what a day!!!

yeah, i called it what a day!
i'm so tired and happy at the same time...there so much i want to share with you guys but what can i say, i think my body had just reach its limit...hahahhaa
so thats it for now
BUT don't worry, just like i said that i'm gonna update this blog at least once a week..and i'm gonna bring you all the fresh recipe and all the best article that internet can have hehee..
so until then... =)

Chocolate's Versatility

Chocolate's Versatility by: Jon Sherwood
It would be so nice to be able to begin this article with the words, “Who doesn’t love chocolate?” Unfortunately, there are some poor souls out there who are either allergic to this yummy delight or who, for some unknown reason, think that they do not like the taste of it. Oh, well, that just leaves more for the rest of us. Chocolate in any form really is an appropriate gift for any occasion. You can give it to someone for nearly any holiday and in the case of some holidays like St. Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Easter; they would almost seem empty without some chocolate. The other fact about giving a gift basket of chocolate goodies is that even though expensive foreign chocolate may be far superior in quality to the selection that is readily available at your local store, it is still a gift that is just as appreciated no matter where the chocolate comes from. So, while the chocolate that is defined as “imported” or “handmade” sounds nice and probably is very nice, don’t let that stop you from creating your own gift basket of local chocolate treats. If you have your heart set on it and you really want to give chocolates that are imported and unusual, there are many companies that specialize in putting together gift baskets and they can create a chocolate assortment using chocolates from anywhere around the world. It just so happens that chocolate gift baskets are one of the most popular styles of gift baskets because they get such a welcome reception whenever they are given. The great benefit about giving a gift basket of chocolates as a gift is in its versatility. Whether you are giving a chocolate gift basket to your mother, your sweetie, or to your business associates, chocolate is always an appropriate and appreciated gift. It always seems to express just the right sentiment. A good chocolate gift basket is one that includes a large variety of chocolate products. Not only a diversity of chocolate candies, but chocolate cookies, cakes, fudge, chocolate covered peanuts or pretzels and even hot cocoa or chocolate flavored coffee. Now, that’s a chocolate gift basket! You can choose to put these baskets together yourself or you can order one from a local gift basket company or a company online. The average price of a chocolate gift basket that you can have delivered runs from about $50 to $200, depending on its size and the variety of items in the basket. Of course, you can always make the gift yourself and you may be able to purchase a lovely basket and different chocolate items for less that having one specially made and delivered, but you probably won’t be able to include all of the variety that a gift basket company can. Once you decide on whether you will use a company that specializes in gift baskets and put in an order or if you decide to make one yourself, a chocolate gift basket can be given for absolutely any occasion. For instance, a basket of mugs, hot cocoa mix, cookies and chocolate treats would be perfect as a gift for a family on Christmas Eve. Place all of the items in a Christmas themed decorative basket or dish or even a Santa’s sleigh and add a bow. What a lovely way to say, “Merry Christmas.” How about the Superbowl? If you are invited to a Superbowl party, don’t come empty-handed. Throw some homemade or store bought chocolate snacks in a football shaped bowl or a football helmet and watch everyone move you out of the way in order to gather around it. Baskets, chocolate, and Easter naturally go together. Put them together and create a beautiful centerpiece for the holiday table or make one for your office to share as the holiday approaches. There are so many chocolate choices available at this time of year that it will be hard knowing when to stop. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are two more occasions when a delectable chocolate gift basket would be appreciated. In order to add some originality, place the chocolate selection in a beautiful crystal bowl or vase for Mom and in a cigar humidor or a toolbox or tacklebox for Dad. Even Independence Day can be an excellent occasion for giving chocolates. Add little American flags to the candies and present the whole gift in a star shaped container. You can even add streamers or string-pulled confetti poppers to the container in order to help celebrate the fireworks later in the evening. Or, if you know someone who will be camping out this summer, a great gift basket is to make a “S’more themed basket”. Fill a bucket with chocolate bars, graham crackers and marshmallows and let the fun ensue. Halloween is an easy holiday to celebrate with a chocolate gift basket. There are different varieties of available candy everywhere and you can readily find a basket or a container in the shape of a jack-o-lantern or witch’s cauldron. This is another wonderful creation to make and then set out at work for your co-workers and visiting clients to partake in. Besides holidays, there are birthdays, anniversaries, housewarming parties, graduations, baby and wedding showers, and “just because I love you” occasions. Add some chocolate covered popcorn with a favorite movie and create a great any occasion gift. Another way to use chocolate in a gift basket is to fill it with chocolate treats all from one area of the country or the world. This is a welcome gift for someone who is from that area to remind them of home. In addition, a chocolate gift basket is great as a way to help cheer a friend who is down. A small chocolate gift basket is also a perfect gift for all of your children’s teachers and it makes a lovely thank you gift for anyone else, as well. Next time you are facing an occasion and you need to bring a gift, don’t forget the sweetest gift of all, a gift of chocolate. It may be one of the simplest gift baskets to put together, but it is one of the most appreciated. Just tell everyone that they can begin their diets next week.

Cigars and Port: A Couple of Luxuries

Cigars and Port: A Couple of Luxuries by: Jennifer Jordan Cigars and alcohol have been a dynamic duo for thousands of years. From scotch and a Montecristo to brandy and a H. Upmann, they have been escorting each other to weddings, galas, and celebrations all over the world. Though there are shelves of alcohol that go well with cigars, there is one that smokers often overlook: Port wine. Sitting in the back of a wine cellar simply waiting for someone to drink in its glory, port wine knows it important when it comes to cigars. Nearly as sweet as a spoonful of sugar, Port would probably have been the preference of Mary Poppins had she let her hair down and decided to have a drink. Known also as Vinho do Porto, Oporto, and Porto, Port is fortified wine hailing from the northern parts of Portugal. Though there are Port-like wines made in other countries, such as the US, Portugal lays claim to true Port. The others are, in a simple alliteration, Port Posers. Made from grapes in the Douro Valley, Port has a long and colorful history. Produced in Portugal since the mid 1400’s, it didn’t gain popularity until the Methuen Treaty of 1703. A treaty that was used to – as treaties are known to do – solve war related conflicts, this agreement also put Port on the European map by strengthening the Port wine trade. Soon, England was very important to the world of Port. The process of making port is an arduous one. It initially involves picking grapes, smashing them (don’t worry, they use stunt doubles), and then placing the remnants in a tank where they are chopped further into tiny pieces. After sitting in this tank for close to twenty-four hours, the grapes begin to ferment and their sugar evolves into something else: alcohol. With Port wine, after fermentation begins, timing takes over. This is where Port becomes somewhat special and a whole lot different. Once half of the grape's sugar has been converted, fermentation must be stopped. In order to do this, the wine is mixed with clear brandy containing a proof of 150. The alcohol in the brandy kills the yeast in the wine, causing fermentation to cease. The ending result is a wine that is sweeter and higher in alcohol content than most. Though there are many styles of Port - White Port, Ruby Port, Young Tawny Port, Aged Tawny Port, Vintage Character Port, Late Bottled Vintage Port, Traditional Late Bottled Vintage Port, Vintage Port, Single Quinta Vintage Port, Crusted Port, and Garrafeira Port - most styles fall into two broad categories: Bottle aged or Cask aged. Because doing the tiniest thing different will result in a different taste of wine, the two Port processes greatly dictate the flavorful outcome. While Bottle aged Ports generally behave like wine on Botox, keeping their color and their fruitiness well into maturity, Cask aged Ports lose flavor quickly. They are ready to drink right away and should be consumed quickly. Some of the best Ports to know are the Taylor Fladgate Tawny Port, W. & J. Graham's Tawny Port, Smith Woodhouse Vintage Character Port, Niepoort Vintage Port, Quinta do Infantado Single Quinta Vintage Port, and Adriano Ramos-Pinto Late Bottled Vintage Port. Port wine, because of its innate sweetness, is usually served with desserts, and cheese. But, when accompanied with a cigar (hand rolled ones make a particularly ideal pairing), desserts don’t hold a candle and the cheese, as a Tawny Port ditches a block of cheddar for a Camacho Corojo, stands alone.

