Friday, December 23, 2011

Video - Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe

We hope you all have a wonderful holiday!  We will not be posting next week - I will be traveling to spend time with my family. But be sure to check back just after the New Year for more great recipes and cooking from scratch tips! Stay warm and safe, enjoy your loved ones, and enjoy all the holiday goodies - remember it's okay to splurge once a year!  :-)

Here is a simple and good from-scratch recipe for Christmas cookies to bake with the kids - or just to take to a holiday party. This basic recipe is easy to make and versatile - feel free to add other ingredients or flavorings if desired. It's as easy as a pre-packaged mix, but without all the preservatives and artificial ingredients, and you can cut down on the sugar if you like.

Makes a great plate of decorated cookies for Santa! :-)

Simple Sugar Cookie Cutout Recipe (Christmas Cookie Cutouts)
Same cookie recipe as yesterday, but I wanted this recipe to be a "stand alone" recipe so that people looking for a simple sugar cookie recipe would be able to find it without the melted snowman instructions. Cookies: Makes approximately 2 dozen 4 in...



More Fun Christmas Cookie Recipes:
   


Enhanced by Zemanta

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Holiday Cooking Tradition: Christmas Cookies with the Kids

Christmas cookies are as much a part of the Christmas tradition for many as a visit from Old St. Nick himself. The cookies are often prepared in hopes of his pending arrival by children that are as excited as they can possibly be with all sorts of visions of great things to come dancing around in their bright and shining little eyes. Preparing the cookies in these instances can be a great time of bonding with your little ones but can also be a trying time if you don't follow a few of the tips and hints listed below.

English: Christmas cookies.Image via Wikipedia1. If you want to make cooking Christmas cookies and/or candy with your little ones the very best experience for you all that it can possibly be make sure you do it on a day when this is the only thing on your calendar. You do not want to rush through this time that is not only important for bonding with your child as a parent but also a time that is an important opportunity to lock in a few precious memories of great times you'll spend together. This is one thing that you want your children to look back at Christmas and remember doing with you and you want to be able to look back on Christmas and remember doing this with your children.

2. You should also make sure that everyone is well rested and well fed before beginning the process. This is important now more than ever, as we know more about the dangers of commercially farmed foods, such as raw eggs, that are included in cookie dough as well as the dough for many of our favorite Christmas confections and candies. You do not want to risk the health of your children through temptation over raw cookie dough.

3. Be sure that every child gets a turn with the fun stuff. This includes of course using the mixer and watching things spin around as well as choosing their personal favorites for the next batch of cookies. You should also make a few cookies that you plan to let them paint, decorate, and play with just for fun and their own personal enjoyment. This will guarantee a few smiles while also scoring a few brownie points for mom.

Taste-testing the cookie dough with GrandmImage via Wikipedia4. Be patient and expect spills and messes. If you can afford a cleaning service once a year, the day after your cookie extravaganza is the day you want to splurge. Seriously, don't sweat the small stuff. We make little messes every day it shouldn't be such a shock when they make a really big mess in one day. This is one of the reasons why you want to plan your cookie making on a day when the calendar is clear-you will need time for clean up when all is said and done.

5. Make sure you have all the necessary ingredients for each and every recipe before you begin. This is very important as cookie dough doesn't wait well for that final egg and children don't understand very well when they are interrupted from one project to run a quick errand (also, when was the last time you made it in and out of the grocery store in under an hour?). If you can make it through all the steps above you should be in for smooth sailing and Christmas cookie baking!
Enhanced by Zemanta

Classic Christmas Cookie Recipes:
   

Monday, December 19, 2011

Plan Ahead For A Fun Christmas Dinner Experience

Christmas is a time of year that brings friends and family together who may not have the pleasure of one another's company at any other time throughout the year. While family ties may be a bit difficult to maintain in the world in which we live today, the traditions of Christmas for many families are what keeps us grounded and in touch with one another no matter how far apart we are geographically. The problem is that if one person is doing the cooking for all, that person tends to spend endless hours in the kitchen and misses out on the joys of the company of others year after year. One way to avoid this is by rotating locations for the festivities from one year to the next. Another great way is to delegate items of contribution from all guests in attendance each year so that the cooking and meal preparation duties are shared among the masses.

Christmas in the post-War United StatesImage via WikipediaOf course this isn't a perfect plan but it is a good plan. Another great plan is to prepare pieces and parts of your Christmas dinner ahead of time. With careful planning there are items that may be prepared as much as a few weeks ahead of the big day and stored either in air tight containers at room temperature or frozen for heating or baking on the big day or within a reasonable time frame of Christmas for best results. Any of the prep work that can be taken care of before the big day is one less thing to be taken care of when the time comes and that becomes a load off your mind.

