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Celery Soup

Grandparents are always up for something new and today it was Celery soup. Gramma had bought celery and leek few days ago, inspired by a recipe she saw on a TV cookery show. Alas, she dint remember the process and as always decided to abandon the project. 


And there stepped in yours truly. Especially if it is something simple and interesting. An aunt had told me the celery soup recipe few years ago [she had made it for her mom who was ailing with cancer..].. and so i kinda remembered the process. Off i went to the kitchen to attack the ingredients and see what the soup tasted like.

Gramma who had tasted the celery sticks commented "it tastes exactly like onions, quite strong" [she normally does not eat onions or garlic and so this was quite a surprise for me]... 

Ingredients:
1 celery bunch- chopped roughly [there is a kind of a skin, make sure to peel that off, else you'll be picking out fibres with every mouthful]
1 potato- raw, cut into thin cubes
Garlic - a pinch
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Oil or Butter 
Milk [optional]
Water- enough to boil the potatoes

Process:
1. In a pan, add some butter or oil
2. Add the chopped celery, potato, onion and garlic. Let the onion sweat for a few minutes 
3.Add enough water to cover the potatoes and allow it to cook for a few mins [10mins max]
4. Allow it to cool once potatoes are boiled
5. Blend in a mixer till smooth
6. Pour in the pan, add some water and allow it to boil
7. Add salt & pepper [and milk if you like]

Voila.. Enjoy the hot soup!!  It tasted quite rich and divine, not too strong, not too bland.. I was quite surprised.. We all enjoyed it...

You can also refer to the recipe by Jamie Oliver [pretty much same]

[Sorry no photograph, the soup was gone before i could locate my camera, shall make it once more and be sure to click and share]


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Spicy Mama Giveaway and Recipe Contest



Yesterday I shared with you all this fantastic recipe for Spaghetti Squash Gratin with Tarragon Lemon Mustard Sauce.  My recipe is in the Skinny Mama Mustard contest and I would really, really love to win this. I'm not a big fan of voting contests and putting myself out there to ask for votes...BUT I really, really want to win this contest.  Did I mention that? 

All I am asking you is to head over to the Saucy Mama Facebook page and vote.  Once on their facebook page, simply hit VIEW ENTRIES and find my Spaghetti Squash Gratin recipe with my name Debbi Smith. Voting starts today and ends March 7th. You can vote once a day.  I apologize in advance but I will be bugging you about this.  The top ten recipes will be then tested and rated by the judging panel.

GIVEAWAY:  Saucy Mama has given me the opportunity to award one of you awesome readers a set of 3 of your own Saucy Mama mustard sets.  I will also send the winner a Rocco's Italian Cookbook. 




TO ENTER: GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED
Go to the facebook page and vote for my recipe.  Come on back and let me know that you've voted. Voting starts today and ends March 7th.  You can voted once a day.  Leave me a comment everytime you vote. You can leave a comment on facebook too if you'd like.

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:
1. Help me spread the word and pin either this post or my Spaghetti Squash Gratin recipe.  Leave a comment telling me you pinned it.

2. Subscribe to my blog through email and leave me a comment telling me that you did or currently are a subscriber.

This is linked with:
Works for me Wednesday at We are THAT Family
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Spaghetti Squash Gratin w/ Tarragon Lemon Mustard Sauce


When Saucy Mama asked me to create a recipe using their delicious flavored mustard, the first thing I thought of was spaghetti squash.  I know, squash and mustard aren't usually a usual combination.  Well, Saucy Mama Tarragon Lemon Mustard isn't your usual mustard. 

Saucy Mama was kind enough to send me a bunch of delicious flavors to try.  I've made a delicious dipping sauce for chicken tenders with the Garlic Mustard.  I made a fantastic chicken salad using the Chipotle Mustard.  But this spaghetti squash creation is my favorite. 


This is everything I could possibly want in a meal. It is gluten free, vegetarian, low calorie, low carb and healthy.  Oh, did I mention that it tasted fantastic?  The Tarragon Lemon Mustard made a scrumptious sauce that paired beautifully with the squash and the other vegetables. 

I made a version later in the week without the beans but I think I prefer the beans. It makes more of a complete meal and was very filling!

I made this for the Skinny Mama Mustard Contest.  Saucy Mama is letting me giveaway 3 bottles of mustard plus they are having a contest for the best recipe.  Details about the giveaway are here.  Here is a link to see all the other recipes submitted. 





Spaghetti Squash Vegetable Gratin with Tarragon Lemon Mustard Sauce


1 large spaghetti squash
1 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp. oil
2 zucchini, sliced and halved
3 oz. fresh spinach, rough chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper

1/3 cup sour cream, light, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, light
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
3 tbsp. Saucy Mama Tarragon Lemon Mustard
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Cook spaghetti squash.  I put mine whole in the microwave for about 6 minutes.  Remove and cut in half when you're able to handle it.  Place back in microwave on a plate, cut side up, with a splash of water on the plate.  Cook several more minutes until softened.  Using a fork, scrape the insides out into a large bowl.  
Heat oil in large skillet and saute onion for 4 - 5 minutes until softened.  Add chopped zucchini, spinach and black beans and cook for a few minutes.  Add salt and pepper, stir and remove from heat.

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, parmesan cheese, Saucy Mama mustard and eggs in a medium bowl and stir to combine.  Add sauce to spaghetti squash.  Add vegetable/bean mixture to spaghetti squash and combine thoroughly.

Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 in. pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Place in 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes until bubbly. 

Total calories = 1790 calories
8 servings

Calories per serving 223.7

Total Fat 9.9 g
Saturated Fat 4.9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.1 g
Cholesterol 67.4 mg
Sodium 308.3 mg
Potassium 424.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 19.7 g
Dietary Fiber 5.1 g
Sugars 4.4 g
Protein 13.1 g




This is linked with:
Gluten Free Homemaker's Gluten Free Wednesdays

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Pecan Praline Candy - Candy Makers Throw Away Your Candy Thermometers!

Pecan Praline Candy is a sweet, creamy, yummy confection found in virtually every gift or specialty shop in New Orleans. In the French Quarter, you can even find shops making this delicious candy as you watch.

There is a definite trick when trying to make pecan candy at home.  Traditional pecan praline candy requires the use of a thermometer when cooking the sugary mixture.  If the mixture is not hot enough, the candy will not harden and is a gooey mess. If the mixture hardens too much, the candy will become very brittle.  Most pecan praline recipes call for the thermostat to reach 238 degrees or the mixture to reach the soft-ball stage.  You must constantly stir the mixture or expect disastrous results.

Confection

For the cooking challenged with a sweet tooth, I have the perfect Microwave Pecan Praline Candy Recipe.  Please do not laugh or call me crazy.  I have tried the recipe and it is so easy and almost foolproof.  No need to stand over a hot stove stirring and monitoring your candy sugar mixture.  You do not need to know what the soft-ball stage is, because you can literally throw away your candy thermometer.  It is not needed!

Microwave Pecan Praline Candy Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup whipping cream

1 pound light brown sugar

2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons margarine, softened

Directions

Mix cream and sugar together. Microwave 13 minutes on high. Remove from microwave. Add margarine and pecans. Quickly stir. Drop onto waxed paper using a tablespoon. Let cool, then watch them disappear.

Now, I will be honest.  As good as this microwave pecan praline candy recipe is, nothing beats the smell and texture of Pecan Praline Candy that is slowly cooked, but this is an awesome substitute, especially for the cooking challenged!  You be the judge.

Pecan Praline Candy - Candy Makers Throw Away Your Candy Thermometers!

Dianna Eure Smith is a Cajun cooking enthusiast. When her New Orleans in-laws lost the family recipe book during hurricane Katrina, she decided to create a website, http://www.Cooking-New-Orleans-Style.com where the family recipes could be viewed by all of her displaced friends and family. Dianna's free newsletter, "Cajun Cooking News" is loaded with additional free recipes as well as cooking tips and techniques. Subscribe for FREE recipe alerts and find more Pecan Recipes.

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Cashew Chicken Salad Wraps


This is my lazy weekend meal. I keep cooked chicken in the freezer just for reasons like this.  This isn't a fancy chicken salad but it is so good. I love the crunch of the cashews and celery.  If I had dried fruit, I would have added it but this time I just made it pretty basic.

I love eating chicken salad on corn tortillas. I also ate some over lettuce but didn't snap a picture of that.

Go lazy, go fancy; make chicken salad. 


Cashew Chicken Salad

1/2 cup sour cream, light
3 tbsp. light mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. curry powder
13 oz. cooked, shredded chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 tbsp. chopped cashews
1 green onion, sliced
Salt and pepper
Buns or wraps (I used corn tortillas)

Combine sour cream, mayo and curry powder. Stir until blended.  Add chicken, celery, cashews, green onions, salt and pepper.  Stir well to combine. Serve on buns or tortillas.

Additional add ins if desired: Chopped red pepper, craisins, grape halves, dried cherries or chopped apple.

Two Years Ago...








Cheese Ravioli Bake

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Alzheimers Treatments - Scientific Breakthrough Discovers Root Cause

Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative disorder of the mind that gets progressively worse with time; other types of dementia include Parkinson's disease and Huntingdon's - which isn't entirely restricted to the elderly. Alzheimer's is estimated to affect 1 in 10 people over the age of 65 causing problems with the memory centers of the mind; although current diagnosis is not perfect, the accuracy levels are up to 94 percent at best, 87 percent at worst. The world started focusing on the disease only about thirty years ago although was first discovered in 1906 by Alois Alzheimer, a German physician; even though it has been scientifically studied for many years, knowledge surrounding this disease until very recently has been minimal.

Studies show that your greatest risk of acquiring Alzheimer's is advancing age. Many people experiencing the first signs of Alzheimer's are unwilling to admit to themselves or others that there is anything wrong.

Sweets

While the mental abilities of an Alzheimer's disease sufferer can be improved anything up to six months with the use of prescribed medication like Donepezil, Tacrine, and Rivastigmine, no medication has been discovered that will reverse the debilitating life wasting disease.

Today's top medical scientists, doctors, microbiologists and nutritionists now believe that our human diet for the past 100 years has greatly contributed to the increase in this very modern disease.

They maintain that our two million year old genetically handed down bodies were made to run on water, seeds, nuts, grasses, herbs, roots, fruits, vegetables, and cereals

Only for the past 100 years have we humans been regularly consuming and running on: sugar, sweets, biscuits, crisps, chocolate, cola and soft-drinks, fats & oils, cigarettes and alcohol, pharmaceutical drugs, and chemicals, pesticides and preservatives (loads of them).

It's no wonder that our bodies are Breaking Down. Yes, diet is the single biggest influence on the Alzheimer's condition.

