December 3rd, 2009 admin
Oh the weather outside is frightful. (Really.) So lets make cookies that are delightful…
During this time of year of yuletide greetings and all that holiday, snowflaky kind of stuff, I love to make cookies and give them away. After all, it’s the time of year when we eat lots of candy, cakes, chocolates and goodies in general so to add to the festivities, cookies are on my agenda. One of my favorite cookies to prepare are the buttery sandwich cookies with jam inside, called Linzer Cookies. They are so absolutely yummy with a steamy cup of tea or coffee, or with a large icy cold glass of milk. They look like snowflakes…sort of! Anyway, use this cookie cutter set to make your delectable Christmas cookies to bring to work or to give away to family and friends.
G e t t h e L i n z e r c o o k i e c u t t e r s e t h e r e
The set includes linzer cutter and 6 interchangeable center cutter designs. Boxed with recipe and instructions, metal.
Need a recipe for Linzer cookies? Here’s one from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa.
Ingredients
* 3/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 3 1/2 cups flour
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup good raspberry preserves
* Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough 1/4-inch thick and cut 2 3/4-inch rounds with a plain or fluted cutter. With 1/2 of the rounds, cut a hole from the middle of each round with a heart or spade shaped cutter. Place all the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes.
Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature. Spread raspberry preserves on the flat side of each solid cookie. Dust the top of the cut-out cookies with confectioners’ sugar and press the flat sides together, with the raspberry preserves in the middle and the confectioners’ sugar on the top.
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December 1st, 2009 admin
While microwave popcorn is extremely convenient, it’s just not on our radars because we are very wary of the safety of microwaves and no one can definitively answer the question: is microwaved food safe? We’d just like to play it safe and opt for this particular popcorn popper (and nut roaster, a bonus!)
The Kettle Krazy Popcorn Popper and Nut Roaster makes a wonderful gift for someone who loves to curl up on the sofa with a big bowl and munch on America’s most popular snack while watching an absorbing movie or favorite TV shows. There’s nothing more comforting and fun than watching your big screen (or little screen!), grabbing a huge handful of popcorn and then stuffing it in your mouth! Okay, some of you might eat one at a time but admit it, it’s fun to try to get a whole bunch in there at once sometimes!
Kettle Krazy Popcorn Popper and Nut Roaster popper quickly pops up to 6-quarts of fresh popcorn in just minutes. There’s a motorized stir rod that moves the corn kernels so they don’t burn, which also means there will be very few, if any, unpopped kernels. When the popcorn’s ready, just turn the bowl upside down and it’s ready for major munching! The appliance also makes up to 3 cups of mall-kiosk-style glazed nuts or roasted nuts, so you can make some Cracker Jacks!
Get a Kettle Krazy Popcorn Popper and Nut Roaster now!
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November 19th, 2009 admin
You want to think of Thanksgiving as T-Day, not D-Day and since it is lurking around the corner it appears that you have one week from today to make sure your Thanksgiving is the best it’s ever been. Don’t leave everything to the very last minute because you know what happens: It’s utter chaos and craziness, which will be unpleasant for you and everyone around you. Prepare well and you will be cool as a cucumber next Thursday when all the guests arrive.
Here are some steps to ensure your Thanksgiving runs smoothly:
1. Make a list of what dishes you’ll have – You obviously need the basics: turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, dinner rolls, pumpkin pie. Now, are any of your guests vegetarian or vegan? If so, plan to offer food they can eat: tofurkey? roasted veggies? a hearty gratin? Do you want to have hors d’œuvres and appetizers? Maybe you don’t want the usuals and want to stray from tradition. Roast beef instead of turkey? That’s fine. Here are some great side dish ideas from Mark Bittman you can make ahead of time: 101 Head Starts on the Day. Just decide on this list, write out a shopping list and move on to step 2.
2. Plan out a detailed schedule/timeline about when to make or do what – Many dishes can be made the night before and shopping must be done in advance (remember to include decorations if needed on your shopping list), which will save you from doing too many things on one day and at the last minute when you should be finalizing decorations and little details. Write out a timeline and put everything where it belongs, planning the prep time and cook time if necessary. Remember about straightening up the house, decorations and set up, and getting dressed! What time will you wake up? Make sure you get a good night’s sleep the night before!
3. Make sure you will have enough storage space in the frig for the dishes you make ahead of time. – There’s nothing worse than not having enough space for everything. This includes counter space. If you don’t have that to work on, you will run into some problems. A cook needs her/his space!
4. Enlist the help of family and friends – You don’t have to do everything on your own, like you think you can. Unless you are Martha Stewart’s clone or Bree from Desperate Housewives, it’s not possible. Accept this fact now. Delegate various tasks, dishes and desserts to other people, and that will lighten your workload. You will be happy about it. It’s that simple.
