Lets rock at my blog!

Hahhahahaha,.... I am over excited rite now!!.... (syok sendiri)
Well, I am new to blog, definitely start from zero, but TODAY, i BEAT my hubby blog viewers!
Ceh wah! Tengah kembang semangkuk nih!

The mentalist ~ It's on air now at ntv7.... love Dr Jane!

Carrot Walnut Cake

(Pictures illustrated by Dylla, tq!)

For the love of cookbooks.

I don't make it to Barnes & Noble too often but when I do, the bargain bin gets my full attention. Rarely do you find a book priced over $12.98, with $6.98 being the average. A couple of Friday's ago I wandered into B&N for a quick low-fat latte¢ and a little bin browsing. How could I not come home with, "Crave, a Passion for Chocolate", by Maureen McKeon. At $7.49 it was a steal and this is a big book. Ms. McKeon goes into full detail about the characteristics of different chocolates, and how to work with them. She offers basic recipes, those with chocolate and nuts, chocolate and fruit, cool and hot chocolate and frostings. I could go on but I think you get the point. She's thorough. With visions of chocolate dancing in my head it took what seemed like forever to narrow down my first recipe to bake from the book. In reality, Charisse chose the recipe; it's Carrot and Walnut Cake. What, no chocolate in the title? Trust me it's in there.

This one's a bit time intensive with all the chopping and grating but I didn't care, because I was also geeked up about trying out my new mixer. And wouldn't you know it, the only thing that had to be mixed was the eggs and sugar. Oh well, all things in time. Now I'm a card carrying member of the chocoholic society, but when I read that 1 ¼ cup grated dark chocolate went into the batter I was a bit skeptical. But blogger buddies the skepticism flew out the window at first bite. Was this a chocolate cake with carrots, a carrot cake with chocolate or both with walnuts thrown in? 

All of the above, and then top it off with a Lemon Cream Cheese frosting. Sweet Mother of Pearl!

10 ½ oz all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
4 lge eggs
9 oz superfine sugar (if you don't have superfine, give the regular a whirl in a food processor)
1 ¼ cups grated dark chocolate
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 cups firmly packed coarsely grated carrots (3 small to medium carrots)
1 cup vegetable oil ( I used canola)

Lemon Frosting
½ cup cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 TBS fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter 2-8" round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. (This blogging thing is slowly pushing out of my comfort zone.) I'm getting used to the idea of not greasing and flouring or using my pan grease to prepare my pans. Sift the dry ingredients together. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until pale and increased in volume about 5 minutes. And my mixer did an outstanding job in those 5 minutes! HA!

Add the sifted dry ingredients and fold in using a rubber spatula. Add the grated chocolate, walnuts, carrots and oil and fold in. Do not over mix. Pour the mixture into prepared pans and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until cakes test done. Allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then turn onto wire racks to cool completely.

Lemon Frosting 
Beat all the ingredients together until light and fluffy. Fill and frost the cake as desired. Decorate with coconut or chocolate shavings if you feel you just have to have a little enhancement. It's best to let this cake chill in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight to allow the frosting to firm up for better slicing. If you're in a hurry to get into it, just swipe all the gooey goodness that collects on your knife and have at it. Enjoy!

Sandra L. Garth is the proud owner of the largest sweet tooth in the world. This means that her other passion, fitness, serves her very well. As a certified fitness professional she is able to show her clients how to have their cake and eat it too. Life is truly too short not to have dessert. As long as you use the best ingredients and enjoy them in moderation. Who say's you can't have it all? For mouthwatering recipes, baking tips and hints please visit: http://www.thesweetsensations.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandra_Garth

Jessie J - Who You Are (Boombox Series)

OMG! This song is damn inspiring!

Jessie J - Price Tag ft. B.o.B.

Andrew Allen - Loving You Tonight

How to Organise a Gig or a Live Music Events

How to Organise a Gig or a Live Music Event - the Budget

It might be a live music event or a theatrical performance. But the first essential stage is to focus on the money.

http://www.dinkylist.com/recreation-entertainment/article3102.htm

Cranberry Pumpkin Cookies with Cream cheese Topping

(Pictures illustrated by Dylla)

There are so many variations of pumpkin cookies. This one uses craisins in the place of raisins and then is topped with a creamy cream cheese and nut topping for a delicious taste and beautiful end-result.

