sugar in some recipes. You can also use sugar substitute products, like Splenda, as a replacement for the sugar in, for example, an apple pie recipe. The one thing to keep in mind is that if you use Splenda, the texture and taste of the baked treat will be altered.

Gluten

If a person has a gluten allergy, all baking recipes will have to be modified. Gluten is a protein found in wheat. Substitutes for wheat might include corn, potato, barley, oat, soy, and rice flours. You should always ask someone with this allergy what they can and can't tolerate. Because this is diagnosed more often today, there are a lot of recipes for baking that have been modified specifically for gluten allergies. There are entire cookbooks now devoted to these specific recipe needs.

There are a lot of people who like to eat home baked goodies, but have restrictions due to allergies to some ingredients or due to the need to have a low or no sugar diet. Keep these things in mind when you choose a cookie recipe or a banana bread recipe to bake for others. You can add different ingredients or leave out the chocolate or nuts to your baking recipes. After all, you want everyone to enjoy what you bake.

Orla Hayman is an enthusiastic and passionate home baker who loves nothing more than helping other people develop their expertise in the kitchen, in particular teaching people her own distinctive banana bread recipe and real Irish soda bread recipe.

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How to Cook Barbecued Ribs?

How to Barbecued ribs

Who doesn't like barbecue ribs? The hardest part of getting barbecued ribs is producing the flavor of barbecue in it using a smoker or a gas grill. Ribs can be made tender or crunchy. At the end of the day it is all about one's choice and taste. Anyway just follow this few steps procedure and you are going to have a hell of a dinner tonight!

Things you need!
1. Pork ribs (Cleaned and cut in appropriate size)
2. Barbecue sauce
3. Pork rib rub (any flavor you like)
4. Wooden chips/a piece of coal will also do (for the barbecue flavor)
5. Aluminum foil (to keep them warm and juicy)
6. A knife
7. A kitchen thermometer
8. A smoker/gas grill (Large enough for the ribs)

Procedure:
1. First and foremost; the most common mistake people make while making ribs is that they give them direct heat. That is the wrong way and tends to shrivel up the ribs. The best way to get juicy and tender ribs is cooking them with an indirect or even source of heat. Secondly, patience pays!
2. Coming to the procedure, set up the smoker at 225 degrees Fahrenheit or 107 degrees Celsius. More heat is needed at the start and at the end while pouring the sauce.
3. Get perfectly trimmed and sorted out ribs from wherever you get your meat. Clean it up of the membrane/skin covering it on one side. Any spare fat hanging on it also doesn't help. It does not let the flavor sink in through the meat. A good way to do it is lightly heat the rack of ribs and then peel off the skin using a knife. It will easily detach.
4. Now use the pork rib rub and preserve the ribs in it. Don't apply the rib-rub too early. It gives a stale taste. Applying it just close to the cooking time helps sinking the flavor in. Pork rib rub comes in a variety of flavors; from sugary and salty to spicy etc. Use only as much as you want.
5. Nobody knows your smoker better than you. Just get an even heat from it on the ribs. Most people do not get it right at this point and it kills all the effort made for the preparation earlier.
6. Don't stretch out the meat. Just place it gently on the smoker. Let them be in the smoker for 3 hours on low even heat.
7. Now wrap them in a heavy aluminum foil for 2 hours or so and put them on the smoker. This lets the ribs get soft in their own steam and you get a deep barbecue taste in the meat. Moreover if you like soft ribs then this is one of the best ways to do it!
8. When the ribs reach a temperature of around 170 degrees Fahrenheit you can either get them crispy or soft and tender. If you want to get the crispy thing, put some sauce on the ribs and let them heat to about 265 degrees Fahrenheit. If not then just unwrap the aluminum foil and put the ribs in a platter and pour barbecue sauce on it.
9. Let the ribs rest a bit prior to serving for about 10 minutes or so.
10. Cut the ribs using a sharp knife in to size you prefer. Your barbecued ribs are now ready.

Cooking is all about innovation, patience and experience. Always be patient during the process, learn from your mistakes and innovate along the way. You're good to go!

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Indian Stuffed Green Bell Peppers

Bell pepper is one hell of a versatile vegetable to work with! The hollow interiors of stuffed peppers will tempt you to fill them up with delicious stuffing and create a stunner.

Every cuisine has version of stuffed green peppers and Indian cuisine is not an exception. The Indians love to stuff them up with spicy filling.

The elements of the filling range from rice, beans, lentil, potatoes, cottage cheese and meat. Though you might find them in other cuisine too but it is the use of spices which gives an Indian touch to these stuffed green peppers.

Bell peppers are known as "simla mirch" in India and "bharwa" means "stuffed" - hence "bharwa simla mirch" is the name given to this dish in India.