The simple and overlooked truth about Alzheimer's - and many other modern diseases - is that it's infinitely more important to pay attention to what you put inside your body, than to have to deal with the symptoms that drugs can fight on the outside.

Scientists have now discovered... that Alzheimer's CAN be reversed with natural means! You see, in the West, we have an abnormal amount of these "modern diseases"... that practically don't exist in "undeveloped" parts of the world. This has been known for a long time, and for years, these scientists have wondered why.

Well they finally discovered why. They discovered that it is our modern lifestyle that is actively causing these diseases... and that...our modern western diet is having a major impact on our bodies wrecking havoc in the form of Alzheimer's and other modern diseases.

What scientists have now discovered is... that the "Root Cause" of Alzheimer's is the modern lifestyle, causing your body to become diseased by acids, sugars, carbohydrates, excess fats and uric acid (all very common in our modern diets) keep flowing through our bloodstream.

Because our body is a very delicately balanced organism, whatever you ingest can radically destroy that delicate balance...

Here's what leading scientist, Dr Robert O. Young, has to say about the ROOT cause of Alzheimer's:

"There is only One Sickness and One Disease, and this one 'sickness' is the over-acidification of the body due primarily to an inverted way of living, thinking, and eating... there can therefore be only one remedy and treatment, and that is to alkalise the body and break the cycle of imbalance, thus allowing us to experience the energy, vitality and true health we're all meant to have."

Dr. Young is an American microbiologist and nutrition scientist and known as one of the top research scientists in the world. His findings are currently sending shock waves throughout the scientific community.

Published in noted medical journals and having conducted tests in collaboration with the John Hopkins Medical School, his findings are irrefutable and indisputable.

Owing to an increase in the life expectancy of people living in the industrialized world, Alzheimer's disease has become a major health issue and is the fourth largest cause of death in the United States. It is not just the human cost of Alzheimer's that has to be taken into consideration; there are also the monetary costs. The cost of providing care and treating patients is already costing 40 billion dollars every year with this figure expected to increase. Last year the National Institute on Aging spent half of its annual budget on research into age related disease, they are now testing over three hundred compounds at any one time.

One of the few factors that you can change to alter your risk of developing dementia is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Begin now to alkalize the body. Think about what you are eating. Develop the habit of eating a healthy well-balanced diet.

For those of you who have already been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, with this new scientific breakthrough there is now hope that a change to an alkaline diet can gradually bring balance to your body and can gradually reverse day-by-day the effects of Alzheimer's.

Alzheimers Treatments - Scientific Breakthrough Discovers Root Cause

CM Britt is the co-creator of the Squidoo site Alzheimers Treatment. CM Britt specializes in researching and writing articles on emerging treatments and remedies for health related issues. If you found this breakthrough Alzheimer treatment information interesting, empower yourself even further by visiting our Alzheimer's Treatment site. Alzheimers Treatment

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Menu Plan Monday ~ February 27 - March 4, 2011



Monday:  Chicken Fajitas, Smashed Pintos

Tuesday: Buffalo Chicken Bites and Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Wednesday: Rootbeer Sloppy Joes, sweet potatoes

Thursday: Leftover sloppy joes and Pumpkin Fried Rice,

Friday: Bean and Honey Burrito Casserole

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday:  Country Captain Chicken in the Slow Cooker

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


For more menu ideas, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie and Gluten Free Menu Swap at Celiac Family.


One Year Ago...













Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

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Maggie Beer Inspired Creme Caramel

(This post is dedicated to Ymke, who asked for the recipe a month ago, and Fiona, who reminded me this morning that I haven't blogged in a long time!) 

Creme caramel is my favourite dessert to make at the moment - primarily because it is my favourite to eat.  I adore it.  When I was a child, my mother would sometimes buy those little plastic tubs of creme caramel, which I thought were delicious, but home-made creme caramel is much nicer - and surprisingly easy to make. 

In Maggie's Harvest, Maggie Beer recommends that the caramel be cooked almost to the point of burning.  However, I find this too strong and take the caramel off the heat earlier, when it's medium brown rather than dark brown.

The recipe I am sharing is inspired by Maggie's, although I cheat by using pure vanilla extract rather than a vanilla bean.  Also, I use a 20cm round cake tin rather than small pots.

Creme Caramel (inspired by Maggie Beer)
125g (1/2 C) sugar
125ml (1/2 C) water
-
4 eggs
125g (1/2 C) caster sugar
250ml cream
300ml milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract


Caramel
Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to boil. Continue to heat until the caramel becomes a medium brown colour - it will change quickly so watch carefully. Pour the hot caramel into a round cake tin and swirl around the edges.  Do this quickly as the caramel becomes hard very rapidly.



 Custard

Preheat oven to moderate (180C/350F, slightly less if your oven is fan forced.)  Fill and boil your kettle.  Put the caramel-lined cake tin in a baking dish.

Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together. Heat the milk and cream together until almost boiling.  Slowly tip the hot milk and cream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.   

Now pour the custard mixture into your cake tin and put the baking dish (with the cake tin inside) into the oven, with the oven door open.  Next pour the boiling water into the baking dish so it comes about halfway up the sides of the cake tin - you could do this step before you put the baking dish in the oven but then you would have a very heavy dish to carry.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until set. Allow to cool in the water-bath, then refrigerate over night.  Run a knife around the edge before turning out onto a plate.  


I find this quantity serves eight people easily.