Make lists. Lists are wonderful things. If you learn to live by your lists you will wonder how on earth you ever got anything done without them. When you are planning your Christmas dinner write down everything you plan to have, who is bringing what, what you are making, and what ingredients will be needed to complete each and every single dish. Go through your pantry and see which items you have in abundance and which items you will need to prepare the meals. Head to the store at least a week ahead of the big day and purchase all but the fresh ingredients you will need in order to prepare your Christmas feast. And if you are preparing your own fresh meat - such as fish, or a turkey you have butchered yourself, be sure to allow plenty of time for preparing and cleaning them.

English: Turkey Dinner One that didn't make th...Image via WikipediaAnother thing you will need to do is make sure you have a list of all the non-food items you will need to stock ahead of time. Make sure all the bathrooms are stocked, that you have plenty of garbage bags, waste baskets, paper plates, cups, napkins, cutlery, and other items that will be needed in order to make things go smoothly when your guests begin to arrive. These are little things that matter and may get overlooked if you fail to plan ahead.

You should also make a list of decorations, invitations, and gifts or games you may need to purchase for the day too. You want your day to go as smoothly as possible and you want everyone to have a great time. It may be a good idea to pick up a couple of generic gifts for a male or female in case someone unexpected shows up (you really never know) and have extra wrapping paper and supplies on hand in case someone has an emergency re-wrap (as in a kid opened a gift intended for someone else) - it happens! Most importantly, plan to be able to sit back, relax, and enjoy as much of the festivities as possible.
Enhanced by Zemanta

More Holiday Entertaining Tips:
   

Friday, December 16, 2011

Cooking With Honey - Holiday Recipes

If you want to try cooking with honey, here are some great recipes to try this holiday season. From chicken, to dressings, to dessert, healthy honey adds a unique flavor to all your from-scratch recipes. Honey is usually harvested in late summer A jar of honeyImage via Wikipediaand fall, so now is a great time to get good deals on fresh honey. You can even stock up - honey will keep well for a long time. It may crystallize when the weather gets colder - just heat gently in a pan of hot water, or place in a plastic bag on the dashboard of your car for a few hours to liquify, and you're good to go!

Cooking Tip of the Day: Recipe: Honey Dijon Mayo
This recipe for Honey Dijon Mayo is quick and easy…. it makes a great addition to sandwiches.. adds that little extra pizzazz especially to ham. I know you can purchase flavored mayos… but they're so easy to make and this way you make a ...
Publish Date: 06/04/2010 3:00
http://cookingtipoftheday.blogspot.com/2011/12/recipe-honey-dijon-mayo.html

Sweet Honey Carrots Recipe
Sweet Honey Carrots Recipe. by Rene on December 8, 2011. I love sweet carrots! I discovered just how much I loved them when I had them at Kimono's. I came home and decided I needed to figure out to to make them like theirs. Mmmmm ...
Publish Date: 12/08/2011 13:00
http://budgetsavingmom.com/2011/12/08/sweet-honey-carrots-recipe/

HONEY CHICKEN RECIPE: HONEY GINGER CHICKEN
this site is all about great HONEY CHICKEN RECIPE, a Chicken Recipes blog with numerous and nice recipes to try.
Publish Date: 12/09/2011 20:57
http://honeychickenrecipe.blogspot.com/2011/12/honey-ginger-chicken.html

The Disney Diner: Honey Ham Glaze Recipe
I know this is another non-Disney recipe, but I made a honey ham for dinner tonight and it was so yummy I wanted to share the recipe with my readers (It tasted just like one of those expensive honey hams you can buy from a ...
Publish Date: 12/05/2011 20:34
http://www.thedisneydiner.com/2011/12/honey-ham-glaze-recipe.html

Cranberry-Honey Spice Pinwheel Cookies | Healthy Recipes
These cookies boast a bright, zesty filling and spicy aroma. They make a large batch and are extremely convenient, since you can make the logs of cookie dough ahead.
Publish Date: 11/06/2006 3:00
http://dailyhealthyrecipes.com/cranberry-honey-spice-pinwheel-cookies/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cranberry-honey-spice-pinwheel-cookies

The Pastry Affair - Home - Honey Cookies
This recipe has its own branch in my family tree. It has been passed down through four generations on my mother's side. These honey cookies have been shared between mother and daughter, grandmother through ...
Publish Date: 12/05/2011 22:14
http://www.thepastryaffair.com/blog/2011/12/5/honey-cookies.html

Learn More About Cooking With Honey:
   

Enhanced by Zemanta

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Cooking With Honey – The Healthy All-Natural Sweetener

If you want to be able to cook sweets without the negative health effects of refined sugar, honey is an excellent option. Among other reasons, honey is metabolized more slowly by your body, meaning that you are less likely to get a sugar “high” after eating something made with honey.