The cream cheese and nut topping may be omitted leaving a moist cookie, made without egg appealing to many, including Vegans.

Cookies may be made as drop cookies or by pressing into a cookie cutter, lightly greased or coated with flour to enhance holidays or other occasions.

Ingredients:

3 c brown sugar
3 c pureed pumpkin
1 1/2 c oil
3 tsp vanilla
6 c flour
3 tsp soda
3 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp ginger
3 c. cranberries (I use Craisins)
1 1/2 c nuts (optional)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and drop by spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
Remove from pan immediately and place on paper towels.

Cream Cheese Icing with Cranberry Nut Topping

INGREDIENTS:
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp. finely chopped dried sweetened cranberries
1 Tbsp. toasted walnuts or pecans, finely chopped

Directions:

In small bowl, whisk or stir with spoon the cheese. Add sugar and zest. If thinning is necessary, add lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. at a time, till frosting is desired consistency. Apply to cooled cookies and sprinkle with cranberries and nuts.

Note: I pressed the dough into a heart-shaped cookie cutter and then removed the cookie cutter. I baked until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie came out clean

Julee Morrison Mommy's Memorandum http://jonbonjovious.blogspot.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julee_Morrison

Quote of the day

Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.
------Oprah Winfrey

I want a Texas Ted! I want a Texas Ted! I want a Texas Ted!

I want a Texas Ted! I want a Texas Ted! I want a Texas Ted! 3 for RM10 at #1901 . Only offered at #MilkADeal XD

Grill Great Tasting Shish Kabobs

Grill Great Tasting Shish Kabobs

Cook any kind of meat and any vegetables and fruits as a kabob. Customize according to the individual tastes. Provide each individual with assorted choices and let them build their own kabobs.

http://www.neopiper.com/cooking-drinking/article809.htm

Fresh Pizza for Breakfast

I've always plan what's for breakfast before I go to bed. Seriously, coz we Malaysian,always had the same breakfast alll over again.. not that the regulars are not good, (they (nasi lemak, roti canai, lontong, etc) are marvelous, in their own way), but sometimes we just need a change a little bit. Especially when your husband or family members do not fancy heavy breakfast (if you know what I meant). 


so, here is one easy breakfast recipe, for you... 

___________________________________________________

(Picture copied by Dylla)

Although it is certainly true many people enjoy a cold slice of leftover pizza for breakfast, many others make pizza fresh specifically for that very first meal of the day. Breakfast pizzas can be a delicious, healthy, and filling alternative to a variety of other typical and often boring breakfast foods. You can also make pizzas for brunch and they can be an especially welcome treat in comparison to the usual breakfast and lunch fare.

You have several choices for making crusts for breakfast pizzas and are not limited to using ordinary pizza dough, although it too can be used as well. Combine a package of shredded hash browns with an egg and press the mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a baking pan for a tasty crust. Alternatively, you can use breakfast rolls or a variety of prepackaged crusts and rolls.

The possibilities for delicious topping combinations are just about endless when it comes to making a breakfast pizza. Use cooked and crumbled beef, bacon, or sausage as well as cooked and chopped ham or turkey. Chopped green, white, or yellow onions along with green, orange, red, or yellow bell peppers will add flavor and texture to your pizza. You can also use other vegetables such as broccoli and celery as well as mushrooms, olives, and tomatoes.

Of course you will want to experiment with various seasonings to add more flavor and interest to your breakfast pizza. Consider using the basics like salt, pepper, and garlic powder along with others such as basil, oregano, and thyme depending on the toppings you have chosen.

Breakfast pizzas are often hearty enough all on their own, but there are several side dishes you can serve along with them for a multicourse meal. Choose foods such as bagels, biscuits, English muffins, sweet rolls, or toast. You can also make pancakes or waffles as well as fresh fruit including bananas, an assortment of melons, oranges, and strawberries.

Breakfast Spinach Pizza Recipe

What You Need

• 1 store bought pre-baked thin crust pizza crust
• 4 cups baby spinach leaves, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 ounces thin sliced prosciutto, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 4 large eggs
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

How to Make It

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the pre-baked pizza crust on a baking sheet then scatter the thinly sliced baby spinach leaves on top. Then drizzle the olive oil on top.

Evenly distribute the thinly sliced prosciutto, the grated parmesan cheese, and the thinly sliced garlic on top of the spinach leaves.