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Life Is Sweet - Candy Bar Storyboards

Candy now warms the heart as well as delights the taste buds. Clever people have discovered a way to tell one's life history through the use of candy. The story is displayed on large poster boards where candy bars or other treats such as gum or peanuts are glued onto the board to replace words. The story is then read out loud at a party to celebrate the event. These sweet stories are most often used at milestones such as a 40th or 50th birthday but can also be used to celebrate anniversaries, promotions, or a retirement. The only limit is one's imagination!

To illustrate, here is an example of an anniversary tale told with the candy story board. Where the word is capitalized, the treat would be glued to replace the written word. Poetic license is taken with both grammar and the facts in order to use as many pieces of candy as possible. To illustrate, this story board was written for the silver anniversary of Hank and Kathy Thomas.

Sweets

....Kathy Holton moved to California from Indiana looking for her CUP-OF-GOLD in the golden state. She moved to the RED HOT city of Sacramento where she went to work for the phone company. Although Kathy would never earn 100 GRAND, she did survive PAYDAY to PAYDAY.

After years of dating NERDS and GOOBERS with ZERO appeal Kathy found a BIT-O-HONEY when she met Henry (Hank) Thomas.

Hank knew that he could SKOR some points with Kathy by sending her a huge bouquet of roses to her office. "OH HENRY!" Kathy exclaimed. You BIG HUNK, you are the MR. GOODBAR that I have been looking for!" "ABBA ZABBA" thought Hank as he kissed her BIG CHERRY lips. "Marry me, KITKAT and our lives will be MOUNDS of ALMOND JOY. I'll be your SUGAR DADDY and we will have lots of SUGAR BABIES."

Life was GOOD & PLENTY for the Thomas family. As the years went by, the family grew with the addition of the 3 MUSKETEERS, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The boys had STARBURSTS of energy and loved to play sports. Matthew played baseball but because he had BUTTERFINGERS and often dropped the ball, he switched to soccer where he could SKOR more goals.

UNO that parenthood is a WHOPPER of a job. But NOW AND LATER you can enjoy a quiet CAREFREE life, still SWEETTARTS, holding hands with lots of KISSES while gazing out at the MILKY WAY. Congratulations on your 25th wedding anniversary....

Because each life is unique, each Candy story board is different. The key to a unique sweet story is finding a variety of candies to use. Go beyond the typical choice of candy available in most stores and seek out candy stores or serendipity shops that have unusual or nostalgic candies. Of course, the internet can be a terrific resource for this.

Try it! Your own sweet saga will be the highlight of the event.

Life Is Sweet - Candy Bar Storyboards

Christopher Pratt is the Candy Man and President of Candywarehouse.com, an online bulk online candy store that carries all the major brands, novelty candy, and hard to find Old time candy to create your storyboards. Overall, Candywarehouse.com has over 2500 candies to choose from and since turnover is very high, it's always fresh and ready to ship to your doorstep.

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Best Sugar Cookie Recipe?

There is nothing like a great sugar cookie recipe. Don't buy the roll of Pillsbury Dough, you can make a superb cookie that will remind you of the days when Grandma made them.

Grandma used to sit by the fire and drink her tea and Grandpa used to sip his coffee made from his French Press, before it was trendy. I loved seeing them sit there enjoying the day. When we walked in the house there were smells coming from the kitchen you just couldn't imagine. The sweet smell of warm sugar cookies invaded your senses. You knew today was going to be a treat.

Confection

It was a tradition that we enjoyed every year. The kitchen was filled with flour storms and the counters were sticky from Buttercream frosting. We had tin cookie cutters spread all over the table. I liked the boot best, my sister liked the angel.

Grandma had a special way with those cookies and she handed down the recipe to me. I was to teach my kids how to make these wonderful holiday sweets. It wouldn't be Christmas time without this recipe of Yummy cookies.

I am publishing it because I want you to enjoy the best sugar cookie recipe ever.

Grandma's Favorite Sugar Cookie

1 cup white sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup butter

2 eggs beaten

1 tsp cream of tarter

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups flour

½ cup corn oil

Cream the sugars and butter together. Mix the beaten eggs, vanilla and corn oil, in. Add the dry ingredients .Mix all the ingredients well and chill overnight.

Bake at 375 F for 8-10 minutes....DO NOT OVERCOOK.

We used to make the funniest colors to decorate the cookies, most of them looked inedible. They tasted heavenly, though. We figured if we made them look gross enough, the adults would leave them alone. We were wrong. Everyone knew they were Grandma's famous sugar cookies from her handed down recipe book. This page was splattered with all sorts of colors. I have that book now. I love making these cookies with my kids.

Grandma's Favorite Frosting (don't forget the food coloring)

2 cups of powdered sugar

½ cup butter melted

1 ½ T Milk

1 tsp vanilla

Cream sugar, butter and vanilla. Add a small amount of milk (1 to 2 tablespoons). Beat until fluffy. If frosting is too sweet add a little more milk.

Try it this season. Enjoy your family and brew some wonderful tea or coffee and relax. Take the time to make memories with your family or neighbors or friends.

Best Sugar Cookie Recipe?

Linda Cramer is the Owner of Oregon Gourmet Foods and Gifts. She is also the co-owner of The Baby Gift Basket Company. http://www.oregongourmetfoods.com http://www.babygiftbasketco.com

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Orange Pecan Granola Bars



I have a problem with granola bars.  I will buy them from the store to keep on hand for those mornings that I need something quick. I usually buy the ones that are somewhat healthy but have quite a bit of sugar.   However, late at night, on the weekends, they call to me and I tend to eat them.  Too many of them.  I love them.  They are like my candy bars.  I will rationalize they are healthy but they really aren't THAT healthy. 