HoneyImage via WikipediaHoney can be challenging to cook with, though, for several reasons. So many people don't cook with it because they don't know how. But once you know how to use honey in your favorite kitchen creations, it's not hard at all to use.

The first challenge that honey presents is that it burns more easily that normal sugar. This problem is usually solved by doing your cooking or baking at a slightly lower heat.

The main hurdle to cooking with honey is that it is a liquid. Replacing sugar with honey will ruin some recipes if you don't make an allowance for the extra liquid that the honey adds.

For most muffins, simple quick breads, yeast breads, etc., you can make the substitution without any adjustment. But for cakes, cookies and some other recipes you should decrease the amount of liquid in the recipe to account for the honey.

Honey is also very easy to use in pies. Since they are already somewhat liquid, you can replace the sugar with honey. If the pie filling seems too runny, just add a little extra thickener before you pour it in your pie shell.

The flavor of honey can sometimes be an issue, but not usually. If you are making a recipe that you don't want the flavor to be noticeable, there are several things you can try. First of all, get the mildest flavored honey you can. Usually that will be a very pale clover honey. (The paler the honey, the sweeter and milder the flavor, in general.)

State Fair of Texas 2008, at Fair Park, Dallas...Image via WikipediaIf necessary, you can use part honey, and part some other sweetener, such as apple juice concentrate, agave nectar, stevia, or even sugar if you have to. Or, if you want to be adventurous, you can also try using different flavors of honey to add different subtle and unique flavors to your cooking. There are dozens of different kinds of honey - honey from each type of flower will taste different, and add a different aroma to your food.

Honey can add a delicious and subtle flavor to your cooking, while adding some of its healthy benefits as well. Because honey is sweeter than sugar, you can also get away with adding less of it. Honey is a great option to try in your holiday baked goods this season!
Enhanced by Zemanta

Monday, December 12, 2011

The Benefits (And Drawbacks) Of Buying Designer Kitchenware Products

If you are in the market for kitchenware, you may be considering making the purchase of designer kitchenware products. And you may be wondering what are some of the pros and cons to making the purchase of these types of products in this day and age.

kitchenware 4.7Image by noodlesthekuppy via FlickrOf course, for many people, one of the downsides to making the purchase of designer kitchenware is the price. In many instances, these types of products can be rather pricy.

But by shopping around -- including surfing around the Internet -- you can (on occasion) save at least a bit of money on designer kitchenware products. Budgets are tight for many these days (especially during the holiday season), so if you want to attempt to save a bit of money on designer kitchenware products, you will want to spend the time shopping around. Again, keep in mind that deals that might be available in regard to designer kitchenware are to be found both in cyberspace and in the brick and mortar world. You will not want to limit your shopping to only one of these two important shopping venues.

Svenska: Knäckebrödskavel. Kavel för kavling a...Image via WikipediaEven considering the price issue, there are many benefits to be had by purchasing designer kitchenware. The greatest benefit is the fact that you will be able to use highly effective and stylish kitchenware products in your own home. Because the kitchen really is the room that many cooks spend a great amount of their time, it may be important to you to have attractive and appealing kitchenware included in your overall kitchen décor. If you are such a person, you definitely will want to take a close look at the purchase of designer kitchenware.

Finally, one of the most important benefits of designer kitchenware is the fact that these products usually are of high quality. While you will end up spending a bit more for designer software at the outset, because these are well-built products as a rule, they will be around for a long period of time, and will tend to work very well - often much better than cheaper brands.

Visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/cookingfromscratch.html for some great suggestions and sources of high-quality designer kitchenware.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Friday, December 9, 2011

Video - Authentic Spaghetti Puttanesca Recipe

Here is an excellent short video on how to make an authentic Italian dish - Spaghetti Puttanesca -a simple and marvelous dinner that can be ready in 20 minutes and impress any guest! I love this video - I wish the translator was a bit quieter so you could enjoy the Italian in the background, but it's quite wonderful nonetheless - makes you feel like you're in an old Italian kitchen somewhere in Venice or Rome....

Enjoy! (Or as my Italian grandfather used to say - "Mangia, mangia!")

Spaghetti puttanesca - Original Italian Recipe
An easy Italian recipe for a tasty first course simply made with tomato, anchovy, capers and olives: the spaghetti puttanesca. +++ Hi everyone and welcome to the GialloZafferano kitchen: today we'll be making the spaghetti puttanesca, literally "whor...