For each quarter section of the pizza make a well down in the toppings. Crack 1 egg into each well.

Bake the pizza for about 12 minutes or until the spinach leaves are wilted and the eggs look white, fluffy, and fully cooked.

Sprinkle salt and black pepper to taste on the breakfast spinach pizza, cut into 4 slices and serve.

Serves 2 to 4.

Whatever your tastes are there is at least one type of pizza you can make to enjoy all your favorites foods. Add ingredients like garlic or onion powder along with Italian seasoning to any basic pizza sauce recipe to make it considerably more flavorful. GreatPizzaRecipes.com You Make the Pizza, We Help You Make It Great! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Szalay_Kudra

Chocolate Strawberries : A surprisingly easy dessert

(Pictures  illustrated copied by Dylla)

Chocolate strawberries are the perfect dessert to end a romantic meal for two, or an elegant dinner party. But buying chocolate dipped strawberries can be pretty expensive. So making chocolate covered strawberries at home is the perfect solution!

The fact is, making chocolate strawberries is incredibly easy to do. You can get amazing results at a fraction of the cost. All you need is some strawberries, and a bit of good chocolate to melt.
So how do you do it? It's easy.

Step 1: Pick The Strawberries

Picking the right strawberries is important. Your chocolate dipped strawberries will only be as good as the strawberries you start with. Of course, smothering anything in chocolate tends to make it way better, but still, you'll get better results with better strawberries.

Here's what you should look for when you're picking the berries:

• Try to find ripe strawberries. Ripe strawberries are a nice, bright red. They're also firm, but should give a little when you press them. And they also smell great!
• Bigger isn't always better, but when you're making chocolate covered strawberries, bigger berries are a lot easier to work with. But ripeness comes before size!

Step 2: Pick The Chocolate

It's important to pick the right chocolate for your chocolate strawberries. But what exactly does that mean? Here are a few things to consider:

• Choose a chocolate you like. If you prefer dark chocolate, go for that. But if you like white or milk chocolate, that's the right choice for you. I find that semi-sweet is just perfect - it has a rich taste, and just the right sweetness. But that's just me!
• Choose a brand you enjoy. There's no need to go for the most expensive brand, unless that's what you prefer!
• Chocolate chips are perfect. They're small, uniformly sized, and perfect for melting.

Step 3: Melt The Chocolate

• Melting the chocolate properly is the key to making perfect chocolate dipped strawberries.
• If you know how to temper chocolate, you can do that. Tempering chocolate is a process that helps the chocolate dry firm and hard, so that your chocolate coated strawberries don't get sticky or melted.
• If you don't want to temper the chocolate, the best thing to do is to heat the chocolate until it's just barely melted, and then stir it until it's smooth. You can either melt it in the microwave in short bursts, over a double-boiler, or over very low heat.

Step 4: Dip The Strawberries

Once the chocolate is melted, the only thing left to do is dip the berries in the chocolate. And it's really just as easy as it sounds. Take your pot of chocolate, and dip the strawberry in it until almost all the red is covered - leaving a little bit of red uncovered makes the chocolate strawberries look even better!

Here are a few tips:

• Hold the strawberries by the stem. If they don't have one, you can use a toothpick or a fork.
• Start with the biggest berries first. The chocolate is deeper at first, and then gets shallower as you go. It's easier to get the bigger ones out of the way when there's still lots of chocolate.
• Let the strawberries dry on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper. That way, if you need to move them, it's easy.
• Strawberries coated in tempered chocolate can air-dry in just a few minutes. But if you didn't temper the chocolate, you may need to store them in the fridge for about 45 minutes for the chocolate to harden. After that, take them out though, or the chocolate will start to sweat and fall off the berries.

And that's really all there is to it. In much less than half an hour, you can be enjoying wonderful, elegant chocolate strawberries. So go ahead and try it - can you really go wrong with chocolate and strawberries?

Melanie Steele created www.enjoy-how-to-cook.com to make cooking accessible and fun, and inspire others to love to cook. For more great tips, check out her page on chocolate strawberries. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melanie_Steele

UEFA cup in Malaysia!!!!