How To Buy Good Wines Cheaply

How To Buy Good Wines Cheaply by: Louise Truswell No matter what you may have heard elsewhere, buying good wines cheaply is easy. Simply follow these useful tips and you’ll be well on the way to finding great value wines without compromising quality. Firstly, always “back the little guy”. By this, we mean hunting down small, boutique wineries, which don’t have large advertising budgets to convince you to buy their wines, or cash to buy space on supermarket shelves. Instead, the only way that they can get their wines noticed is to ensure that the quality is of a very high standard. Wines of this type can be bought from retailers who support small producers. When looking for a decent, cheap wine, a good tip is to seek out less fashionable regions. The wine trade is obsessed with fashion and the result of this can be a compromise in quality. Wine estates in Bordeaux and California for example, are often more known for their investments by millionaires, rather than the wine itself. So to enjoy good wines without the fashion tag, you should search out the retailers who source their wines from places that make similar wines. Chilean Cabernet Merlot is a good alternative to Bordeaux, while Grenache/Syrah blends are a perfect substitute to Chateauneuf du Pape and Chilean Chardonnay is to Chablis. And don’t forget New World fizz if you are looking for a cheaper alternative to Champagne. Another useful hint is to avoid wine brands and heavily advertised wines. Why? Well, large brand wines are produced in significant volumes, using mass production techniques, and as winemakers look to achieve consistency, they compromise quality by using artificial processes such as adding sugars and adding citric acid to their wines. In addition, they heavily promote and market their wines, meaning that significant mark ups are likely. Similarly, big name bargains are a definite no no. Although, through their buying power, supermarkets and large wine retailers can force producers to sell wines at incredibly low prices, they can only do this at the expense of the quality of the wine. To make ends meet, producers will be forced to plant on land that isn’t good enough to bear the region’s name or worse, they will increase yields and dilute the wines. So while a bottle of Chablis for a fiver may sound great, we guarantee that it will leave you feeling disappointed! Finally, make sure that you buy your wine from an online wine retailer. Online wine retailers will offer you far better value for money compared to supermarkets and ordinary merchants, as they don’t incur many of the building costs, which are then passed on to you, the customer. Also, as online retailers aren’t restricted by shelf space, they can offer an unlimited range of wines that ordinary merchants don’t necessarily have space for.

How To Store Your Wine

How To Store Your Wine by: Jennifer de Jong
So, you love wine, you've bought a few of your favorite bottles and you store them in a wine rack on your counter or on top of your refrigerator. Then one day your friend brings you a bottle and you get another bottle for a gift and you begin to run out of room on your counter. Then you begin thinking...where is the best place to store my wine. Most wine lovers have seen the day that requires graduating from a couple bottles in a rack to coming up with some sort of system to sort, store, and keep wine accessible. The following are some tips for keeping your wine healthy and tasting good long-term. Wine is best stored under cool, dark, airy conditions, free from vibration, odors and dampness. A cellar need not be under the house. The single most important factor is temperature stability. Wines stored where the temperature varies gradually with the seasons are better off than wines stored in a room which is heated during the day and then allowed to cool to winter temperatures at night. The ideal cellar temperature is 12-15oC(53-59F) with a relative humidity of 65-75%. It is worthwhile using a thermometer to monitor summer temperatures. It may be a cause for concern if the cellar temperature goes much over 18oC(64F), as warm conditions will accelerate the development of your wines, possibly reducing the pleasure to be had from them. Store wine on its side, ideally with the neck sloping slightly upwards so that the cork remains wet, the bubble of air is in the shoulder and any sediment will collect at the bottom of the bottle. This will make the wine easier to decant. Place the bottle with the label facing up or use written neck tags so you do not disturb a wine to identify it. Align the bottles so that the corks are visible - this will allow easy inspection for problems such as leakage. Depending on the size of your cellar and your budget, your wines can be stored in either racks or boxes. There are various racking and storage systems available ranging from metal individual bottle storage racks through to custom-built wooden systems. Cardboard cartons in which wines are packed provide efficient insulation and also protect the wine from light. Another alternative, albeit an expensive one, is specially designed styrene boxes, which provide excellent insulation and double as wine racks. Air conditioning and refrigeration may effectively reduce temperatures but will also reduce humidity causing cork shrinkage. Buckets filled with water and regularly topped up will usually solve this problem. Alternatively, several companies now offer cellaring cabinets of varying sizes, that are, effectively, modified refrigerators with humidity control and these same companies can also supply humidity control units for rooms. It is important to note that your wines will mature more quickly if your cellaring conditions are not ideal. If you are like me, you have more everyday style wine in your cellar than anything. These wines are better to drink quickly rather than store for years and years. However, proper storage conditions will keep your wine from spoiling too quick and you may be surprised with the excellent aging results you achieve with some higher end or more complex styles such as Bordeaux or Pinot Noir/Burgundy. Try asking your local wine merchant to suggest some wines for you that age well and have fun starting a collection of age worthy wine to go with your everyday wine.

Fun, Healthy, Delicious Food – Can You Really Have it All?

Fun, Healthy, Delicious Food – Can You Really Have it All? by: Sahar Aker
Is there really such a thing as food that is fun, healthy, and delicious? So many people think grub that’s good for you automatically takes all the fun out of eating. After all, healthy food can’t possibly taste good, can it? Of course it can! I have been busy gathering some ideas for fun, healthy, delicious foods to share with you. If you have kids, these are recipes I think they’ll like too. And here’s another bonus – they are all easy to make: • Have you seen those “Flatout Mini” soft wraps? I love these! They are small-size wraps that are low in calories, convenient, and very versatile. Try this easy recipe – all you need are the wraps, cooking spray, Mrs. Dash, and Parmesan cheese. Cut each wrap into 16 wedges and place on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with a little Mrs. Dash and a bit of Parmesan. Bake at 350-degrees for about ten minutes or until lightly brown and crisp. • Fruit kabobs – This is a fun alternative to a plain old bowl of fruit. Just pick a few of your favorites – maybe apples, pineapple, bananas - and cut them into chunks. Slide the fruit onto a skewer. Next, roll the skewer in a plate of nonfat yogurt… then roll again in a plate of shredded coconut. Voila! A fun, healthy, delicious snack! • Sandwich kabobs - Cut whole-grain bread, low-fat cheese, and your favorite deli meat into cubes. Slide them onto skewers along with some veggies like grape tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, and olives. Dip into fat-free or low-fat Italian dressing. • For a quick mini-pizza, top an English muffin (go for the whole grain ones) with spaghetti sauce and a little shredded low-fat mozzarella. Broil until the cheese melts. • Pop a frozen waffle or pancake into the toaster and top it with warm applesauce and cinnamon. Too easy, huh? • Freeze some grapes, bananas, cherries, or maybe peaches and blend with yogurt for a fruit smoothie. • Yogurt pops – fill paper cups with your favorite non-fat or low-fat yogurt and put a popsicle stick in each cup. Freeze and enjoy! • Creamy Coolwich (from Nabisco World) - put 2 tablespoons of sugar free Cool Whip in between graham cracker squares. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for three hours or until firm. Yum! • Blueberry Cracker Bites (from Kraft Foods) – spread 1 teaspoon light cream cheese on a reduced-fat Ritz cracker and top with 5 frozen blueberries. Too fun! So, you see – healthy foods can be fun and delicious. Now, I am a firm believer that the key to a successful, healthy lifestyle is to choose fun good-for-you foods and exercises when you can. It’s a tough enough fight out there whether you’re trying to lose or maintain weight. But enjoying the journey is half the battle.