Actually, I no longer have a problem with them because I don't buy them.  I can't keep temptations in the house anymore. 

Imagine my delight when I found a truly healthy granola bar that is free from refined sugar.  These are delicious and satisfying but they don't invoke the uncontrollable desire to eat 4 of them in one sitting.

I've made these twice now and I truly love them. I plan to play around with them a bit to try to make some different versions.  No more sugary, unhealthy, store bought bars for me.  These are my go-to bars now!





Orange Pecan Granola Bars
Adapted from My Bizzy Kitchen

3 cups quick oats
3/4 cups chopped pecans (3 oz)
Juice from one orange
1 tbsp. orange zest
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. honey
2 oz. chopped dates
1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt

Heat oven to 350.  Spray an 8 x 8 in. pan with cooking spray.  Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and mix together.  Press mixture in the pan and bake for about 35 minutes or until top is brown.  Cool completely.  Cut into 12 servings.

Total calories = 2060 calories
12 servings = 172 per bar

One Year Ago...








Mini Pizza Burgers

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Zha Cafe, Chennai

After hearing about this place from friends and others, i finally managed to visit it last Monday evening. Turning into the narrow lane i spotted Bharat Senior secondary school and there it was on my left. Zha Cafe... A huge white board with the name in English and the logo in Tamil stood out... The archway and door resembled that of an old traditional house in our home town. Looked very nice and appealing and on both sides there were windows with Coffee beans filled half way through. 



As soon as i entered the building, i saw there were comfortable sofas in the main hall, with smaller rooms on all sides each one with a distinct decor. 
 
 There was another bigger room in the back where a lady worked away on her laptop and the kitchen was on one side of the room. 

This was a post box, where customers dropped off their cards that were posted for real. It is the cafes way of keeping the age old tradition alive..

 


There was a room with a boat like seating arrangement, another with Rajasthani decor- pink walls, puppets hanging on the windows, comfortable seating on the floor; and then there was the cool room straight from a movie shooting set, with chairs labelled Director, Actor, Producer and so on. 

 
We chose the room near the entrance with a huge Snakes & ladders game being the center table. it was a small room, but took us back in time. There was a row of shelves with traditional gaming boards on them- few tops, a Thayathu board, Pallam Kuzhi board in the shape of a fish and a puzzle on the table. 




We ordered Mulagai Bhajji [Chilli bhajji], Cocktail idli and a Tea kadai platter... The Bhajji was hot and yumm, the idlies were slightly over fried and tasted like french fries... The Tea kadai platter is quite elaborate and each of the items were yummy... Only thing i suggested was they should serve the tea/coffee in a stainless steel vessel instead of mugs... 



When we asked for the bill, the guy brought along 2 postcards. We wrote out addresses and they promised to paste a stamp and post it for us :)








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5 Display Tools For Old-Fashioned Candy Stores

If you're thinking of opening an old-fashioned candy store, or you already manage an old-fashioned candy store but need some help giving your business a makeover, some of the first things you should think about are the kinds of display containers and fixtures you should use for your candy displays.

Below are five ideal display tools for old-fashioned candy stores to help you pick the tools that will work best for your store!

Candy

1. Wholesale Glass Jars and Glass Fish Bowls

Wholesale glass jars and glass fish bowls are the epitome of old-fashioned candy store displays. You can find these glass containers in a variety of sizes and styles, as well as with lids for keeping unwrapped candies wrapped and safe from dust and debris.

While wholesale glass jars and glass fish bowls are perfect for displaying candy in old-fashioned candy stores, broken glass is extremely dangerous so you'll want to make sure you use them in low-traffic areas of your store or, at the very least, positioned on sturdy display racks.

2. Fixed and Rotating Countertop Racks and Floor Display Racks

If you manage a candy store, chances are not all of your displays are on countertops. This means you'll other kinds of display tools (besides the glass jars and fish bowls) to hold your candy.

Fixed display racks designed for floors and countertops are ideal for displaying glass containers of candy. At the same time, rotating display racks are great for bags or boxes of candy you can hang from begs or stack on shelves.

3. Wooden Baskets and Wooden Display Racks

Wooden baskets and wooden display racks exude old-fashioned charm and are excellent alternatives for store owners who don't want to use wire display racks like those found in convenience stores.

You can find wooden displays designed for countertop displays and floor displays, but because the wooden baskets generally don't come with lids, these display tools are best suited for wrapped bulk candies like Atomic Fireballs, individual pieces of bubble gum, and gourmet chocolates.

4. Gumball Machines

Gumball machines are classic display tools for candy stores. You can find gumball machines with one head or numerous heads and in a variety of different styles. Choose classic styles with round or square heads or fun styles shaped like rocket ships or designed with clear stands to allow your customers to watch their gumballs traveling down to meet them!

Gumball machines are also quite versatile. You can find machines designed for countertop displays, or you can find them positioned on stands and ready for you to move anywhere in your candy store.

5. Dry Food Dispensers

Some unwrapped bulk candies - like Skittles, M&Ms, Runts, Mike & Ike, Good & Plenty, and Jelly Belly's jelly beans - work well in more than just wholesale glass jars with lids. Because these candies are unwrapped, you can keep them fresh and safe from contamination when you store and display them in dry food dispensers.

You can find dry food dispensers designed to mount on your store's wall or countertop, and they allow customers to select the amount of candies they want while keeping the rest secured inside.