This morning, I jalan2 with my hubby at Sunway Pyramid. Just spend time together, having breakfast there,...
So happen (actually x tau pun) kat Sunway Pyramid today, the UEFA cup was brought to our eyes proudly by Heineken.... the best part, visitors boleh queue and amik gambar with the cup (of course you can hold, touch n KISS the cup) without any chargers!
Well, of course lah I tak queue,,...sebab the queue..Masya Allah,...panjang giler beb!
So, to any of you who miss this, enjoy the pictures!
p/s: gambo der byk lg, korang tgk ni dulu lah erk,....

Espresso Dos and Don'ts

Since I can't live my live coffee as a starter, I think it's good to share this info with you guys..... so, wake up and smell your coffee today!!

Espresso Dos and Don'ts

When you finally decide to stay in for a hot steaming shot of espresso you need to follow some guidelines or you will end up with a bitter and unarguably pour coffee alternative.

http://www.rapidoxygen.com/drink-food/article6641.htm

Lemon Souffle With Raspberry-Honey Sauce and Fresh Raspberries

(Pictures illustrated compiled by Dylla, tq!)

I've made many cheese souffles and been amazed by them all. As I discovered, this simple recipe isn't so simple and it takes time to master it. The dessert versions of this classic French recipe are really special. For a successful souffle, you need room temperature eggs, a super-clean baking dish, and gobs of patience. Before I was successful I had three failures.

I baked my first one in an oval casserole dish with slanted sides and it fell flat as a pancake. At the time, I didn't know I needed a special baking dish with straight sides. After I bought a souffle dish my baking efforts were always successful.

Julia Child writes about her baking challenges in "The French Chef Cookbook." She describes the recipe as the prima donna of the kitchen. Even the talented Julia encountered problems and, by her own account, had at least 28 failures before she made a presentable strawberry souffle. "They have to be baked just so, and served just when, and are always trembling and on the verge of collapse," she writes. "They are the boss of things, not you."

Dessert souffles -- fluffy spoonfuls of sweetness -- are delicious plain. Chocolate is one of the most popular flavors and is often served with sauce. Others are garnished with fruit. This reduced calorie recipe, about 175 per serving, is a dramatic ending to dinner. You have to time it right, however, or as Julia said so well, it will be on the verge of collapse. So ring a bell or call loudly when this dessert comes out of the oven.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar-free raspberry jam
2 tablespoons warm water
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup skim milk
Zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
5 large egg whites, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 pint fresh raspberries

Method

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk jam, water and honey together in a small bowl. Set sauce aside. In a medium saucepan, dissolve cornstarch and sugar in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and becomes thick. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon zest and extract. Put egg yolks and eggs in a small bowl and whites in a small mixer bowl. Beat eggs and yolks with fork. Add two tablespoons of the thickened cornstarch mixture to the eggs. Pour into saucepan and cook another minute.

Using an electric mixer set on high, beat egg whites until they are foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue beating until the whites are stiff, but not dry. Stir in a generous spoonful of whites into cornstarch mixture. Gently fold in remaining whites. Turn batter into a 1-quart baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until it has risen and is a bit brown. Spoon into dessert dishes, drizzle with raspberry sauce, and garnish with fresh berries. Makes 4 generous servings.

Copyright 2011 by Harriet Hodgson

http://www.harriethodgson.com Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 30+ years. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from Amazon. Centering Corporation published her 26th book, "Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life" and a companion journal with 100 writing jump-starts. The company also published her latest book, "The Spiritual Woman: Quotes to Refresh and Sustain Your Soul." Hodgson has another book out, "101 Affirmations to Ease Your Grief Journey: Words of Comfort, Words of Hope," also available from Amazon. Please visit her website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Harriet_Hodgson

Healthy Eating & Nutritional Needs

Healthy Eating And Nutritional Needs

When we talk about nutrition we are talking about the types of foods we humans need to eat in order to maintain our bodies in a healthy state.

http://www.bestarticlesnet.com/eating-drinking/article1066.htm

Fast Dinner Ideas From Your Kitchen Cabinet

To all working moms and dads out there,... cooking is very subjective, it makes you create your own ideas.... well, we cook for our family, don't we, so, WTH! Lets eat! :)

Here is a good article to share with you guys, enjoy reading & happy cooking! XOXO

__________________________________________________

Fast dinner ideas come from the combination of quick cooking methods and the ingredients you have on hand. Planning and cooking meals for your family can be frustrating when you depend on written recipes that command specific ingredients. Sometimes you have the items, sometimes you don't.

A quick dinner recipe frees you from the kitchen faster, but a mastery of just a few basic cooking methods will give you endless dinner ideas.

