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Discover easy ways to decorate your christmas cake
Discover Easy Ways To Decorate Your Christmas Cake
For many people Christmas time is a hectic round of shopping, cooking, writing cards and wrapping presents. And very often decorating the Christmas cake is left to the last minute, so here are some tips to help you along the way.
One of the quickest designs is a pattern using any of the following: semi-dried fruits, glace fruits, angelica, cherries and different types of nuts. But keep to three or four varieties, otherwise the design becomes too cluttered. If the top of the cake is rounded, cut off, and upturn the cake so the base becomes the top surface. Boil half a jar of apricot jam and press through a sieve. Brush the top surface of the cake with the jam, and cover with a design of fruit and nuts — a circular design for a round cake and straight lines for a square cake. To give the decoration an attractive shine (and to hold the fruit and nuts in place) brush over with jam, and lastly, tie a wide, red or green ribbon around the cake. A similar decoration can be made with marzipan fruits.
If you wish to spend slightly more time, decorate the top of the cake with soft icing, and as before, use ribbon, a cake frill, or a strip of Christmas paper to place around the sides. Again use the base of the cake as the top surface. Roll out sugarpaste (rollout icing) or marzipan, until it is slightly larger than the top of the cake — make sure the paste moves freely. Brush the top of the cake with apricot jam then upturn the cake onto the sugarpaste, and cut away the surplus paste. Place the cake on a cake board. Roll out a length of paste, approximately half inch deep, and cut a strip the same size. Moisten the paste around the edge of the cake and carefully position the strip on the moist surface. Make a design on this edging with cake crimpers — if you have them. Failing that, press the decorated handle of a spoon into the paste. Make an unusual decoration for the centre of the cake by colouring some marzipan red and modelling it into a candle shape. Use a flaked almond for a flame, and then surprise everyone by lighting the almond on Christmas Day — as nuts contain oil the almond will flame for a few moments!
Make Christmas trees from a cone-shaped piece of green marzipan. Use sharp scissors and beginning at the top, make small snips all around the tree. Make snowballs from balls of sugarpaste, very slightly moistened and covered in castor, or granulated sugar. To make holly leaves, roll out the paste and cut into a diamond shape. The sharp points are made by cutting out sections from around the edge of the leaf, with either an icing nozzle or the tip/handle of a small spoon. Mark veins on the leaf with the back of a knife.
For those who wish to venture into the field of royal icing, a quick way to use this icing is by making a ‘snow scene’. First, apply a layer of marzipan to the cake and leave to dry for two days. The traditional way of making royal icing is with egg white and icing sugar, but icing sugar is now available which already contains the correct quantity of dried egg white — however, the icing still needs a good beating!
Test the icing before applying to the cake. Using a palette, or table knife, apply the icing about half an inch deep to the cake. Then, using the flat surface of the knife makes a slow ‘bouncing’ movement on the icing. The icing will stand in peaks if it is the correct consistency. Leave until firm and sprinkle with edible glitter for a sparkling cake. HAPPY Christmas
How a lay man cook healthy and low fat meal
How A Lay Man Cook Healthy And Low Fat Meal
Still some desires remain. So here is a package: quick, delicious & healthy from the kitchen of the experts. Every recipe from our kitchen is a result of the research by our team of Doctors and the experienced Chefs.
Apart from the recipe below, I would like to bust the myths people have, due to lack of knowledge. Some of the most common misconceptions about nutrition are:
1. LOW FAT MEANS HEALTHY: Low fat can be healthy. Not always though. For more For more details please go to www.tailgating-recipes.com. Many processed foods that are low in fat are high in sugar, which gives you extra calories and may cause wide swings in your blood sugar levels. This makes you gain weight and loose energy, and you may raise your risk of several diseases.
Some people believe «low fat» means «Eat all you want».
I remember a dieting patient who was puzzled because you were gaining weight. He mentioned he was eating a low-fat cake. When I asked him how much, he replied, «One or two pieces?» «No, one or two cakes!»
An ideal diet is low in fat and low in sugar. Most people can enjoy high sugar, high fat treats on occasion, but if you indulge one day, be sure to eat healthier the next.
2. CANNED FRUITS AND VEGATABLES AREN’T NUTRITIOUS: They can be. Results of recent studies have proved that nutrients are generally similar in comparable fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables.
The following recipe is an example of the standards of taste and biological research at our unique kitchen-cum-lab. At the Universal Kitchen our chefs, doctors and researchers advise variety of food keeping in mind the client’s health and the impact of the beverages on the health at no cost because it runs on charity and God’s grace and our sole purpose is human service, universal peace and healthy environment. Each one of us is unique. Hence, our eating habits and needs are different. You can also login on to www.150-venison-recipes.com. Our health is precious to us so and it deserves care.
Gazpacho with croutons
It serves four. Per serving: 250 calories; 5 g fat; 1 g saturated fat; 6 g fiber; 8 gram protein; 730 mg sodium; 46 g carbohydrate.