5 Display Tools For Old-Fashioned Candy Stores

You can find all of these display tools for your candy store - as well as the candy to display! - when you visit http://www.candyconceptsinc.com.

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Butternut Squash and Black Bean Casserole Recipe


I've been trying to eat less meat. I'm trying to eat healthier and I've been making changes in my diet.  I just don't think the we need to eat meat with every meal.  I still eat meat, I'm not going completely vegetarian but I only like to eat meat 2 - 3 times a week. Tops.  I would probably eat less if it weren't for my meat eating family. 


This was an interesting recipe.  I wasn't sure how it would turn out as I was making it. 

It was a casserole, yet kinda like a thick soup.  It had the flavors similar to chili, yet the next day, it thickened so I use it as taco filling.


However it was served, it was delicious.  It was flavorful, pretty, super healthy, gluten free and meat free.  All that I love in a meal.



Butternut Squash & Black Bean Casserole
Adapted from Fat Free Vegan

2 cans (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 tbsp. garlic, minced
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder (or to taste)
2 - 15 oz. cans of diced tomatoes, drained, LIQUID RESERVED

2 1/2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled and cut into thin slices or cubes

1 cup milk
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 tsp. paprika

In a large bowl, combine the black beans with the next 8 ingredients and set aside. 

Spray a 9 x 13 in. pan with cooking spray.  Lay 1/3 of the squash (or pumpkin) in the bottom of the dish and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  Cover with 1/2 of the bean mixture.  Repeat layers with another 1/3 of the squash and the remainder of the beans.  Finish with the final 1/3 of the squash slices. 

Combine the reserved tomato juice with the milk, cornstarch and spices.  Stir well and pour over pumpkin.  Cover tightly and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the cover and bake for about 20 - 30 minutes more until sauce is thick and bubbly and the squash is tender.

Total calories = 1850
8 huge servings = 231 calories per serving

One Year Ago...









Apple Cider Beef Stew

This is linked with:
Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage
Project Linky at It's a Keeper
Bake with Bizzy at Bizzy Bakes
Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum
Gallery of Favorites at The 21st Century Housewife
Friday Favorites at Simply Sweet Home
I'm Lovin' It at Tidy Mom


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Delicious Types of South African Desserts

Here in the United States, we do not often hear about African cooking. This is a shame, because the recipes of Africa offer a lot of flavor and nutrition. Each African nation has their own great food traditions to share. South Africa is a country at the tip of Africa. It has a rich traditional food culture that you may want to check out. South African cuisine covers wild game, soups, stews, seafood, and desserts. The indigenous people built a wonderful cuisine around native foods. During the colonial era, many different culinary influences blended with the traditional foods. French, Dutch, German, British, and Indian cuisines lent their favorite tricks to create today's South African food.

Desserts like koeksisters (similar to fried donuts), mealie-bread and malva pudding are common in South Africa. Melktert, or milk tart, is a traditional custard-like dessert. There is more milk than eggs in this compared to European custards, giving the dessert a light texture and more of a milky flavor. Like many recipes from South Africa, this dessert may trace its history to the Dutch. The Cape of Good Hope was the site of a permanent Dutch settlement during the days of the Dutch East India Company. The name melktert is a combination of Dutch and Afrikaner. Melk is the Dutch term for milk and tert is the Afrikaner version of tart.

Desserts

The recipe for melktert also has a history reaching back to Persia, where similar pastries were known as grasshopper wings due to the delicacy of the texture. Originally known as skilferkors, the recipe was first published in 1653. You can find many versions of this recipe online. Buttermilk pie, a recipe from the Southern United States, is very similar.

Recipe for Melktert

This is an old fashioned milk tart that is a favorite in South Africa.

What You Need

  • 3 Tablespoons butter, melted

  • 1 cup white sugar

  • 3 egg yolks

  • 1 cup cake flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 4 cups milk

  • 3 egg whites

  • 1 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

How to Make It

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray the inside of a 9 inch deep dish pie plate with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter together until smooth. Add the egg yolks one at a time, blending them in until the batter is light and fluffy. Sift the salt, baking powder and cake flour and mix well. Add vanilla and milk and mix until well blended. Using a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the batter. Pour the mixture into the pie plate and sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 25 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the tart continue to bake for another 25 to 30 minutes or until the center is set when the pie is gently jiggled.

Serve the milk tart hot or cold.

Delicious Types of South African Desserts

If you like trying new foods, pick up some Mexican recipes the next time you are recipe hunting. You can find some excellent Mexican desserts, main dishes and side dishes to explore. Try them whenever you want something a little spicy.

MexicanDessertRecipes.net The Sweet Side of Mexican Food

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Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe


Ah, chicken salad.  One of my favorite foods in the whole wide world. 

The flavor in this chicken salad was so great.  Seriously amazing. The hint of cardamom with the tartness of the dried fruit, along with the sweet cream cheese sauce provides for a flavor explosion that you wouldn't believe. 

The family ate theirs on mini crescent rolls.  I chose corn tortillas to put mine one so they would be gluten free. 



Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe
Adapted from Kitchen Parade

2 tbsp. mayo
4 tbsp. buttermilk
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. cardamom
Zest of an orange
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper

1 lb. roasted chicken, shredded
1/2 green pepper, diced
2 tbsp. red onions, diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries (I used a combo of dried cranberries, cherries and blueberries)

Cranberry Cream Cheese:
6 tbsp. cream cheese
3 tbsp. cranberry sauce (I used homemade cranberry salsa)

Mix all the dressing ingredients in a bowl.  Stir cooked, shredded chicken into dressing.  Cover and refrigerate overnight, at least.  The flavors really do change so please leave it over night, it makes a huge difference.