Hot White Chocolate From The Ancient Cacao Bean

Hot White Chocolate From The Ancient Cacao Bean by: Dean Forster There are almost endless possibilities when it comes to choosing and buying chocolate. There are as many chocolate assortments on the market as many people's tastes for this treat. The term chocolate includes a number of foods that are produced from the seed of the tropical cacao tree, native to lowland tropical South America. People used to drink liquid chocolate beverages as back as 3000 years ago by the native Mayans and Aztecs. Chocolate is also associated with the Mayan god of fertility. A lot of the hot white chocolate consumed today is made into bars that combine cocoa solids, fats like cocoa butter, and sugar. White chocolate is a special chocolate type. One of the first things you should know about it is that although it is called chocolate, white chocolate isn't really chocolate at all. Yes, the white assortment comes from the same cacao plant, but it turns white because of a different production process. White chocolate was first made in New Hampshire after World War I and of course, hot white chocolate first appeared back then but only with isolated requests. Hot white chocolate isn't as popular as generic hot chocolate is, but it has way more demand than it had in those days. Chocolate is made from useable items extracted from the ancient cacao bean. While dark chocolates use the cocoa powder ground from the seeds, the versions of white use only the butter. Actually, this is the reason for which the hot white chocolate has that very light color. White chocolate contains neither chocolate liquor nor cocoa solids. Because of this fact, the lack of chocolate syrup from its creation process, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not even consider white chocolate at all to belong to the chocolate family. Some people also state that hot white chocolate hasn't got anything to do to hot chocolate in anyway. To create this delicious treat, producers use cocoa butter, milk solids, vanilla, sugar and lecithin; these being its main ingredients of course, for hot white chocolate, all of these are powdered (or should be). If real, natural cocoa butter is used, the result is a better tasting, higher quality product. Other producers will not use natural cocoa butter, but vegetable fats (these products are known as confectioner's coating or summer coating). Doing so, they end up with a lower quality chocolate product. If you read on the chocolate bar that vegetables fat has been used, you would better buy another assortment, made using real cocoa butter. It will simply taste better. When they are made with natural cocoa butter, white chocolates have an ivory color. They are a tasty combination of cream and vanilla and no producer making white chocolate using vegetable fat will ever manage to match it in taste. You can also distinguish white chocolate made using cocoa butter from that made using vegetable fats by their consistency, taste and ability to be stored. White chocolate can be stored for many months before it expires.

How To Enjoy A Glass Of Beer

How To Enjoy A Glass Of Beer by: Jon Caldwell Drink and be merry is a familiar phrase that people would usually say back to you when you are on a vacation in Cork, Ireland. Car hire can provide assistance in bringing tourists to the various bars and pubs located all over Ireland. In the same way, this allows them total flexibility, since car for hire vehicles allow tourists the benefit of choosing the desired place, or to be able to hop from one bar to another. These benefits are limited in a way when people disregard their need for mobility and transportation, having to look at time always to be able to ensure that they go home safe and sound, without the hassles of needing to worry about their means of getting back to their lodging accommodations. Unimportant as it may seem for most people, a vehicle for hire really has a lot of benefits rather than worrying about the expenses. Not only concentrated on the pubs, but car hire also extends its coverage into other tourist wants, as nearby sites, drinking, dining and other activities that tourists would prefer while they are on vacation. Ideally, people will be restless once they are in Ireland. Thinking of what to do and where to go are only some of the issues that they have to address. Car hire also extends assistance on this aspect, providing tourists with information as to what ideal places would be worth their while. This car for hire organization is not solely aimed at providing vehicles for profit, but would also like to ensure that such tourists will get the most out of their vacation. Besides, a one shot deal is nothing compared to customer loyalty on their next visit and referral to their friends, if people are to find a trustworthy organization when they go on tour in Ireland. Among the alternative places where people may meet and bring women would be that of bars. Mixing alcohol with music and some pleasantries along the way are a good mix of better things to come, even perhaps leading to a stage where they can be able get to know each other better. Part of this of course comes from enjoying the company of each other and this proves to be an advantage on the part of the guy. You see, one of the hardest parts of trying to gain the nod of women is providing them a good time and impressing them that they made the right decision in giving in to your company. By all means, this is one hard thing to do if a man is not careful. The judgment phase, that of which is trying to win the woman’s nod is perhaps the most invigorating part that cannot promise anything frugal. It is an open battle field for them as they try to save face or obtain their trophy of trust from the apple of their eyes. Women of course will not give in to easily. Men have to find out the funny bone of their intimate and romantic desires. The things that make them click as a whole are the most important aspect since women rarely have the time to waste time for men who pursue them without purpose. Flings may be possible but honestly, women today have become wiser. Time is an essential element in maturity and this can be seen once a woman shows that she is not playing around with men. Companionship is one thing but going towards the next level is something else. Moreover, women value the effort and persistence. A woman will automatically not entertain the would-be suitors if they are not interested. With an open minded, most women would provide equal chances. If in the first try you are turned down, then perhaps it would be better not to pursue or expect more. The whole thing will become useless and moot. These are the realities in love and relationships. Many would want to get intimate and take on life together even if there is not seen bond just yet. However, for most people wanting something serious, their road towards it will say it all. Persistence and sincerity will be tested and all of these can be seen sooner than they think.

5 Steps to Guilt-Free Dining Out

5 Steps to Guilt-Free Dining Out by: Susan Collmorgen
Perhaps dining out is something you and your family really enjoy doing. After all, it’s a great way to spend quality time together and engage in conversation, and you don’t have to be the one to cook the meal or clean up the mess. But can you really enjoy dining out together and still maintain a healthy lifestyle? The answer may surprise you. When done in moderation, dining out can still fit in with a healthy family lifestyle. So long as you make wise food choices and keep nutritional value in mind, you can enjoy your dining experiences without the guilt. The following are five steps to guilt-free dining: Step 1.) Skip the appetizers. Most restaurant appetizers are high in fat and calories. Rich chip dips, mozzarella sticks, potato skins, and Buffalo wings are tempting, but they should be avoided if you wish to feel good about your food selections afterwards. Keep in mind that at many restaurants, the main course will automatically come with bread, salad, soup, or in the case of a Mexican restaurant, chips and salsa. If you simply must order an appetizer, limit it to one to share with everyone at the table. Step 2.) Choose your entree carefully. When it comes to your main dish, pay attention to the listed ingredients. Avoid items with cream sauces or high-fat meats. Pass on fried side items like French fries and onion rings as frying adds additional fat. Consider steamed vegetables or rice as a side dish, or ask for the side items to be left off completely. Step 3.) Control your portions. I cannot stress this enough. Whether dining out or eating at home, portion control is perhaps the most important factor to consider when trying to maintain healthy eating habits. When you can, order from the lunch menu since the portions are generally smaller. Also consider asking for a to-go box when placing your order so you can split your meal immediately and avoid the temptation of over indulging. This also gives you a second meal later. Another option would be to split an entrée with your spouse or child. Step 4.) Avoid alcoholic beverages. A mixed beverage or beer with your meal may be tempting, but try to limit alcoholic beverages to special occasions. Alcohol is very high in empty calories. Step 5.) Say no to desserts. Desserts may be hard to resist, but you’ll thank yourself for doing so. Not only are they very high in calories; they’re generally just as high in fat. If you’re really craving a dessert, make it a point to split one dessert with someone else. That way you’ll only take in half the fat and calories. Of course, on special occasions, it’s alright to cheat a little. Just don’t make it a habit.