? cup coarsely chopped red onion
1 garlic clove, peeled
8 medium-sized tomatoes
? cup seasoned dry breadcrumbs
? cup chopped parsley
3 tbs. red wine vinegar
1 tbs. olive oil
? tbs. salt
? tbs. pepper
2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
Homemade or purchased croutons
1. Beat onion and garlic in blender. Add half of tomatoes. Pur?e. Add next 6 ingredients. Blend. Pour into a glass bowl.
2. Chop remaining tomatoes. Stir into pur?e with half of cucumbers and half of red and green peppers. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Ladle into bowls. Top with remaining cucumber and peppers. Garnish with croutons. Serves 4.
Quick and healthy meals with gt xpress
Quick and Healthy Meals with GT Xpress 101
Ever come home from work exhausted and wondering what’s for dinner? Do you struggle with cooking oils and sprays, only to end up with food that is greasy and unevenly cooked? Are you looking for a solution that will help you cook healthy flavorful meals in just a matter of minutes? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, then you should check out the amazing GT Xpress 101. This indoor electric grill is a great solution to traditional home cooked meals that used to take hours to prepare.
The GT Xpress 101 is an indoor electric grill that takes up less space than a toaster, is more energy efficient than an oven and cooks great tasting appetizers, meals and desserts for you, your family and your friends. The non-stick surface means that you don’t need to use expensive cooking oils or butter on your food. GT Xpress 101 uses dual cooking technology that heats from both the top and bottom on non-stick plates. Meals are ready in a matter of minutes and clean up is a breeze.
If you’re tired of slaving over a hot stove to create great tasting meals for your loved ones, then GT Xpress 101 can help. There’s no turning of food, flipping of sandwiches or of omelets. Once you add your food to the grill top, simply close the lid, let it cook, then remove and enjoy!
GT Xpress 101 has tons of meal ideas. From appetizers like bacon-wrapped stuffed shrimp and potato bites to sandwiches like BBQ chicken wraps and homemade meatball hot pockets, this countertop appliance can do it all. GT Xpress 101 is great for cooking low-carb too. Foods, like fresh salmon and rosemary turkey are a cinch. Just add the seasoning, toss on the grill and let GT Xpress 101 do the rest.
If you’re ready to spend less time cooking and more time enjoying great tasting food, then GT Xpress 101 is for you!Get more informations at as seen on tv products online store!
Easy healthy recipes left on my doorstep
Easy Healthy Recipes Left on My Doorstep!
Want to make some easy healthy recipes and ensure that your kitchen is only producing healthy cooking? Then you are going to love the idea that I’m going to share with you today. I just received my first Produce Box! The Produce Box is filled with healthy, fresh ingredients that practically guarantees that I will be cooking light recipes all week.
Why The Produce Box?
Growing your own fresh vegetables can be fun and rewarding. I think it’s a big pain in the neck. The second best thing is going to your local farmers market to buy the most wholesome fruits and vegetables that are grown in your community by your local farmer. However, I’ve discovered the next best thing to THAT! It’s a produce box that is delivered to my front door each week.
The Produce Box is an excellent example of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) that is now becoming very popular, and may now be available in your area.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
CSA is a way for the farmer to cooperate directly with his customers, as we all agree to purchase whatever is freshest and best from his farm this week. Each week’s box will contain different items based on the local conditions, not the national conditions and price futures, you work directly with the farm and farmer.
Healthy Cooking
Besides having the best ingredients with the most nutritional quality and flavor, I love the Produce Box because of the serendipity of opening the box. I don’t know what surprises I’ll find, but I’m always up to the challenge of being ready to cook whatever is in the box. The Produce Box makes it easy for me to cook light and healthy. I bet it will help you too!
Cooking for extraordinary occasions
Cooking for Extraordinary Occasions
We all have those moments in our lives when we feel as if everything needs to be exactly right. It is these moments that we often refer to as special occasions. When it comes to cooking for special occasions, many of us find that we drop the ball in our anticipation and feel as though we have ruined the moment. While this is often far from the truth, it does serve to diminish the moment in many of our minds. For this reason, you need to work up a repertoire, if you will, of simple to make special occasion cooking recipes.
You will be shocked and amazed at all the sinfully rich and delicious meals and side dishes that are out there, that are amazingly quick and easy to prepare. This means that you will not run the all too common disaster scenarios that you hear about and will still manage to have a wonderful meal that is enjoyed by all.
The trick is in choosing a rather simple meat dish and dressing it up with the more decadent side dishes. Incredibly rich side dishes that are simple to prepare are greater in number than meat dishes that require little culinary effort. You should also keep in mind the audience for your special occasion. Sometimes a family favorite makes the occasion seem much more special than an all out effort for chicken cordon bleu or veal Marsala. There is no point in going to an extreme effort to create a culinary masterpiece if it is going to be riddled with picky children proclaiming that they do not like this or that about your meal.