A mixture of cottage cheese and potatoes is one of the most common filling for green peppers. The creaminess of the cottage cheese is perfectly complimented by the piquancy of Indian spices while a hint of dry mango powder gives it a tangy twist.

Sometimes, these stuffed green bell peppers are dipped in equally spicy gravy to bring out the best in them. Hence bring the taste of India on plate with these stuffed peppers and relish the Indian flavours.

Yield: 4 Servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

4 green bell peppers200 gm cottage cheese, grated1/2 cup cheese3 medium potatoes, mashedFew sprigs of fresh cilantro1" ginger, chopped1 onion, chopped12-15 raisinsA handful of cashews1 tsp garam masala1 tsp cumin powder1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper2 tsp dry mango powder (amchur)Salt to taste3 green chillies, chopped2 tbsp oil

Directions:

Warm up your oven to 400 degrees F.Slice the top of each bell pepper and scoop out the seeds.Combine the mashed potatoes, raisins, cashew nuts, cottage cheese, cilantro, spices and salt in a bowl and keep aside.Saute the onions in oil over medium heat until they become soft and translucent.Add the green chillies and ginger, continue to cook for some time.Stir in the cottage cheese mixture and cook for another couple of minutes.Stuff portions of the cooked filling inside each bell pepper.Top each of them with the grated cheese and arrange them on baking dish.Bake the bell peppers for 15 minutes and serve hot.

Useful Tip: You can boil the bell peppers before filling them up so that they can absorb the flavours of the stuffing while baking.

Want to try different cuisine or variation of this stunning dish? You can find unique stuffed peppers recipe collection by Sharon Hunter http://www.stuffedbellpeppers.net/.

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Ricotta, Eggplant, Zucchini, Onions and Tomato Pie

This recipe does not derive from memory or from tradition. It's simply a response to my road venture yesterday to New Jersey, a reply to the resultant of that venture: my kitchen counter now overloaded with Jersey eggplant, squash, onions, tomatoes, peppers, melons, peaches and corn. The corn took care of itself immediately. The peaches were destined to jam, cobblers, tartes and freezing for winter resurrection. The peppers belonged to peperonata. Ciambotta would be the destiny of most of the tomatoes and eggplants and squash. But I had even more than the ciambotta needed. What, I wondered could I do differently with the extras? My first inclination was to use them for a pizza. But pizza would certainly not be different. Then, suddenly something struck me. Instead of a pizza why not try something more like an Easter ricotta pie? a pie with a true pie crust, a pie with a ricotta base with successive layers of onion, eggplant, tomato and squash.

With this idea in mind I first investigated online to see what I could find about such a recipe. It would seem to me that such a pie must have occurred to others. As I learned, it did. For the most part I found variations on eggplant and ricotta pizza. I also found a few recipes for actual pies made with eggplant and ricotta. These few pie recipes had the same ingredients but not carried out in the same way. Google Italy had one version, a crostata, in which the eggplant and squash were diced and mixed into the cheese. All in all, I didn't find anything exactly like the pie I had in mind.

The foundation of a pie is its crust. My next question was the type of crust to use. For ultimate ease I suppose I could have gone with a store bought crust, but I wanted something more substantial. The crust best suited to ricotta pies is a "pasta frolla," but this special crust would bring too many Easter memories to the taste of the pie I was looking for. We're in summer. Summer needs its own taste. A quiche crust seemed that it might work but I worried that it might be too delicate for the ricotta. I spent hours going through cookbook after cookbook. I finally found what I was looking for, a "pâte brisé." The recipe I like the best is in the Flammarion, French Cooking. You can make this crust without all the usual fuss about cold butter and ice-water. Just keep the dough loose and let the butter buttons show throughout the flour. This dough is chilled and then shaped in the pie mold by pressing it out with your fingers. The crust bakes alone at 400 for about ten minutes. It cools and then you add the filling.

My plan was all in place. The assembly is time consuming but the end result is worth every minute. Along with the farm fresh summer vegetables the essential ingredient is a quality ricotta. Standard store brand varieties are mostly water. Where I live I have the benefit of Carlino's Italian Foods where they make the most dense ricotta impastata. If you cannot find a locally made ricotta, try to find a very high quality cheese. The rich savory ricotta enhanced with the taste of crushed garlic, the sweetness of the fried onions, the succulent creaminess of broiled eggplant and squash and the summer perfect delight of the lush tomato all aligned so as merge their tastes while maintaining individual flavor. I serve this pie at room temperature with a sprig of fresh basil on the side as a fragrant enhancement.

The illustrated recipe is found at The Food Table under baked goods or under meatless dishes. http://www.thefoodtable.com/

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