With Christmas displays set-up everywhere, and a jingle in the air, it seems the holiday season has...
Dark Chocolate Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Dark Chocolate Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream
"For anyone that may not know, the BEST way to make hard-boiled eggs is in the OVEN! Place the eggs in a muffin tray so they do not move around, turn the oven to 325 degrees, pop in for about 25-30 minutes and remove! Not only are they tastier, but they also are much easier to peel!" By: A Mum 'n the Oven
"For anyone that may not know, the BEST way to make hard-boiled eggs is in the OVEN! Place the eggs in a muffin tray so they do not move around, turn the oven to 325 degrees, pop in for about 25-30 minutes and remove! Not only are they tastier, but they also are much easier to peel!" By: A Mum 'n the Oven
Recipe: Chicken Liver Pâté with Sage, Apple and Thyme Recipes From The Kitchn
Recipe: Chicken Liver Pâté with Sage, Apple and Thyme Recipes From The Kitchn
spaghetti squash, olive oil, feta cheese, diced tomatoes, basil, onions, salt and pepper.
spaghetti squash, olive oil, feta cheese, diced tomatoes, basil, onions, salt and pepper.
Light Loaded Potato Soup by handleheat, via Flickr
Light Loaded Potato Soup by handleheat, via Flickr
Egg invasion. They are so delicious and versatile, giving you...
Egg invasion.
They are so delicious and versatile, giving you different textures depending on the cooking method.
For hot pot, some like to add it to the dipping sauce mixture. I personally find it a bit too gooey. We decided to have some fun with this one before it sadly gets cracked.
What would you do with a carrot? For those who don’t have...
What would you do with a carrot?
For those who don’t have the time or the inclination to turn a root vegetable into a flower, there’s another idea coming up……..
See below.
YES! I never make recipes with cream of whatever soup because it grosses me out. Cream of chemical...no thanks. 2T butter + 2T flour (sauteed) + 1 c. milk. Add whatever (boullion, dried mushrooms, etc.)...now I know how to substitute it!
YES! I never make recipes with cream of whatever soup because it grosses me out. Cream of chemical...no thanks. 2T butter + 2T flour (sauteed) + 1 c. milk. Add whatever (boullion, dried mushrooms, etc.)...now I know how to substitute it!
Guy gets a new a**hole!
Guy gets a new a**hole!: In case any of you missed it, Guy Fieri gets skewered by NYT’s Pete...
Here's an index of all of the cupcake recipes from Cupcake Project.
Here's an index of all of the cupcake recipes from Cupcake Project.
The Easiest Homemade Caramel Sauce by Tracey's Culinary Adventures, via Flickr
The Easiest Homemade Caramel Sauce by Tracey's Culinary Adventures, via Flickr
A friend said "I am completely obsessed with this bread. I've made 5 loaves already!" This is insanely easy - it literally took 2 minutes to stir together the dough - let it sit overnight and then bake.
A friend said "I am completely obsessed with this bread. I've made 5 loaves already!" This is insanely easy - it literally took 2 minutes to stir together the dough - let it sit overnight and then bake.
One Hour Rolls (*Oh wow! So simple, so light, so fluffy... so warm right now. Definitely a hit and a new favorite!)
One Hour Rolls (*Oh wow! So simple, so light, so fluffy... so warm right now. Definitely a hit and a new favorite!)
A dumb idea Apparently many children are glued to a TV programme...
A dumb idea
Apparently many children are glued to a TV programme called Lazy Town. Now a leading juice company has brought out bottles of Lazy Town Go Water, aimed at 2-6 year olds. Here’s what they say about their new product:
“Because children establish their drinking habits at a very early age, it is important for parents to encourage them into good habits as young as possible. Getting children to drink water is not an easy task but we believe Lazy Town Go Water will have a strong appeal.”
Are we all mad? In this time of recession why should we spend nearly £2 ($3.20) for six little bottles of stuff that comes out of a tap?
I’m very cynical but I believe the company is not trying to establish good drinking habits in children, but is merely encouraging the link between advertising and what goes into their mouths.
(The photo is of a castle chimney. This was not a dumb idea. The owner allowed artists to do what they wanted on the roof and walls before he called in builders to restore his property.)
No weigh A recent survey suggested that cooks reach their peak...
No weigh
A recent survey suggested that cooks reach their peak at the age of 55 by which age they can:
bake without weighing ingredients
make supper out of leftovers
rescue a meal that’s going wrong
That’s totally mistaken. No sensible cook would think of putting together a cake mixture without weighing the ingredients – it’s a recipe for disaster since baking depends on precision, not improvisation. Then, making supper out of leftovers – who says 20-year olds can’t do that? They might have a point about rescuing a meal that’s going wrong, but then again, a younger cook wouldn’t be stressed in the first place, so would probably grab a glass of wine and throw the mess in the bin!