Another great idea when it comes to cooking for special occasions is to prepare as much as possible ahead of time in order to alleviate the pressure during the event and to allow you more time to enjoy the event rather than dealing with the details of meal preparation. The greatest gift you can really give yourself when cooking for special occasions is the time necessary in order to enjoy these special occasions. This is not to say that there isn’t some cooking that will need to be done.
Foods that can be prepared ahead of time and reheated just prior to serving are often the best when it comes to cooking for special occasions. There are all kinds of appetizers, entrees, and desserts that will work perfectly in this particular instance. You can often find them by performing a simple Google search online or by sorting through many of your favorite cookbooks at home. The important thing is that you do not get so caught up in the idea of cooking for special occasions that you forget to actually enjoy the occasion.
If this is not the way you prefer to do things that is perfectly understandable. Some of us do thrive in high stress situations. The key for those who prefer to do all the meal preparation when cooking for special occasions at the time of cooking is planning properly and allowing plenty of time for possible hiccups in the process. Mistakes occur when people feel rushed and hurried in their culinary efforts.
Another common mistake that is made when cooking for special occasions is cooking outside of your comfort zone. When you are preparing a challenging recipe it is best if you do this during a time when you are not going through the stress of potential visitors or insuring the best possible of circumstances. In other words, it is best to challenge your culinary talents when you do not have a vested interest in success.
Extraordinary occasions are a great time for friends and family. The hope is that you will have many special occasions throughout your life. Do not waste too much time and energy fretting over cooking for special occasions. Instead, put all of your effort into enjoying those occasions.
Where to find ethnic food recipes
Where to Find Ethnic Food Recipes
Most home cooks at some time or another find themselves getting interested in ethnic cuisine. The impetus might come from their heritage … maybe grandma was a German immigrant or grandpa came from Vietnam. Or it could just be simple cook’s curiosity. All of us get tired of cooking the same old recipes over and over, and decide to move beyond, frequently into ethnic food recipes.
However, and this is especially important if you don’t already know anything about the particular cuisine you’re after, it can be hard to figure out if the recipes you’re cooking are authentic, or are even worth trying. You might pick an Asian recipe that sends you out hunting exotic ingredients for three days only to find that either the recipe was written poorly or the flavor is something you just can’t stomach.
Unless you want to sink a lot of money into cookbooks, your best source of recipe information is going to be the Internet. However, searching for Internet recipes can be fraught with peril. How do you know this recipe will work? Do you have any clue what it tastes like? Do you maybe have a picture of what the finished dish should look like?
This is where sites that allow user reviews of recipes are invaluable. We foodies are a verbose bunch, forever ready to share good recipes and tips and warn others away from the bad ones. On sites such as Allrecipes or Cooks.com, you’ll find ethnic food recipes with hundreds of reviews from users. Often, these reviews will include possible ingredient substitutions, problems inherent in the preparation and possible solutions and all sorts of other great information. It’s very similar to having a kitchen full of cooks ready to teach and advise you at all times.
While you might not want to trust just one or two reviews, you can feel fairly safe when you see certain ethnic food recipes have been cooked successfully by dozens of people. Pick the recipe, read the comments and forge ahead!
Whats the secret to cooking recipes successfully
What’s the Secret to Cooking Recipes Successfully?
It should be the simplest thing in the world, right? You get a recipe, follow it and come out with something delicious (or at least edible) at the end. Unfortunately, cooking recipes can be a frustrating process to rookie cooks unable to recognize when the recipe they’re using is destined to fail before they heat up their first pan.
The secret is in the recipes themselves. Or, rather, the danger is in the recipes themselves.
It is natural to assume that any recipe you find printed has been thoroughly tested and all the potential land mines removed. The ingredients are properly measured, the oven and burner settings are all correct and the cooking process is laid out well and includes every step necessary to produce a good finished product.
In years past, when cookbooks were far and away the biggest source of recipes that could, with the exception of some small, local-press cookbooks, be your philosophy. But the advent and incredible growth of recipe content on the Internet has thrown all that in the dumper. What was formerly easy to trust now must be regarded with a jaded eye attached to a brain that doesn’t want to blow a wad of dough on expensive ingredients only to end up with garbage.
Even if you’re not a highly trained or experienced cook, you can avoid some of the most common recipe problems. The first thing to do is analyze the ingredients list. Are there any exotic ingredients on there (such as durian) with which you’re not familiar? Do the measurements make sense? Does every ingredient on the list appear in the directions?
That last is the source of more heartache than you might imagine. And, especially in baking recipes, it can be disastrous.
Second, look at the recipe procedure. Are you familiar with all the cooking terms mentioned? Have you allowed sufficient time? Are there any long procedures, like an overnight marinade?
With a little cautious checking, you can make sure that any recipe you choose has a better than average chance of success.