Extra Pointers
1. If you have things that need to be thawed, put that on your timeline.
2. Remember to tidy up your bathroom.
3. Have enough space for guests’ coats.
4. Iron your table linens.
5. Make sure you have enough silverware, dishware and linens.
6. Ensure your chairs and tables are functioning properly.
7. Remember about drinks for everyone!!
8. Decide what you will wear ahead of time.
9. Visualize in your mind what the day will be like.
10. Enjoy yourself and Happy Thanksgiving!
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July 30th, 2009 admin
GARDENING: You can do weeding or lawn care, grow and sell plants, grow and dehydrate herbs and make herb blends, press flowers and frame them or make cards or preserve food such as berries to make and sell jam. You can ask a local florist if they’d like to buy your flowers or ornamental branches such as willows, dogwood or forsythia, or sell right from your home, too. You can grow your own food to save money, and anything you sell can go toward funding your hobby or directly to savings.
CRAFTS: You can sell crafts at craft shows and malls. You can teach your skill out of your home or possibly at a local craft store or at a community education course. There are a lot of people who would love to learn how to make items such as jewelry, soap, candles or quilts, to name a few. Ask if you can hang a flier at your local grocery store, library or local craft store. If you sew, you can make slipcovers, or do mending or alterations. Or specialize in an area such as zipper repair, making boutique childrens’ clothes or upcycled clothing from thrift-store garments or material. There are Web sites online that you can sell your work, too. Visit www.etsy.com, www.1000markets.com or www.artfire.com. You can start an online club or newsletter featuring tutorials or patterns, as well.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Not everyone has the talent to do photography for special events, but nothing can stop you from earning money as you learn more. You can find a niche in an area such as pet photography, stock photos or taking pictures of local landmarks or popular regional places, and make cards or calendars to sell. You can contact your local newspaper, magazines or real estate agencies to see whether they’re interested in your work, too. Or contact local businesses and see if they need photos for brochures or ads, or sell your photos at art and craft shows, fairs or festivals.
ORGANIZING AND CLEANING: Start with friends and family and ask if anyone needs help. You can set yourself apart by using eco-friendly, homemade cleaners.
WOODWORK: Have you ever made something to fit a need, such as building a custom deck, picnic table, bookshelf, dog or birdhouse or bed frame? Or maybe you paint small wooden items for ornaments or doll houses. All of these projects can be sold. If you enjoy refinishing furniture or working on trash-to-treasure projects, you can sell at flea markets or arts-and-crafts shows, too.
FOOD: You can sell decorated cakes, cookies, bread, candies, etc. You can go into catering, too. Or place an ad to cook for a busy family, someone sick or the elderly.
The information above is from: Source
Posted in Do it yourself - DIY - Home made, cleaning, digital cameras, food and drinks, garden, hobbies, spare time | No Comments »
July 13th, 2009 admin
You might have guessed by now, if you’ve been reading this blog for a while, that I do not like products that break soon after you buy them. Remember when appliances lasted decades? Ok, I don’t have anything that lasted for decades but my parents’ generation experienced this. I think their washer and dryer lasted 30 years. I’m not kidding. I think they still have a hand blender that is at least 40 years old…and it still works!
Sadly, many items these days are not meant to last so that you will buy another one over and over again. This is not only bad for the environment because these things end up in landfills, but also, you the consumer waste an exorbitant amount of money over time. This is why I like to recommend durable appliances that will last quite a while.
Enter the stainless steel Lello 4080 Musso Lussino 1.5-Quart Ice Cream Maker. Here’s what people have to say about it:
Fully automatic and precisely controlled by a timer, this machine takes the trouble and guesswork out of making ice cream, sorbet, frozen yogurt, gelato, and frozen drinks at home. Ingredients go into the bowl, the timer is set, two buttons are pressed and about 30 minutes later 1-1/2 quarts of a frozen confection are ready for consumption. Because the machine doesn’t require its bowl to be frozen for hours in a refrigerator’s freezer (like less expensive machines that only churn), it can immediately begin making another batch. If a batch becomes too hard the machine shuts off automatically. Not only does it work professionally it looks the part, as the housing, bowl, and paddle are made of stainless steel for sanitation and easy cleaning. The 100-watt machine measures 12 inches wide, 11 inches high, and 18 inches deep, and it weighs 38 pounds. Made it Italy, it carries a one-year warranty against defects. An instruction booklet with many recipes is included.
Find out more about it
Posted in efficient, electronics, equipment, family, food and drinks, fun, kitchen appliances and gadgets, plastic is poison | No Comments »
July 9th, 2009 admin
How many blenders have you gone through? If your answer is more than 1, you’ve been ripped off not to mention that you probably got cheap polycarbonate (plastic) ones. Don’t do that! My recommendation is to get a reliable, durable and performing blender that will last a lifetime. Designed for the commercial environment, the robust Kitchenaid KTA-KPCB148SPM Pro Line Bar Blender design handles job after job with outstanding results. Thoroughly blends smoothies and frozen drinks, and purees sauces and soups in less than 20 seconds. Jar collar, blade assembly, and seals are built into jar for strength, durability, and water-tight performance. The patented one-piece blade has extra thick stainless steel blade design with sharpened edges and high blade angles for extreme performance and long life. The 48 oz stainless-steel jar is dishwasher-safe.