These are chocolate and coffee eclairs. I’ve been making them since I was 25. They’re no better or worse today than they were then. I learned how to make choux pastry from my mother – a brilliant patissiere – and followed detailed instructions to make sure each step was correct. The result is crisp shells, a creamy filling, icing on the top and a professional drizzle of chocolate at the end.
So don’t wait till you’re 55 to feel that you’re a confident and competent cook. Just get started.
What’s better: prison food or hospital food? It all...
What’s better: prison food or hospital food?
It all comes down to cost. How much does a hospital allocate to provide three meals a day for each patient? The average is £8.54, yet Newham University Hospital in Plaistow, East London, was spending just £2.19 on breakfast, lunch and dinner. For prison inmates the amount per day is one penny more - £2.20.
Fortunately this low amount is not usual. If you happen to be on the wards in Barts Hospital, you’ll be lucky. They spend £15.65 per patient every day. Now Barts has merged with Newham (and Whipps Cross Hospital) to form an NHS trust so spending should be less of a lottery and hopefully overall standards should improve.
This last week I’ve spent hours of each day visiting someone in hospital. The food was unspeakable. Luckily there’s an M & S nearby so she got daily coffee and croissants from a visiting nephew and small pots of whatever I’d made for dinner when I went in the evenings.
For those who don’t have relatives bringing in goodies, I have another suggestion: if you’re going to get ill, do it in Italy. Apparently the hospital food there is well cooked and it comes with a smile and ‘buon appetito’.
Operation Christmas Child. Yes, it’s almost Christmas. Yes, it’s...
Operation Christmas Child.
Yes, it’s almost Christmas. Yes, it’s the perfect time to give presents. This year, you can give a different kind of gift that would mean the world to a child.
Remember when you were a kid, and you couldn’t wait for Christmas morning to see what Santa brought you that year. You might’ve left him some cookies and milk, or tried sneaking out of bed in the middle of the night to look for any boxes under the tree. Then, finally, the pure excitement of ripping through the brightly coloured wrapping paper, and playing with your new toys for the rest of the day. Every child should get to experience that joy. Unfortunately, not every one will.
You can help change this, by making an Operation Christmas Child shoe box, a project by Samaritan’s Purse. Every year, thousands of these boxes are assembled by individuals, families, and organizations, and distributed around the world to children in need. This year, your shoe box can be that perfect gift for a child in places like Costa Rica, Guatemala or Haiti. It’s super easy to make; there are suggestions of what items to give, and once prepared, you just drop them off at the nearest collection centre.
It was so much fun shopping in the kids section, and testing out the toys :D You can even be creative and show your artistic skills when writing/drawing personal notes for the child.
For those interested, the national collection week is November 19 - 25, so starting tomorrow!
If you want more information or news on other projects, connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.
Help make this holiday a little more special. Happy giving! :)
Think again about fish oil Research has shown that eating oily...
Think again about fish oil
Research has shown that eating oily fish three times a week could help protect the muscles, as well as improving balance and walking speed.
It was also believed that those who took fish oil pills were less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, as they relaxed the blood vessels and lowered blood pressure. Now the Journal of the American Medical Asssociation has come up with new findings that suggest these supplements do not protect against heart attacks and strokes.
Never mind – eating fish is still a better option than red meat. These are fish fingers (not the crumbed sticks you buy in packets) – arranged like this as a game for children.
What pie? Real comfort food. A pie with mashed potato covering a...
What pie?
Real comfort food. A pie with mashed potato covering a creamy fish mixture. The best thing about all-in-one dishes like this is that the preparation can be done in advance (even the day before, or weeks, if you freeze it).
If you want the recipe, click on the picture. If you want a reason why you should eat fish, keep watching tomorrow.
Pies and comfort food
It’s nearly December - winter in England. It’s the time for warm, comforting food. For those who want a quick meal when you come home from work - you need a bit of advance planning, but the reward is great food on the table in half an hour, with only one dish to wash up.
Coming up this week….. Creamy Fish Pie, Shepherd’s Pie with lamb and Chicken Pie with mushrooms.
Carrot cake muffins Carrots don’t help you see in the dark...
Carrot cake muffins
Carrots don’t help you see in the dark – that’s a myth. But because of their natural sweetness they do taste good. Eaten raw, they’re a good snack; added to a cake mixture (grated) they add moisture and a flavour which is not easily identified. Carrot cake is something I find hard to resist but when I am halfway through a large slice, with the rich, creamy topping, I think it’s heaven. Then when I’ve finished the whole piece, I think…… why did I eat all that? It’s just too much! Carrot cake muffins are better because you get a smaller dose of the sugar/cream cheese high!
Cranberry-Avocado Salad with Candied Spiced Almonds and Sweet White Balsamic Vinaigrette
Cranberry-Avocado Salad with Candied Spiced Almonds and Sweet White Balsamic Vinaigrette
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