Mix cream cheese and cranberry sauce together.  Spread sandwiches with cream cheese, lettuce and chicken salad.


This is linked with:
Let's Do Brunch at My Sweet and Savory
Works for me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family
Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop
Best Recipe at This Chick Cooks
Gluten Free Wednesday at Gluten Free Homemaker
The Mommy Club at Crystal and Co.

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Kaak Bi Haleeb: Lebanese Dessert

Lebanon country is much talked about for its diverse culinary tradition and since many years, people have accepted Lebanese food due to its association with modernity as well as fast paced life.

Lebanon was under the control of several foreign powers and therefore we could see that influence the types of food the Lebanese generally eat. In the year 1516-1918, Lebanon was ruled by Ottoman turks who had presented many foods that actually became staples in the Lebanese diet, for instance cooking with lamb. Some of the famous dishes which are enjoyed all around the world are shawarma and kibbeh. Another very important Lebanese dish which you can get easily in every restaurant is knefe which is prepared with cheese and phyllo. Phyllo is nothing but a paper-thin sheets of flour dough.

Dessert

No meal is complete without the dessert part. So why not try a great Lebanese dessert Kaak Bi Haleeb.This dish will give you a big reason to cheer! Take a look at this simplest recipe to explore on yummy Lebanese desserts.

The major ingredients required for making kaak Bi Haleeb are:

1 kg flour

200g melted butter

4 tbsp cooking oil

2 cups milk

400g sugar

2 tsp yeast

2 tsp powdered aromatic plants such as cherry seed, marjoram and aniseed

Instructions:

Take a bowl and mix the flour, yeast and aromatic plants and add oil and melted butter into that. Mix them appropriately. Take another bowl and dilute the sugar and milk and add to the previous mixture. Knead the mixture to make a soft dough. Keep the dough for 2 hours. Roll out flat cakes and keep them in a pre heated oven. Bake them on medium heat until they become kaaks. Once they are baked, you can take out from the oven and sprinkle some sugar on top. Allow them to dry. After they are completely dried, you can enjoy the tasty kaak Bi Haleeb.

Kaak Bi Haleeb: Lebanese Dessert

For more details on some fantastic lebanese recipes please look at lebanese recipes.
You may also take a peek at filipino recipe by clicking filipino recipes

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Sweet and Spicy Turkey Sloppy Joes Recipe


Who's says you need buns for sloppy joes?  Of course, it's not so sloppy on a potato. Still, they are sloppy joes. 

My family ate theirs on buns.  Plain old white hamburger buns.  Mine? On a delicious, hot sweet potato.  Gluten free but not so sloppy.  Mine tasted better too! 

I know, I've been putting a lot of food on top of a sweet potatoes.  Get used to it. It's good. 


Sweet and Spicy Turkey Sloppy Joes

2 lbs. ground turkey
2 medium onions
12 - 15 pickled jalapeno slices, chopped
2 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 cup ketchup
1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp. brown sugar

Brown ground turkey in a pan. Add onion, jalapeno and garlic, cook until onions are tender.  Add chili powder, cocoa powder, paprika, allspice and pepper.  Stir together and cook for a few minutes.  Add ketchup, worcestershire sauce and brown sugar.  Stir until medium heat until it is heated through.  Serve over a potato or sweet potato if gluten free. 

One Year Ago...







Southwestern Butternut Squash

This is linked with:
Tuesday at the Table at All The Small Stuff
Hearth and Soul at 21st Century Housewife
Tasty Tidbits at Permanent Posies
Slightly Indulgent at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
Let's Do Brunch at My Sweet and Savory
Works for me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family
Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop
Best Recipe at This Chick Cooks
Gluten Free Wednesday at Gluten Free Homemaker
The Mommy Club at Crystal and Co.
Recipe of the Week at Family Fresh Meals

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Easy Sugar Free Desserts For Everyone!

Are you looking for some easy desserts and sugar free cookie recipes for your special sugar free diet friends? Are you searching for some new sugar free cookie and dessert recipes for this coming Christmas party? How about creating some new and delicious sugar free recipes for everyone?

Mary is busy searching for sugar free desserts for her coming Christmas party. She is going to invite a numbers of sugar free diet friends .

Desserts

According to her, her friends were very pleased to be included in her Christmas party list. Because most of the host cannot provide sugar free food for them, therefore they will not be invited.

She found some amazing sugar free recipes here...

Special Pudding

Ingredients

1000 ml milk

280g flour

6 eggs
Action

a. Mix the flour and milk together, and beat well.

b. Whip eggs to a froth and add the eggs to the milk mixture.

c. Boil it for 2 hours, and serve hot with rich cream.

-------------------

Nutmeg and Muskmelons

Ingredients

Nutmegs

Ripe muskmelons

Ice lump

Pepper and salt
Action

a. Wash nutmegs and melons.

b. Whip dry and cut into two.

c. Shake out the seeds lightly and put a lump of ice in each half.

d. Eat with pepper and salt.

-------------------

Milk Rice

Ingredients

750 ml hot milk

100g rice

1/2 teaspoon salt

Raisins (seeded)
Action

a. Wash and drain the rice.

b. Soak the rice with water for 20 minutes.

c. Pour away the water, add the rice and salt into the milk and boil.

d. When done, press the rice into small cups and serve with cream and raisins.