Low Cholesterol Pizza Recipes? You're Kidding!

Low Cholesterol Pizza Recipes? You're Kidding! by: Bretislav Slansky That is the reaction for most people. But as soon as you try these simple low cholesterol pizza recipes, you'll know it's true. Personally I love pizza. I can't live without the smell of freshly baked, cheesy tasting pizza with bunch of veggies or other stuff. Every time I watch movie at home, I have to bake a pizza. Otherwise I do not enjoy myself watching the movie. Which is about once a week. I think that having pizza once a week is not a bad thing. If you do not overeat of course. And if you know how to cook low fat low cholesterol pizza, you have nothing to be ashamed for. Ok, let's stop talking, put on some chef’s uniform and presto; you have just become healthy pizza chef. Healthy Pizza Recipe Preparation: When trying to prepare healthy pizza, start with a fat-free pizza dough or crust. I love to prepare pizza out of pita bread. For all pizza, use substitution like fat-free cheese, fat free tomato sauce, crushed red pepper or garlic (which has cholesterol lowering properties). Just be creative. Follow the samples of low cholesterol pizza recipes below and let your imagination create something great. Here are samples of my favorite pizza recipes: Breakfast Pizza You can just scramble some egg whites and put it on the top of your pitta bread or fat-free pizza crust. If you can find whole-wheat one, you are better off. Top it with: -smoked turkey "bacon" -grated fat-free cheddar cheese -diced green onions Bake or broil your pizza until cheese melts. Cool down for a 5 minutes and enjoy. Vegetable Pizza Start with a whole-wheat crust. Top it with these: -fat free mozzarella cheese, shredded -sliced mushrooms -diced red and greed peppers -diced onions Again bake it as an example above. Until cheese is melted. Hummus Pizza On top of your crust spread fat free hummus and top with: -diced tomatoes -chopped parsley -ground cumin Bake or broil until heated through. About 10 minutes on 350 degrees F. Like I said before, experiment with these samples and you can create your own low cholesterol low fat pizza. Hope you will get a lot of good ideas on how to make great tasting, yet healthier pizza. And remember, you can use pita bread, all vegetables on your pizza. You can also cut skinless chicken breasts on stripes, grill it using something like George Freeman Grill and add that on top of your pizza. Use your imagination!

How To Make Cappuccino In 3 Simple Steps!

How To Make Cappuccino In 3 Simple Steps! by: Ebenezer Heng
Consider this the basic in the how to make cappuccino series. This article would highlight the steps to make cappuccino like the baristas you see in Starbucks and most coffee shops... Before moving on to the 3 simple steps to make the cappuccino, do you know what is cappuccino? The key to understanding this, would be invaluable to learn how to make it. Knowing the components of a cappuccino enables you to visualize the procedures later. Cappuccino is actually an espresso filled with 2 types of heated milk, i.e the steamed milk and the frothed milk. And, it is the frothed milk that gives cappuccino that classic look and it is also the "so difficult " frothing that lead world coffee bodies in using the froth to evaluate the skills of baristas. The proportion of cappuccino is 1/3 espresso, 1/3 heated milk and 1/3 frothed milk. We would not touch on espresso in this article, as it warrants one entire article on how to get a good espresso, here we would highlight the other 2 components, the steamed and frothed milk, to better your learning in how to make cappuccino. You would get steamed milk when the heat source (usually the steam wand) is injected into the milk, slightly below boiling point. As the injection of hot air is controlled to a minimal, there would not be any change in the milk volume except for a small amount of micro bubbles or froth. To get more bubbles, i.e. to get frothed milk, place the steam wand at the surface of the milk, and this would creates more of the micro bubbles, remove the steam wand, when the froth has the look and feel of whipped cream. Now, let's learn how to make cappuccino in 3 simple steps: i. when using an espresso machine, while waiting for the espresso to brew, steam and froth the milk in a frothing pitcher. Once done, set it aside for approximately 30 seconds. This is to allow the milk densities to separate. To speed up the process, you can try what Starbucks or most coffee shops' baristas are doing -by knocking the frothing pitcher on the table, this would separate the steam from the froth milk. ii. Then, take a large spoon to keep the milk foam as you pour out the steam milk. As you pour the steam milk into a mug, do it slowly to prevent breaking the froth, and stop when you reaches 1/3 of the mug. With the 1/3 steam milk done, spooned up the froth milk and put it on top of the steamed milk, this foamed milk should take up another 1/3 of the mug. iii. For the last 1/3 of the mug, pour in the espresso down the middle of this foamy sculpture. And there you have it, a foamy cappuccino! Not that complicated right? No need to ask how to make cappuccino like that Starbucks baristas anymore right? You can do it with 3 simple steps!:)

Best Food And Wine Pairings

Best Food And Wine Pairings by: Jack Wells
Are you looking forward to pair your favorite meal with a good quality wine, then you require to have an extensive knowledge about pairing the wine and food in a correct order. In case, you fail to do so, you will spoil the whole fun. In fact you would be spoiling the taste of the best quality wine and the best food item. The bad qualities you may introduce via pairing wine and food in an incorrect form include extra sweetness, bitterness, alcoholic properties and non-desirable metallic flavors. You can easily adopt several foolproof methods to pair food and wine in correct form. First and foremost, you should remember that the food and wine you want to pair should have similar characteristics. You should think of a porter if you want to have red wine in your lunch or dinner. The reason is that both these items have strong flavors. You should not mix and pair food and wine that consist of characteristics different from each other. Most people try to pair sweet wine with steak and end up getting undesirable results. Mixing wine and food of different characteristics will prove to be a very bad experience for you. Proper pairing will work towards providing a distinct and pleasant element to your overall wining and dining experience. Experts believe that wine with citrus taste will go well with chicken laced with butter and garlic sauce. You would simply love the outcome. You should follow certain rules before starting off to prepare new dishes for wines with high alcohol flavor. High alcohol flavored wines should be combined with barbecued dishes such as barbecued meats. If you happen to pair your favorite wine with light flavored dish, then chances are that wine will overpower the dish. You will end up feeling that you have been just having a glass of wine for so long. In case, you like wines that consist of a lot of tannin, then you should pair them with dishes rich in salt or protein content. You can also enjoy desert wine via mixing sweet wine with your favorite dessert that is sweet in moderate amount. Do not look for sweets that have too much sugar content. This will over seventeen your dish. You should also trust you own instincts prior to combining foods and wines together. Try to figure out what you want to drink and eat. Thereafter, slip some wine and take a bite of the food you have prepared in order to figure out what will suit your taste buds. You should not go for wine that you don’t like or a dish you have never tried before. Experimenting is good but don’t try to go for anything that may provide you bad taste. Best food and wine pairings result from a lot of research and experiment. You should learn a lot about wine, different types of cuisines and the results these provide when in combination. You would definitely be able to make great pairs if you make some efforts towards research work.

Coffee: What Are The Health Benefits?