Find More Authentic Italian Recipes Here:
   

Enhanced by Zemanta

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Recipe - Whole-Wheat Pasta with Garbanzo Beans

This deliciously simple Italian recipe is packed with healthy ingredients and fresh flavors. Great for a filling lunch that will keep you going all afternoon, or a light supper, this one takes 30-minutes or less to prepare, and leftovers are even more tasty once the flavors have had time to blend.

Whole-Wheat Pasta with Garbanzo Beans
Español: Ensalada de garbanzosImage via WikipediaServes 2 - 3

Ingredients:
5 oz small whole-wheat pasta shapes
1 (15oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 large ripe tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp black olives, pitted and chopped
Handful of fresh basil, torn
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper

Instructions:
  •  Cook the pasta according to package instructions, drain and set aside.
  • In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the garlic. Sauté for a few minutes, then add the beans. Stir until the beans are heated through. 
  • Remove from the heat and mix in the tomatoes, olives and basil. 
  • Season with freshly ground pepper and salt. 
  • Divide the pasta on dinner plates and serve with the bean/tomato mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.
Enhanced by Zemanta
More Great Italian Recipes:
   

Monday, December 5, 2011

Italian Cooking in American Kitchens Today

Most of us have found some sort of Italian cuisine that has become a favorite for our families and ourselves. Unfortunately, far too many of us discount the possibility of bringing Italian cooking into our very own kitchens for fear that many of the recipes are far too difficult. The truth is that learning to cook Italian food just might make your home the favorite drop-in dining spot for friends and family alike!

A supreme pizza with tomatos sauce, cheese, pe...Image via WikipediaBelieve it or not, most great Italian recipes have an easier version that can be made with very similar effects when it comes to flavor and aroma. Also, despite the commercials of old, all Italian cooking does not require an entire day of simmering in order to achieve great flavor. (Though you don't have to let your friends and family in on that little secret!) Be a martyr for flavor and they will love you even more.

The biggest challenge that most Americans face when it comes to ethnic cooking is basically learning a new set of essential ingredients. However, most ingredients used in Italian cooking are pretty easy to find in American stores nowadays. The cheese, meats, or grains that are used in their creation most often identify or define Italian cuisine. It's the combination of these primary ingredients that create some of the most distinctive flavors on earth. Learn about these ingredients. Identify the flavors and study the combinations of flavors and you should be able to not only follow many great Italian recipes but also to invent a few of your very own Italian inspired recipes!

The greatest thing when it comes to cooking Italian food is that most of these dishes are pretty hard to mess up. This of course does not mean that it cannot be done, only that it isn't as simple as with some of the more complex and delicate cuisines from other cultures. Italian food is durable and flavorful but for the most part not too terribly delicate when it comes to flavor. You can go a little heavy with some spice or cheese without completely ruining the dish in most instances. If you are anything like me, this is a regular occurrence when cooking and one of the reasons I enjoy cooking Italian food so much. :-)

italian foodImage via WikipediaWhether you are a beginner when it comes to the culinary arts or a seasoned pro there is something that will provide the appropriate challenge for you when it comes to Italian cooking. Take a look around - there are recipes in abundance across the Internet, at your local library, in specialty cook books, and even in your favorite blockbuster best selling novels. (And of course be sure to check our blog frequently for new tasty recipe ideas!)

Another thing you should keep in mind when cooking Italian food is that nothing seems to bring out the flavor of Italian food better than a good bottle of wine to match. Perhaps this is the reason that it is difficult to ruin an Italian meal, no matter how bad it is, the good wine paired with it will make up for minor mistakes! You will want to spend a little time researching and studying the science (though some will argue that this is truly an art form) that goes along with pairing a good bottle of wine with the right flavor combination when it comes to Italian cooking. Once you've mastered this, there is nothing to prevent you from being the diva of all things Italian when it comes to food preparation.

The most important thing for you to remember when cooking Italian food is not to take it too seriously. Good Italians know that the enjoyment of preparing the meal is an important piece of the process! Make your meal an event with plenty of time for pleasant conversation and enjoyment of your company in between courses. And remember - you should also never rush a good Italian meal or you will find that all your efforts of cooking Italian food will be for naught as the true pleasure of Italian cuisine has been lost somewhere in translation.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Great Italian Cooking Starts Here:
   

Friday, December 2, 2011

Video - Tips for a Tasty Holiday Beef Roast

If you're preparing a roast for the holiday festivities this year, this video will give you some quick tips for making a tasty, juicy, and tender roast. It will also show you some different options for choosing a cut of meat, a simple herb rub, and how to carve the roast when done. We always recommend organic beef - don't serve antibiotics and hormones to your family this holiday season! Look for the organic symbol, and purchase locally if you can - support your local farmers and the environment at the same time.

Beef roast for holiday cooking
How to prepare a wonderful beef roast for the holidays

Enhanced by Zemanta