Ok. It’s expensive but it is one of the best blenders you will ever have and it’s made to last.
Read more about it
Posted in efficient, electronics, energy booster, equipment, family, fitness, food and drinks, health, kitchen appliances and gadgets | No Comments »
May 8th, 2009 admin
This article is from the wall street journal:
“A lot of Americans think they’re eating a healthy diet these days. But it’s easy to be fooled by our assumptions and the ways that food manufacturers play on them.
Take chicken. The average American eats about 90 pounds of it a year, more than twice as much as in the 1970s, part of the switch to lower-fat, lower-cholesterol meat proteins. But roughly one-third of the fresh chicken sold in the U.S. is “plumped” with water, salt and sometimes a seaweed extract called carrageenan that helps it retain the added water. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says chicken processed this way can still be labeled “all natural” or “100% natural” because those are all natural ingredients, even though they aren’t naturally found in chicken.
Producers must mention the added ingredients on the package — but the lettering can be small: just one-third the size of the largest letter in the product’s name. If you’re trying to watch your sodium to cut your risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke, it pays to check the Nutrition Facts label. Untreated chicken has about 45 to 60 mgs of sodium per four-ounce serving. So-called enhanced or “plumped” chicken has between 200 and 400 mgs of sodium per serving, almost as much as a serving of fast-food french fries.
Adding salt water became widespread when big discount stores began selling groceries and wanted to sell chicken at uniform weights and prices. Plumping packaged chicken helps even out the weight. But that means consumers are paying for added salt water at chicken prices — an estimated $2 billion worth every year, according to the Truthful Labeling Coalition, a group of chicken producers that don’t enhance their products….”
Read the whole article
Posted in advertising / marketing, business, dangerous foods, family, food and drinks, food industry, gross, health, parents, truth, warnings | No Comments »
March 16th, 2009 admin
Why Should You Care About Pesticides?
The growing consensus among scientists is that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can cause lasting damage to human health, especially during fetal development and early childhood.
Scientists now know enough about the long-term consequences of ingesting these powerful chemicals to advise that we minimize our consumption of pesticides.
What’s the Difference?
EWG research has found that people who eat the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables consume an average of 10 pesticides a day. Those who eat the 15 least contaminated conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables ingest fewer than 2 pesticides daily. The Guide helps consumers make informed choices to lower their dietary pesticide load.
Will Washing and Peeling Help?
Nearly all the studies used to create these lists assume that people rinse or peel fresh produce. Rinsing reduces but does not eliminate pesticides. Peeling helps, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the skin. The best approach: eat a varied diet, rinse all produce and buy organic when possible.
How Was This Guide Developed?
EWG analysts have developed the Guide based on data from nearly
87,000 tests for pesticide residues in produce conducted between
2000 and 2007 and collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. You can find a detailed
description of the criteria EWG used to develop these rankings and
the complete list of fruits and vegetables tested at our dedicated
website, www.foodnews.org.
Posted in essential reading, family, food and drinks, food industry, health, warnings | No Comments »
February 9th, 2009 admin
Tick tock! The clock is not slowing down and the big day for hugs and kisses aka Valentine’s Day is coming up! While getting chocolates for your sweetheart isn’t very original, it is still pretty great depending on the kind of chocolates you get. Forget Hersheys and opt for something really classy like Godiva or other Belgian chocolates. With chocolates, fudge, and truffles, or chocolate covered cookies or fruit, you will not have to be embarrassed about your gift to your significant other. Chocolate is always good. It’s just that powerful. Note: Chocolate is good for your heart. Maybe THAT’S why it’s offered on Valentine’s Day!
Get Your Sweetie Mouthwatering Chocolates for Valentine’s Day NOW
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January 30th, 2009 admin
Instead of the usual chili, buffalo wings, dip, 7 layer dip and chips and sloppy joes, how about trying something completely different? Different, yet absolutely appetizing! Here are just a few of many kinds of excellent dishes for your Superbowl Party.
Citrus Infused, Jumbo Lump Crabcake
Beef and Mushroom Turnover
Fresh Sea Scallops in Bacon
and how can we forget about the American Duo. This is a must have at your party.
These are just a few samples of what is available. There are many more yummy appetizers to choose from like Philly Cheesesteak Springrolls, meatballs, paninis, dumplings, reuben sandwiches, ham and swiss puffs, mufalettas, chicken and cheese enchiladas and more! Too meaty you say? Don’t worry there’s lots of veggie items: Artichoke & Spinach Filo Tartlets, Asparagus Rollups, Porcini Risotto Croquettes, Vegetable Spring Rolls, Potato Pancakes (Latkes), Crescent Puffs -Sundried Tomato & Feta and more.
They’re easy to prepare and you can order for as many guests as you need. Reasonable prices, too.
I’m hungry now.
Order your Superbowl Appetizers Now
Posted in efficient, family, food and drinks, fun, good value, home entertainment, kids | 2 Comments »