In today's video, I'm going to let you look over my shoulder as I make dinner in my own home. Why do I do this? Because I want to transform as many frustrated recipe followers into home kitchen masters as possible!

Every night, I hurt my arm patting myself on the back, saying "if everyone could cook like this, they'd look forward to planning dinner and they'd never run out of dinner ideas." If you agonize over what to make for dinner every night, just watch what I do and substitute the ingredients you desire.

Today's Shrimp and Cannellini Bean Florentine is a dish I just made up 10 minutes ago. I looked into my pantry, peered into the refrigerator, and created a fast dinner idea from the ingredients I already had.

Here's what I found in my cabinet to create the dish:
Olive oil
Onions, sliced
Spinach leaves
Garlic, minced
Shrimp, Peeled and Deveined
Cannellini beans
Diced Tomatoes

Stove top sauté is the quickest method for getting dinner done quickly, but the most important part is assuring that the pan is hot first. A few drops of water from your fingers that evaporate immediately on the pan shows it's hot.

When you add just a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, swirl the pan to cover the entire bottom with oil. The fat in sauté is used to transfer the heat from the source to your food. Remember, you're not deep frying. Just a small amount is necessary.

Sliced onions are sautéed in the hot pan, adding their flavor to the olive oil. When they are translucent and sweating, add the fresh spinach leaves to the hot pan. Spinach will break down, releasing its moisture and quickly wilting in the pan. Minced garlic is also sautéed with the spinach.

Now, you can add any protein product you'd like. I use shrimp, but you could certainly choose chicken, beef, or tofu. None of those will slow down our process, it's still a fast dinner idea regardless of what ingredients you choose.

After adding a can of Cannellini beans and diced tomatoes, I want to change the cooking process from the direct source heat underneath the pan to an indirect moist heat caused by placing the lid on top. The lid traps moisture and begins to steam all the ingredients.

Changing from direct dry heat to indirect moist heat is the most important step in this process. This helps retain moisture and combine flavors in a single pan. Change the ingredients if you'd like, but follow the method and you'll create your own fast dinner ideas.

See the entire fast dinner ideas video here. Online Cooking Classes expert Chef Todd Mohr has helped thousands worldwide discover the joy of cooking. He has boiled all other recipes down to 13 basic cooking methods in his " Basic Cooking Methods Manual ", a no-nonsense guide to cooking without recipes. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Todd_Mohr

Music, Food Are "The Same Thing"

Food Network Chef Chuck Hughes: Music, Food Are The Same Thing

Junior Cheesecake

Juniors Cheesecake

Looking for Juniors cheesecake recipe? Find it here with a short history of how Harry Rosen hit upon the secret formula in Brooklyn in 1950.

http://www.brucespick.com/drink-food/article1325.htm

Juicing recipe

Juicing Recipe - Ready, Steady, Juice!

Many manufacturers of superb juicers fail to add a juicing recipe booklet to the documentation accompanying their product.

http://www.articleandcontent.com/drink-food/article16.htm

Desserts for Your Picnic Basket

Blueberry squares dessert (image inserted by Dylla)

Lemon coconut bars (pictures inserted by Dylla)

When I have a picnic, I try to fill my picnic basket with a lot of healthy food choices. But sometimes I just need something sweet when I go on picnic or travel with my great niece and nephew and pack my picnic basket.

The first recipe has been in my family for years and I have no idea where it originated from. My mom fixed blueberry squares for us from the time my sister and I were little and today I still fix them once in a while when a special treat is needed. People always rave about them when I do fix them so I want to share this treat with you. These are not something you could eat everyday but they are good.

Blueberry Squares Recipe 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream together 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of oleo or butter
Then add 4 eggs one at a time until blended well
Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla
Gradually add 3 cups of flour until everything is mixed well

Spread batter on a cookie sheet - but save ¼ of batter
Then spread blueberry pie filling over mixture
Drop remaining dough on top of pie filling and I spread gently with a knife to smooth out mixture
Bake for 40-45 minutes in preheated oven of 350 degrees
When cool cut into squares and enjoy

