Tuesday, February 26, 2008
SOUPS
Emphasize bouillons and consommés, as they are nutritious, filling, and low in calories and fats. They are ideal for relieving that hungry feeling quickly and picking you up in the process. Soups are great to warm you up instantly in cold weather and, in the jellied form, to cool you off in hot weather. Soups stimulate the digestive juices, start the stomach and intestinal muscles churning and "warmed up" for the job ahead, while "flushing out" the stomach and getting it ready to stoke the digestive furnace.
Use fat-free vegetable soups, vegetable broths, and soups prepared with skimmed milk.
It is imperative to remove all visible fat and grease from the soup. Here are some good ways to do this:
- Refrigerate or chill the soup first: then carefully remove the fat and grease that has caked on the top with a knife, spoon, or other suitable utensil.
- If there is not time for refrigerating or chilling the soup first, use bread slices by direct application to the top layer of the soup, in order to blot up or absorb the grease.
- Place some lettuce leaves on top of the heated soup. When you see the fat absorbed onto the leaf or leaves, remove them. The lettuce leaf may also impart a slight flavor to the soup, helping to lend a little zest.
- Blot up the top layer of grease by floating one or more paper towels on the surface of the soup. When it is fat-saturated, discard the towel; it is a greasy reminder of escape from unhealthy calories.
Even though our meals get eaten right away, we want to make sure that our family or friends are impressed with how good the meal looks and desire to eat what we made. There are a few simple things you can do to dress up your meals and make them look more desirable.
The first thing you can add is a little parsley. You can use fresh or dried. If you use fresh parsley just put a little next to the meal or even serve the meal on plates and put a little parsley on each plate. If you use dried parsley just sprinkle a tiny bit over the whole meal. If you're afraid that some people in your house will not like the "green stuff" sprinkled on their food, then you might want to just sprinkle it on ½ the meal until they get used to this new concept.
Cheeses are another fun food to add to your dish to make it look fancy. You can use parmesan cheese for a light dusting. You can also use finely shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese depending on the dish. Just use a very small amount and you'll be pleased with the results.
Adding a candle or cloth napkins also adds a special flair to your meal. Also pay attention to the colors of the food you are serving. Is everything orange or yellow? Different colors and textures on your plate will also add some specialness to your meal that will have everyone smiling.
Tag: Cook, Meal
Cooking doesn't have to be difficult or time consuming. If you're struggling with how to make your cooking time less of a struggle, then here are some tips.
1. Look over how you are cooking - Are you making the same meals over and over again and not making larger quantities to put in the freezer?
2. Get recipes that work - If you're stuck and can't find anything to make, just ask a friend for her favorites or look on the internet or in the library.
3. Set up your kitchen in meal centers - Look at how your kitchen is organized. Is all your dinnerware together (i.e. plates, cups and silverware)? Are all your baking items together (i.e. mixer, flour, sugar, spices, mixing bowls and spoons)? Are all your meal preparation items together (ie. Pots, pans, cooking spices)? If everything was organized together you might find it easier to cook.
4. Make the most of your time in the kitchen - if the meal you are making can be doubled or quadrupled and frozen, then do it! It's not any harder to put a tablespoon of oregano in a pot that it is to put a teaspoon. It isn't any harder to cook 4 cups of rice than it is to cook 1 cup. You can eat the meal that night and put the other meals in the freezer for another busy day.
5. Get help if you need it - ask a friend for some advice, read a book, look online. There are many resources out there to help you take the stress out of cooking and eat many delicious home cooked meals.
Tag: Cooking, Tips
Sunday, February 10, 2008
This lovely pink cake is the perfect addition to a kid's Valentine's Day party. Big enough to serve a crowd, you'll be surprised at how easy it is to put together!
This recipe uses boxed cake mix and Jell-o, making it easy to put together. The Jell-o powder adds flavor, but more importantly your cake will be a lovely deep pink color! If you want to make things even simpler, purchase the icing or frost the cake with a thick, fluffy layer of Cool Whip. Use your imagination to add the finishing touches. Cinnamon hearts or conversation hearts are perfect, or try red, white, and pink jelly beans or decorator's icing. Specialty shops carry pre-made, edible flowers, hearts, and other ornaments that you can use to decorate your Valentine's Day cake with as well.
Valentine's Day Cake
- 1 box (18.25 ounces) white cake mix
- 1 package (3 ounces) red Jell-O powder (Strawberry, Raspberry, or Cherry flavor)
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Buttercream Frosting (recipe below)
- Assorted candies for decorating (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease one round 9-inch cake pan and one square 9-inch cake pan and dust lightly with flour; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, Jell-O powder, milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for one minute. Increase mixer speed to medium and continue beating for another two minutes, until batter is smooth and well blended.
Divide batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cakes on wire racks for about 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely.
When cakes have cooled, create a heart-shaped cake by turning the square cake so that it looks like a diamond. Cut the circle cake in half to make two semi-circles; place one half on each of the top two sides of the "diamond" to make a heart.
Frost and decorate the cake as desired. Makes about 24 servings.
Tag:Chocolate Cake Recipe, Recipe a for Sponge Cake, Recipe for Fairy Cakes,
Recipe for Red Velvet Cake, Cookie Recipe, Recipe for Carrot Cake,
Homemade Cake Recipes, Free Online Recipes, Christmas Cake Recipe,
White Cake Recipe, How to Make a Cake, Simple Cake Recipe, Yellow Cake Recipe
Wedding Cake Recipe, Dessert Recipe