Coffee: What Are The Health Benefits? by: Aaron Matthews Morgan
If you are a coffee drinker, you no doubt have asked yourself how much coffee is it safe for you to consume on a daily basis. This is not surprising since so much has been blamed on coffee. Heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, you name it. At one time or another, coffee has been made to blame. Coffee has joined the ranks of red wine and chocolate as a guilty pleasure that may actually be good for you. As much as it is a great way to get that fix in the morning, recent studies have shown that coffee has been found to be rich in antioxidants and contains hundreds of pain-relieving and anti-bacterial compounds. Although one should not drink coffee with wild abandon, it's comforting to know that maybe that cup or two in the morning may be good for you. Here is a statistic to ponder: did you know that there are over 160 million coffee drinkers in the Unites States alone? In terms of consumption, the average American consumes 8.8 lbs. of coffee per year. But consider this: the world leader in terms of consumption is Finland which comes in at nearly 30 lbs per year. That's a lot of coffee! Another statistic is that there have been well over 19,000 studies done to analyze the effects of coffee. Now, studies can often be skewed to show whatever the author wants, but here is what is generally agreed: consuming 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day is often considered more beneficial than harmful. Recent studies have shown that moderate coffee drinking can reduce the risk of colon cancer (due to it's ability to keep you regular), gallstones, cirrhosis of the liver and more, due to the fact the it is loaded with healthy antioxidants. So loaded, that studies have implied that coffee contains higher levels of antioxidants compared to other commonly consumed beverages, such as tea and fruit juice. Coffee has joined the ranks of red wine and chocolate as a guilty pleasure that may actually be good for you. As much as it is a great way to get that “fix” in the morning, recent studies have shown that coffee has been found to be rich in antioxidants and contains hundreds of pain-relieving and anti-bacterial compounds. Although one should not drink coffee with wild abandon, it's comforting to know that maybe that cup or two in the morning may be good for you. Several studies are also being conducted on Parkinson's and diabetic Patients. Research has shown that just one cup of coffee per day can halve your risk of Parkinson's, the brain disease that causes tremors and affects movement. Caffeine may protect the brain cells typically lost to Parkinson's disease. However, it has been noted that women on hormone therapy do not seem to benefit. It is felt that Estrogen may dilute the effectiveness of caffeine. It has also been found that if a woman drinks three cups of coffee a day, she can reduce her risk of Type 2 Diabetes by twenty to thirty percent. Coffee may help promote the delivery of insulin to the tissues. Experts believe that coffee's antioxidants, such as chlorogenic acid and caffeine acid, deserve the credit. There are also on going studies that are producing favorable reports on coffee helping to fight Alzheimer's due to the caffeine stimulating the cognitive area of the brain. This is just the tip of the ice berg. People with asthma who drink coffee can have up to 25 percent fewer symptoms because one of the compounds in coffee - theophylline - acts as a bronchodilator. A recent Brazilian study showed that consumption of coffee promotes better sperm mobility - and now studies are in progress to determine whether caffeine can help infertile men. Coffee contains polyphenols, substances that may reduce the risk of cancer and coronary artery disease. Caffeinated coffee, as opposed to decaffeinated coffee, makes you a better thinker. Studies have shown that coffee keeps you focused, particularly when you are doing not-so-pleasant work. A researcher with the U.S. Army stated caffeine improved scores on a range of cognitive tasks, such as decision making, learning, and attention in the sleep-deprived. Coffee can also boost your mood, probably by making you feel more energetic. A little known fact is that coffee contains antioxidants which have been shown to imporve oveall health. Here is a short list of some benefits which have been shown to be present in coffee: Reduce symptoms of Parkinson's Disease Antibacterial ingredients Reduce the risk of developing gallstones Preserve mental accuity Reduce risk of developing type 2 Diabetes (if you have diabetes, reduce your consumption If you are free of hypertension, coffee will not likely produce it Headache relief Reduce the risk of some types of cancer Improve physical endurance

Coffee Travel Mugs Is 1 Surefire Way To Enjoyed Coffee While Spending Less!

Yes, make no mistake -this is an article dedicated to coffee travel mugs. I simply felt that this fellow having been slighted for so long, should be given its due credit. This simple mug at worse can save you a few bucks, at best might be able to save you a few hundreds! We all know that coffee, the most traded item after oil is expensive. If you would to look at it, as a daily expense, it seems little. However, this being a lifestyle, a daily necessity, a couple of dollars multiple by the days, weeks and years -it can add up to probably a trip to "that part of the world" you always wished you went. 1. The cost of good Coffee from Coffee house There are so many variety of coffee out there, but let's say you always go for a cuppaccino which cost about 3 dollars and you have 2 per day. Assuming that you have the same pattern everyday, you would be spending: $3 X 2cups X 365days = $2190 (about that amount for a tour?). Of course, the couple of dollars refer to the gourmet coffee that you would purchased from Starbucks or similar. Making it at home cost much less, and similarly having a coffee maker in your office would equate to much less than dollars spent -however it brings with it another financial outlay, the initial one. Do you see the pattern forming on how coffee travel mugs can save you the extra few dollars. Okay, I would not jump the gun and would slowly bring you through it. Imagine, making coffee at home is great, but if you want to enjoy the same standard in the office, other than cajoling your boss to get a unit, it would be to get one yourself. 2. The cost of good coffee from office coffee machine (self purchase) We still stick to the assumption that you love your cappuccino, so you would not be getting any drip or vaccum coffee maker, it would have to be an espresso machine. **Hint: the cheapest cappuccino machine around would be the Mr Coffee Maker ECM 250 which can make a simple cappuccino and is less than 50 dollars. To enjoyed the same standard in the office, is another 50 dollars outlay. That is not forgetting that you would have to "treat" your colleagues who is so envious of your sweet smelling cappuccion! The beans would probably cost you at 0.20 dollars per serve. You consume 2 cups but would probably have to "treat" anything from 5 to 10 cups. Let's say you "treat" 5 cups per day. The total cost of your coffee would be: 7cups X $0.20 = $1.40, lesser than what you would pay to Starbucks, but not the best savings! You spent a total of S$50(initital investment) + S$1.40 X 365 = $561.00 just to enjoy your 2 cups of cappuccino. 3. The cost of good coffee from coffee travel mugs. Using a coffee maker for the office still cost you about $561.00 every year. It is cheaper than the $2190.00, but to us, it is not good enough. Imagine, where the $561.00 can get you to? If you are travelling to Asia, this amount probably can bring you from Japan to another few days stay in Hong Kong! Now, let's see what savings, coffee travel mugs can get for us: Everything remains the same, you still drink 2 cups of cappuccino everyday. The difference is you get yourself a great Nissan or Frontgate coffee travel mug, that can keep coffee warm for hours! The initial outlay is approximately $20.00. You do not have to share your coffee as your coffee travel mug is personal, so folks would not come to you for "treats" and nobody likes sharing from the same mug -so you save the "treats". The total cost for the good coffee from coffee travel mugs would be $20.00 (the purchase of a good thermal mug) + $0.20 (the cost of beans) X 2 serve per day X 365 days = $166.00. Between having a coffee maker in the office and bringing it from home -you save close to $400.00 and you would saved more than $1500.00 simply by using coffee travel mugs and not buying from coffee house. So, what do you think? Simple thing yes, but in the era where cost is rising so rapidly, I seriously think that the savings from coffee travel mugs can go a long way for working folks like all of us!