Coconut Citrus Bars is the other dessert that I want to share with you
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream together 3/4 cup softened butter and 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, gradually beat in 1 ½ cup of all-purpose flour until crumbly. Then stir in ½ cup of crisp rice cereal. Then press mixture into a greased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Bake for 18-22 minutes until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat 4 eggs, then gradually add the following: 1 ½ cup of sugar, 1 cup of flaked coconut, 1/3 cup of orange juice, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of lime juice,
2 tablespoons of all purpose flour, 3 teaspoons of grated orange peel, 2 teaspoons of grated lemon peel and 1 ½ teaspoon of grated lime peel until frothy. Pour over the hot crust. Then bake for an additional 18-22 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool pan on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar and cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

So when you are thinking about a dessert for a picnic that will pack in your picnic basket and will be a great ending to your meal. Think of blueberry squares or the coconut citrus bars. You won't be disappointed. Happy picnicking!!!!

Nancy Hughes is the owner and operator of http://www.picnictailgatestore.com/ and has a blog athttp://www.picnictailgatestore.wordpress.com PicnicTailgateStore sells the highest quality picnic baskets, picnic backpack, picnic blankets and tailgate gear with your university logo on the tailgate gear. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nancy_Hughes

Planning Meals Ahead of Time Saves You Money at the Supermarket

Everyone knows when you plan ahead, you are more effective and successful. When it comes to planning meals ahead of time, if you take a few minutes before shopping, you can save yourself lots of time in the kitchen and lots of money at the checkout.

Here are some easy steps you can take to plan some meals and save some money:

1. Before you head out to the store, pick up your favorite cookbook or ask yourself or your family what are their favorite meals.

2. Take out a piece of paper. At the bottom of the piece of paper, list at least 10-20 meals that your family likes that you can make in the next few weeks. At the top of the piece of paper, as you write down a meal, list the items that you need for that meal that you don't have on hand. When you are done, you will have a list of meals at the bottom of the paper and a list of products to buy at the top of the paper. Take this piece of paper with you to the store and purchase the items that are on the list.

3. When you get home from shopping and have put everything away, put the bottom half of your list on the refrigerator. This will be your meal planner. Each morning or each day when you get home from work, just look at the list and decide what you want to fix. If you look at the list in the morning and make your decision what you are going to make, you can take any items out of the freezer so they are thawed when you are ready to cook.

This system just takes a few minutes of writing and yet can reduce so much stress. You know when you look at the list that you have everything you need to make any of those meals. You save money at the grocery store because you purchase just what you need to make lots of meals. Planning meals ahead of time DOES save you money at the supermarket and this system makes it even easier, since it takes such a short amount of time and produces lasting benefits.

Do you want to know more about saving time in the kitchen? Grab your free report "Time Saving Kitchen Tips" at http://www.hjresources.com/freeck Heidi Johnson specializes in helping families find resources to simplify and improve their lives. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heidi_Johnson

Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.
------Oprah Winfrey

Quote of the day

As you become more clear about who you really are, you'll be better able to decide what is best for you - the first time around.
-----Oprah Winfrey

Quote of the day

Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.
Oprah Winfrey

Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/o/oprah_winfrey.html#ixzz1Eku0FHGA

Quote of the day

If you would create something, you must be something
-----Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Cupcakes vs Wedding Cakes

Cupcakes..cupcakes... cupcakes

Hai kawan2x....  mesti ramai yang suka makan cupcakes kan?  Termasuklah dylla jugak.....

Di Malaysia sekarang ni, cupcakes dah jadi satu fenomena baru...  pergi mane ajer kita jumpa cupcakes.

Even wedding sekarang pun orang order cupcakes,... senang dan yang penting it's decorative,  so kek kawin kita tak sama lah dengan orang lain.... Cakap pasal kek kawin,  kalau nak tengok,  bleh tengok kat PICTURES tab,  confirm you all suka..... :)

Kat sini, dylla sertakan article pasal cupcakes...  so, have fun reading! XOXO!

Cupcakes have been around since the 19th century, and are as popular today as ever. New gourmet cupcake recipes and storefronts are springing up on a daily basis and quickly gaining popularity. Although the modern flavors are great for an occasional change, nothing beats the classic combinations. Vanilla and chocolate cupcakes are traditional favorites that not only taste wonderful, but can also bring back childhood memories.

Vanilla cupcakes have typically been topped with chocolate, buttercream or vanilla frosting, though strawberry frosting is also quite common. Another tradition recipe for vanilla cupcakes includes carefully cutting out a round from the top, hollowing out the center of the cake, and packing it with lemon filling. The top is then carefully replaced and sprinkled with a thick layer of powdered sugar. Chocolate frosting is sometimes used in place of the lemon filling inside the vanilla cupcakes, and remains a favorite today.