------------------

Cream Puff Dough

Ingredients

500 ml water

4 level tablespoons butter

500g flour (sifted)

4 eggs
Action

a. In a saucepan, combine the water and butter and mix thoroughly.

b. When the water is boiling and butter thoroughly melted, turn instantly the flour and stir rapidly over the heat. In a moment you will have a perfectly smooth and soft dough free from sticky-ness.

c. Remove from heat and stand it aside till partly cold.

d. Break the egg into a cup, then turn it into the batter.

e. Beat for a moment, then add another and another.

f. Beat thoroughly and add the fourth good egg from the cup.

g. Beat he batter for 5 minutes and stand it aside for 1-1.5 hours.

h. Drop by tablespoonfuls into greased shallow pans and bake in a 170°C oven for 35-40 minutes.

i. When the puffs are done, they will be hollow and light.
Note:

a. The batter must be dropped far enough apart to leave rooms for swelling.

b. You may fill the puff shell with a little cold mashed fresh banana pulp, chopped nuts and raisins.

------------------

Tea Biscuits

Ingredients

240g flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter (melted

Water
Action

a. Mix the dry ingredients and rub in butter with the tips of your fingers.

b. Add water to make a dough just stiff enough to roll out.

b. Roll 1 cm thick and cut with a round cutter and bake in a greased pan in a preheated 200°C oven for about 10 minutes.

------------------

Drop Biscuits

Ingredients

240g flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter (melted)

Milk
Action

a. Mix he dry ingredients and rub in the butter.

b. Add milk to make a mixture that may be dropped from a spoon without spreading.

c. Drop on a buttered pan 1 cm apart and bake in a preheated 200°C oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

------------------

Banana Raisins Pie

Ingredients

100g seeded raisins (chopped)

250 ml water

2 tablespoons sifted cracker crumbs

1 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon butter

1 large banana (in thin slices)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons honey

1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

1/2 lemon rind (grated)

1 egg (well beaten)

2 tablespoons seeded raisins (cut in pieces)
Action

a. Cook 100g chopped raisins in water until plump.

b. Remove from fire. Add crumbs and mix with flour and butter.

c. Let it stand and covered until cold.

d. Add cinnamon, lemon juice, lemon rind, honey and the lemon extract to the slices of banana.

e. Combine mixture, add egg and pieces of raisins.

f. Bake between two crust.

Now she has enough easy desserts and sugar free recipes for her coming Christmas party!

Easy Sugar Free Desserts For Everyone!

Food and Drink Paradise club is a wonderful gateway to meet all food lovers over the world.

Extraordinary recipes, cooking tips, and a free e-book will be given to all my newsletter subscribers. I shall show you how to create wonderful recipes for all occasions, including weddings, birthdays, parties, and many more. Please feel free to explore my work at http://www.allcookmakeeasy.com

Thank you very much, and I love to see you soon again.

Joan Chang

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Chickpea Potpie with Cornbread Crust



I have a bad habit of missing an ingredient when following recipes.  I tend to double and triple check recipes before completing them.  This time? I forgot to check.

I was excited about this recipe.  Sweet potatoes and chickpeas are two of my favorite things.  Plus, with it being gluten free, I was super eager to get it in the oven. 

As I was pouring the cornbread topping on the top, I found myself thinking, "Wouldn't this rise better if it had some baking powder in it?"  Then proceeding to look back at the recipe, seeing that I missed the tablespoon of baking powder.

Whoops!


So the topping came out a bit flat due to my baking powder error.  It still tasted great.  I do think that it needed to be seasoned a bit more but for sure it will be made again. 

Next time, WITH the baking power in the corn bread crust!




Chickpea Potpie with Cornbread Crust
Adapted from Eats Well with Others


1 1/2 lbs. chopped sweet potatoes
3/4 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup flour (I used GF flour)
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste
Couple of dashes of Tabasco sauce
3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup flour (I used GF flour)
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 egg yolk

Boil the potatoes and carrots until tender but not super soft and set aside. Spray a 9 x 13 in. pan with cooking spray. 

For the filling, cook onions in cooking spray and saute until they are soft, about 5 - 7 minutes.  Sprinkle in the 1/4 cup flour and mix.  Slowly pour the vegetable stock, whisking well until thickened and bubbly, about 2 - 3 minutes.  Add the chickpeas, peas, cooked potatoes and carrots.  Season with salt, pepper and tabasco.  Cook on medium heat until the mixture is heated through.  Pour into the 9 x 13 in. pan.

Preheat the oven to 400.

For the crust, in a bowl, combine the cornmeal, 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.  In a small bowl, combine the milk, oil and egg yolk.  Add to the dry ingredients and mix until uniform but a bit lumpy.  Spoon the batter evenly over the filling.

Bake until the top is golden brown, about 25 minutes. 

Total calories = 2871 calories
8 servings = 360 calories

One Year Ago...














Chocolate Chip Banana Amish Cupcakes


This is linked with:
$5 Dinner Challenge at $5 Dinners
My Meatless Mondays at My Sweet and Savory
Your Recipe, My Kitchen at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
Just Another Meatless Monday at Hey's What's for Dinner, Mom?
Made By You Monday at Skip To My Lou
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
The Mommy Club at Crystal and Co.
Best Recipes at This Chick Cooks
Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom

Calories calculated from calorieking.com. Some numbers are approximate and rounded.
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