Putting Taste Into Health Bars

I met the managing director of Desire Tree International, Biddut K. Roy, and discovered the wonderful taste of their health bars (also known as nutrition or energy bars) under the trade name of "Wonderbar". In my conversation with Mr. Roy, I asked how he became involved in manufacturing such a wonderful food product. Mr. Roy replied, "I grew up preparing and serving healthy food to others...it is traditional as well as a good deed so my inclination was there." He further explained, "As for manufacturing food items, several years ago I took care of a business for friends and later I felt inclined to do something with my own team--with the scope to develop and grow a unique company. I was disappointed that many "energy bars", "health bars" or "nutrition bars" in the market are too bland for the consumers to be inspired about. Even parents expressed that they cannot get their children to eat them. Knowing this, our team wanted to make natural, healthy, tasty and nutritious health bars." Formulating the Wonderbar I sampled several Wonderbars made by "Desire Tree International" and WOW!, the products are very tasty and satisfying. The combinations are excellent with fresh nuts and dried fruits carefully prepared and packaged. An excellent product! Mr. Roy went on to tell me, "My new partners and I worked for weeks and months formulating the product with different combinations of ingredients. We use only the finest, highest quality ingredients that are natural, free of chemical additives, without GMO, free from allergy causing substances as well as no added sugar. We looked at many sweeteners and decided that honey would be the best ingredient. It is energy giving, naturally healthy, plus the taste is great. We worked with food nutritionists and studied necessary food guideline information to work out the food value, prepare and print wrappers, boxes, and acquire machines for proper mixing. We rented a suitable premise, registered our company and took care of the many details required to open our licensed company, "Desire Tree International." After extensive preparations were made, we were finally ready with a line- of products in eight flavors: cashew almond pineapple, almond apple cranberry, pistachio apple, hazel date almond protein, almond apple ginger, pumpkin seeds sesame raisin, and macadamia pineapple.

Delicious Dining Has Never Been So Easy

Delicious Dining Has Never Been So Easy by: Gary Milnes





There is a special je ne sais quoi feeling when one sees gourmet food presented with visual appeal and attention to all details. The memories of the taste and the presentation linger long after the actual event. It is this x factor that raises the bar and makes good food get elevated to the great category. Chef directs northeast is a sterling example of superb food of your personal choice served in an atmosphere of top class professionalism. A classic situation that most of us have encountered in our lives is when we enthusiastically invite people over for a party and then realize belatedly that the huge amount of cooking has to be done either personally or to be ordered in. The cooking plans will be enough to guarantee you bed rest for a week after the event and food sourced randomly from outside is usually bland and tasteless. It makes perfect sense to opt for a catering service with established credentials like Chef direct northeast to step in at this juncture. Whether it is a barbeque, a formal get together, an office party, or even just a romantic tryst for two, the food is the piece de resistance and what makes the event memorable. Most of the times, you approach an outside caterer is for weddings and other such engagements. Chef direct northeast makes wedding days memorable with their magnificent wedding catering and wedding reception buffets. The ala carte cuisine is mouthwatering and served in a manner befitting a top class restaurant. One can opt for a personal chef creating masterpieces for him at home or at an outside venue and the food is balanced with carefully chosen fine wines and desserts that round off a meal beautifully. Every detail is taken care of and the planning begins at the initial discussion stage where your tastes and preferences are taken into consideration and the menu is built on that. The superb cuisine masterpieces of chef northeast are guaranteed to make a wedding day perfect with no worries from your side. So whether one opts for a sit down meal or a wedding reception buffet, everything is beautifully coordinated and professionally rendered. Corporate catering and buffets are expertly put together by chef direct north east. Finger foods are popular and are tastefully assembled in tasty and unusual combinations. These are presented on fine crockery for a classy effect. These finger foods can be delivered without any fuss in an insulated box with a chafing dish from which the food can be consumed hot and fresh. Corporate catering and corporate buffets by chef direct northeast gives exquisite cuisine served onsite or offsite with a choice of set menus that include hot or cold as per personal preference. These can even be delivered to your office and served by trained personnel. Staff costs and traveling costs will be billed as extras as also any equipment hired onsite which is necessary. Marquee and garden events are also catered for and the carved buffet is a must-have One can make anniversary and engagement parties memorable with catering from Chef direct northeast. Romantic evenings, Mother’s day celebrations, birthdays, Christmas parties can all be made extra special with the splendid food, catering services and ambience created by the trained staff. When you decide to have outside catering done for your party, you are minimizing the time consuming labor, not to mention all the running around and hard work you will have to put in yourself, if you choose to do it yourself. The specialty of the chef is his genuine passion for his craft that shines through in all his cooking. He has perfected and honed his skills with years of experience and he serves up a wide range of cuisines which encompass classic party food, finger food, Asian blends, special dietary needs meals and pub food. Low calorie, vegetarian, vegan and other healthy food are also offered as options. The chef also offers teaching classes to those who are interested. Chef direct northeast covers the spectrum of social dining in their services and even caters for a minimum of two according to requirement. The best part about their services as vouched for by ecstatic clients is that they do not leave you with a mound of dirty dishes after a frenetically paced party. They actually wash and clean up leaving you to savor the lingering after effects of a superbly cooked meal without the heartburn of clearing up afterwards. The services also include pleasant and helpful staff, waiters and waitresses and even chairs, tables and flowers if you need them. You will have only pleasant memories of a wonderful occasion and heavenly food when you opt for Chef direct northeast.

Facts About Peppers

Facts About Peppers by: Laura Ng
Ever wonder if peppers are fruits or vegetables? Actually, peppers are fruits but eaten as vegetables most of the time. Peppers can be very flexible in any food combinations, be it barbecues, baking, steaming, stir-frying with any vegetables, nuts, seeds or legumes. They can even be eaten raw as snacks or in salads. It’s no wonder they are the favourites of the vegetarians and vegans. They come from the colorful Capsicum family which can be split into two main categories - sweet bell peppers and the spicy chillies, such as jalapenos. The difference arises from the presence of capsaicin in chillies (which is explained later) but not in sweet bell peppers. Sweet bell peppers are also known as capsicums, sweet peppers or green/red peppers. All sweet bell peppers start out green and change color as they ripen. Depending on the stage of ripeness and their variety, their colors range from orange, yellow, red, purple, brown, black, ivory or green and so do their sweetness. But green bell peppers remain green throughout the ripening process. Thus, it can be challenging to differentiate the other bell peppers from the green variety before they ripen. All peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C. Green bell peppers contain as much as two times of vitamin C as oranges while red or yellow pepper pack three or four times the daily value of vitamin C. Besides power-packed with vitamin C, bell peppers also provide vitamin B6, phytochemicals such as lycopene and beta-carotene (the precursor for vitamin A), folate, potassium and plenty of fiber. The only difference between sweet peppers and chilli peppers is the presence of capsaicin in chilli peppers. Capsaicin itself holds numerous health benefits: · Effective treatment and natural pain relief for inflammation such as arthritis, psoriasis, diabetic neuropathy. · Reduce risk of heart attack and stroke as it helps to reduce cholesterol levels and formation of blood clots. · Clear blocked nose and congested lungs. · Prevent prostate cancer by inhibiting growth of cancerous cells · Prevent stomach ulcers by killing bacteria in the stomach and stimulate more protective stomach juices. · Help to lose weight as it speeds up the body’s metabolism rate, suppresses appetite and cravings for sweet foods. · Lower risk of Type 2 diabetes by controlling the blood sugar. Capsaicin is what makes the chillies hot as it produces a strong burning sensation in the mouth. The seeds are not the main culprits for causing the hotness. Actually, capsaicin is most concentrated in the white membrane where the seed is attached. Thus, you should be careful when handling the chilli peppers so as not to let them come in contact with your skin or eyes such as rubbing your eyes with your hands after touching the chillies. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling the chillies. Should you eat a really hot chilli which causes an unbearable burning sensation in your mouth, drink milk or eat yogurt, rice or bread instead of water to ease the pain. I often use these few ways to handle the chillies: · Wear gloves. · To remove the seeds without touching them, hold the chilli stem and cut open with a paring knife. Cut away the membranes and seeds with the knife. Another handy tool is the melon baller. Place the chillies in water for 15 minutes before cutting them. Note that this will only reduce but will not fully remove the “hotness” of the chillies. · If you do not need to remove the seeds, just hold the chili by the stem and cut the chillies into rings. Asians like to eat the raw chillies as a dip in this manner, with the chillies soaked in lime juice or soy sauce. Chilli peppers come in different sizes, shapes and degrees of heat or spiciness. The more mature the pepper, the hotter it will be. The commonly used method to measure how hot the chillies are is Scoville Scale. The Scoville Scale converts the amount of capsaicin in parts per million into Scoville heat units. So the greater the number of Scoville Scale, the hotter the pepper. A sweet bell pepper measures 0 Scoville unit and a habaneros or scotch bonnet, the hottest known chilli peppers, records at around 300,000 units. Peppers are not seasonal fruits, meaning you can find them in supermarkets any day during the year. Choose well-shaped, firm and glossy peppers which feel heavy for their size. Look out for unhealthy peppers with soft or wrinkled areas, cracks, slashes or black spots. Except for jalapeñwhich you will see some tiny cracks at the end of their stems, fresh chilli peppers should not have any cracks at all. It’s best to wrap the peppers in paper bags or paper towels and store in the refrigerator to keep their freshness, up to 5 days for bell peppers and up to 3 weeks for chilli peppers. Remember to wash the peppers before cooking so as to remove the wax on their surfaces.