Chocolate cupcakes have been traditionally combined with several toppings and fillings. Vanilla, buttercream or chocolate frosting is a standard choice to top the little snacks. Whipped vanilla frosting has been piped into chocolate cupcakes for years, and the cakes are sometimes topped with a dark chocolate ganache. Some people use peanut butter frosting as a filling instead of vanilla, and top with more of the frosting. Chocolate cupcakes can also be hollowed out and filled using the same method as with the lemon-filled vanilla cupcakes. They are most commonly filled with vanilla or buttercream frosting, the top is replaced, and then they are sprinkled with either powdered sugar or cocoa.

Some other classic cakes have been downsized and cooked in cupcake tins for years. Spice and carrot cakes topped or filled with cream cheese frosting are two such cakes that have been miniaturized, as is German chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Tiramisu is another classic dish that has recently made its way into the cupcake world. Numerous traditional recipes like baked donuts topped with melted butter, cinnamon and sugar have been made for generations and are actually cupcake recipes in disguise.

Many gourmet cupcake stores offer standard, traditional cupcakes as well. The popularity of the classic combinations never wavers, nor should it. The wonderful, tasty treats are the perfect dessert for any occasion, or make a great afternoon or evening snack. The flavors of the classic combinations not only please the taste buds, but can also provide a nostalgic walk down memory lane.

Baking gourmet mini cakes has never been easier or faster. Create gourmet masterpieces using step-by-step cupcake recipes with tips and techniques for success. Artfully decorate your delicious treats with one of our growing collection of the best taste-tested frosting recipes. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Lingle

Quote of the day - 18.02.2011

Mistakes, obviously, show us what needs improving. Without mistakes, how would we know what we had to work on?

Peter McWilliams, Life 101

Food Preparation - Different cooking techniques

Dear bloggers,

As you know, there are few cooking techniques for food preparation.

Here are the tips for your food preparation.

Roasting
A method that uses dry heat and causes caramelization on the food surface. It cooks large meat slowly about one to three hours and uses a more indirect and diffused heat. Food is placed on a rack or roasting pan and most often rotated to cook all sides evenly.

Frying
The method of cooking food with oil or fat that started in Egypt around 2500BC. It is further classified as: sauteing, stir frying, pan frying, shallow and deep frying. Both sauteing and stir frying only uses small amount oil, however stir frying uses high temperatures and requires food to be stirred constantly to avoid burning and sticking to cooking surface such as pan. Shallow frying that uses enough fat just to immersed part of the food while deep frying submerged all the food part into the oil.

Baking
This method is popularly known to be used in cooking or preparing breads, cakes, pastries, cookies and crackers or collectively known as baked goods sold at a bakery. It uses dry heat especially in an oven and produces a dry end product.

Smoking
The method of cooking that subjects meat in a smoke filled environment with low temperatures over a long period of time. It creates heat and smoke by burning usually a wood. Some smokers do use charcoal and even propane.

Boiling
The method of cooking food in a boiling water or other water based liquids such as milk. Boiling can damage delicate type of food such as fish but is suitable for meat and food that has shells such as eggs. This technique is also used when you prepare dishes with soup. It is related to simmering and poaching. The difference is that the first cooks foods in hot liquids but below the boiling point of water while the later uses a relatively higher temperature.

Barbecuing
A technique that is related to roasting and smoking. Roasting because it also requires application of marinade, spice rub or basting sauce over the product to maintain its moisture and smoking because it is subjected to heat that produced smoke by burning woods or charcoals.

With the enormous range of cooking techniques, these are just few examples of cooking methods that are common and are practiced widely.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shae_Cantrell Ready to prepare your food now?? XOXO!

The French Culinary School in Asia, Leisure Cooking Class (Cookies) - 29 Jan 2011

Hi bloggers and friends,
Check out some pictures from the class I've attended....

Chef Jean Michel Fraisse and his assistant

 Fruity Oat Crunchies Cookies - i gave 5 stars for this one. Marvelous!

Cookies in the making

Chocolate Pistachio Sandwich, Anise and Sesame Cookies & Indulgent Chocolate Cookies

Walnut Spice Cookies

Chocolate Pistachio Sandwich

Lemon Stars