Olive Oil - Its Benefits And Uses

Olive Oil - Its Benefits And Uses by: Laura Ng Why do we use olive oil ? Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids (mainly oleic acid), which, unlike saturated fats, do not adversely affect blood cholestrol levels and may even help to lower them slightly. For those suffering from constipation, take more olive oil often as it helps to lubricate the intestines and eliminate waste from our bodies, thereby curing your constipation. Olive oil also provides natural antioxidants (called polyphenols) which help to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Why is olive oil catergorises into different types ? The flavor of olive oil varies, depending on the source, the variety of olive, the soil conditions, weather, etc. Some of the primary sources come from Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Turkey Portugal, Tunisia, Morocco, and California. Some olive oils are from a single variety of oils, but others, like most Italian oils, are blends of oils from different types of olives and from different countries. What is the difference among "Virgin", "Extra virgin", "Fine" and "refined" olive oil? The oil produced from the first pressing of ripe olives is often the purest form, thus is called virgin. Extra virgin simply means an oil from the first pressing that is particularly low in acid - less than 1%. Virgin olive oil may have as much as 4% acid. Fino or fine olive oil is a blend of extra virgin and virgin olive oils, with an acid content not above 3%. To squeeze more oil from the ripe olives, modern extraction methods of pressure, heat and chemical solvents are applied. These refined oils may be blended with virgin oil to replace some of the flavor lost in the processing, and are sold as pure olive oil or just olive oil. In some countries, you may also stumble upon light olive oil, which is not lower in calories, but which has been so finely filtered as to remove most of its color and fragrance (and flavor). It has a higher smoke point than the other types of olive oil, though, so it is well suited to high-temperature frying. For the best qualities, we should go for the "Virgin" or "Extra virgin" olive oil because they have a fruity and rich flavour, wouldn't turn rancid so fast and are more easily digestible than refined oil. For nutritional values, they are the same. But, extra virgin oil which is low in acidity level contains more antioxidants. Where is olive oil used? Compared with other vegetable oils, only olive oil has enough flavour to replace butter and margarine for a healthier choice. Because of its pure state, extra virgin oil is often used as a dressing in salads or as a dip for breads. Refined or light olive oil is suitable for deep frying. It may seem pricey to use it to fry food but the fact that such oil is four to five times more heat resistant than vegetable oil would mean you can reuse it to fry foods many more times before the oil begins to break down. Will olive oil loses its nutritional value when heated ? Olive oil, when heated at high temperature, will cause its alcohols and esters to evaporate. The esters are what make up the olive oil delicate taste and fragrance. So heat will only change the flavor of olive oil but not its nutritional contents. We recommend you use a cheaper olive oil like refined/light oil for frying and then add a more flavorful olive oil after cooking. Will the food be any lesser in nutritions if cooked in olive oil ? Heating food will break down its nutritional value. High heat such as frying is worse than moderate heat such as steaming, which is worse than eating vegetables raw. It is not the cooking oil per se, but the high heat of frying. Most nutritionists recommend lightly steaming vegetables or eating them raw. A touch of a flavorsome olive oil added at the table will add taste and healthful anti-oxidants. This is what "Mediterranean diet" is about, which has been shown to help prevent coronary disease and have other health benefits. How to store Olive oil ? Keep away from heat, ie the stove, to prevent ageing of the oil. Better to keep a large container in a dark, cool cupboard and pour a small amount into a dispenser for everyday use. The container can be made of plastic, stainless or tinted glass. Alternatively, you can store oil in the refrigerator or freezer, which will greatly extend its shelf life. Do not worry about the crystallized waxes in the oil when chilled. All you have to do is to warm the oil back to room temperature to melt it.

Easy Recipe Tips and Tricks

Easy Recipe Tips and Tricks by: Jane Copeland
Let’s face it. You don’t always have five hours to prepare a gourmet meal. In fact, most of the time it’s hard to even find an hour to throw something together. Here are some fast, easy tricks, tips and techniques to save you time and energy. Buy a salad mix: Those pre-made mixtures have come a long way. They’re not just lettuce anymore. Dressing, toppings such as almond slivers and dried cranberries, and more make it look like you really spent some time. Open the bag and you have salad. Prefreeze your Chicken Breasts: It’s always good to have some chicken in the freezer. They’ll thaw in minutes and you’ll have a nice meal ready for the family. Frozen bread dough: There’s so much assortment these days. From crescent rolls to biscuits to the traditional dinner roll, they’re all available and you’re house will smell delicious while they’re baking. Who has time for yeast anyway? Frozen fruits: Will save you money and time by allowing you to have strawberries in the middle of winter. Yum. Shredded cheese: Most recipes call for cheese to be shredded anyway so why not buy it preshredded? Canned stock and broth: Who really has 24-48 hours to make stock from scratch? Not worth it at all. Shelf pasta: It’s a really quick simple meal when you’ve got nothing else to make. Also it lasts forever, so you don’t have to worry about it going bad. Salad dressings: Paul Newman is doing us all a favor by having his face on so many different varieties of salad dressing, plus his version won’t spoil as fast and probably costs less. Artichoke hearts: As much as I love a good fresh artichoke the work you have to do to get that little heart is sometimes not worth it. Tomatoes: Canned tomatoes are awesome and lots of recipes call for them nowadays instead of the fresh kind. Plus you can buy them in so many sizes and types.

Thai Recipe by thairecipe-sushirecipe

Thai Recipe by thairecipe-sushirecipe by: Eugene Yeng Aik Ngin The country of Thailand boasts some of the most beautiful physical features of any country on the planet. Those who travel to Thailand and experience Thailand's culture are in for an adventure of a lifetime and a cultural experience that they will not soon forget. Due to the millions of western tourists flocking to its shores every year, Thailand has been able to make an impact on our western culture. Many aspects of Thailand's culture are showing up in the USA and in Europe. Thai boxing and Martial are as well as artworks, crafts and food are some of the most popular parts of Thai culture and have managed to make their way across to gyms, galleries and kitchens of the west. Among the many valuable cultural contributions Thailand has made around the world, one of the most important and widespread is Thai food and Thai recipes. Thai restaurants with their delicious Thai recipes are all the rage and you don't have to travel very far to experience the culinary extravaganza of Thailand. Thai cooking and Thai recipes are also growing in popularity. Many local colleges and night schools are offering more and more courses in Thai cooking teaching us how to prepare for ourselves some of the best Thai recipes. In this article, we will bring the Thai cooking to you with 2 very healthy and simple Thai recipes that are simple and easy to prepare. All you need are very basic ingredients and equipment to prepare these 2 Thai recipes. Contrary to popular belief, not all Thai recipes are hot and spicy. Thai cooking and Thai recipes offer a wide range of dishes ranging from very mild to very hot. It all depends on what you own individual tastes are. This first Thai recipe is a very mild and simple noodle dish that is both tasty and healthy. Pad Thai noodles are a staple Thai Recipe. They are an excellent well balanced meal containing noodles, chicken, prawns and egg, all fried in a wok. For 2 servings you will need the following list of ingredients. 100g of wild rice noodles 100g of chicken breast, finely chopped 3 sliced shallots 2crushed garlic cloves ¼ teaspoon crushed dried challis 2 tablespoons of Thai fish sauce 1 tablespoon of granulated sweetener Juice of 1 lime 150g of bean sprouts, rinsed 60g of small prawns 1 beaten egg 2 spring onions chopped 2 inches of finely chopped cucumber ½ red chili sliced and de seeded 2 tablespoons of fresh coriander 15g of salted peanuts To begin this Thai recipe, soak the rice noodles in boiling water for approximately 5 minutes unless otherwise indicated on the package. You need to stir, separately the strands and when finished drain and rinse in cold water. Heat either your cooking spray or oil in your wok until it starts to smoke. Then add the chicken, shallots, garlic and crushed chilis. Fry and stir for 3 minutes. The next part of this Thai recipe is to mix the fish sauce, sweetener and lime juice together and pour it into the pan. Soon after, add the bean sprouts and well drained noodles. Cook everything together for 1 minute and then add the prawns. Cook the prawns with everything else for a further 1 minute. Next drizzle the egg over the noodles and leave it to set for about 1 minute. The garnish ingredients need then to be mixed. Once mixed, add half to the pan. Mix everything together one last time and then serve in warmed bowls. You may choose to top the remainder of dish with the remainder of the garnish. This Thai recipe is both tasty and healthy. This Thai recipe serves 2 people with less than 450 calories per serving. This Thai recipe also allows for a vegetarian option. You can use Tofu in place of the chicken as well as substituting a light soy sauce for the Thai fish sauce. The second Thai recipe that we will discuss is usually served in Thai restaurants as an appetizer. These are Thai fish cakes. This Thai recipe only takes about 20 minutes to make and have a mild 118 calories per serving. For the dipping sauce you will need the following: 2 tablespoons of soy sauce 1 tablespoon of granulated sweetener 1 ½ inches of diced cucumber For the main Thai recipe, you will need: Grated Zest and juice of 1 lime 2 tablespoons of fresh coriander 1 red chili deseeded and finely diced 1 inch of ginger root, peeled and sliced 1 stalk of lemongrass, chopped roughly 1 tablespoon of Thai fish sauce 400g of skinless Haddock fillet and diced 1 egg white 60g of green beans, trimmed and sliced Cooking oil First mix the sweetener, soy sauce and cucumber with 1 tablespoon of lime juice and 1 tablespoon of coriander and half the diced chili. Mix the lime zest and juice in a food processor with the remaining coriander and chill, lemongrass and fish sauce. Blend all of these together until finely chopped. Then add the fish and pulse together until well blended. Place the mixture in a bowl and stir in the egg white, corn flour and beans. Stir all of this tougher until finely combined. Dampen your hands and shape into fishcakes. This Thai recipe should make about 12 fishcakes. Heat your frying pan and oil of your choice. Cook the fishcakes in 2 separate batches for about 2 ½ minutes on each side. When finished serve with the cucumber dipping sauce from the first part of the Thai recipe. This Thai recipe makes a delicious and healthy snack or meal. Thai recipes are all the rage in the art of cooking these days. Thai recipes are tasty, flavorful and healthy. Thai recipes are also easy to vary for lovers of other meats or for vegetarians. Try a Thai recipe today, you won't be sorry.

Thai iced tea

i've given you 2 food recipes but i haven't give you any beverages recipe, so here it is!

thai iced tea..my moms love to drink this and i hope you too..and still the most important things is, its easy to make!

The ingredient :
6 cups water 1 cup Thai tea 3/4 cup sugar 6 tablespoons cream 6 tablespoons condensed milk
In a kettle, bring the water to a boil. Place the tea in a teapot or glass container. Pour the water over the tea and let steep until bright orange in color, 3 to 5 minutes. Strain into a clean container, such as a pitcher (or, if in tea bags, remove the bags). Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Fill 6 tall glasses with crushed ice and add tea to 3/4 full. Add 1 tablespoon cream and 1 tablespoon condensed milk to each glass. Serve with iced-tea spoon so guests can swirl the mixture themselves.

hope you like it..

Chili Crab

have you heard chili crab before? yes, its a delicious food that we can find many in Singapore..

its tasty, chili, and very delicious..

believe me its worth it to try cook this great food!

The ingredients :

2 Fresh crabs approximately 500 g each
1/2 cup Plain flour
1/4 cup Cooking oil
1 medium Finely chopped onion
5 cm Fresh ginger finely grated
4 cloves Finely chopped garlic
5 Red chilies, finely chopped
2 cups Bottled tomato pasta sauce
1 cup Water
2 tablespoons Soy sauce
2 tablespoons Sweet chili sauce
1 tablespoon Rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Soft brown sugar

Now how to cook it :
Wash the crabs well and scrub the shell.
Using a large cleaver, cut the crabs in half and rinse well under cold water, carefully removing the yellow gills or spongy parts.
Hit the legs and larger front nippers with the flat side of the cleaver to crack the shell. This is to make the eating process easier.
Lightly and carefully coat the shells with a little flour.
Heat about 2 tablespoons cooking oil in a large wok and cook 1 1/2 crab at a time, carefully turning and holding the crab in the hot oil until the shell just turns red.
Repeat with the remaining crab halves.
Add the remaining oil to the wok and cook the onion, ginger, garlic and chili for 5 minutes over medium heat and stirring regularly.
Add the tomato sauce, water, soy sauce, chili sauce, vinegar and sugar. Bring to boil and cook for 15 minutes.
Return the crab to the wok and simmer, turning carefully in the sauce for 10 minutes or until the crab meat turns white.
Do not overcook.
Serve with steamed rice.

Enjoy!

easy lasagna!

Lasagna

everybody knows that lasagna is an italian food and i believe that everyone loves lasagna, am i right?

but the problems is people never really try to cook it because they think it's hard and only italian can cook it hahaaha kiddin...

i take this lasagna recipes because my girlfriend is been wandering around to make lasagna eventhough she had every ingredient needed to make lasagna..

so as i says, lets cook some easy lasagna tonight!

the recipes for easy lasagna:
1 lb. ground beef3 1/2 c. (32 oz.) thick spaghetti sauce1 1/2 c. water2 c. (15 oz.) Ricotta cheese3 c. (15 oz.) shredded Mozzarella1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese2 eggs1/4 tsp. salt1/4 tsp. pepper8 oz. lasagna, uncooked
Brown beef in 3-quart saucepan; drain off excess fat. Add sauce and water; simmer about 10 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients, except lasagna, for filling. Pour about 1 cup sauce on bottom of 9x13x2-inch baking pan.
Layer 3 pieces of uncooked lasagna over sauce; cover with about 1 1/2 cups sauce. Spread half of cheese filling over sauce. Repeat layers of lasagna, sauce and cheese filling. Top with layer of lasagna and remaining sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Remove foil; bake about 10 minutes longer. Allow to stand 10 minutes before cutting