Doughnut Recipes

Most doughnut shops offer very good varieties to choose from. When you go to a doughnut shop you will often have a hard time choosing which king of doughnuts you want. These different types of doughnuts, you can make for your family at home. Armed with a doughnut maker, you have limitless ability. There are plenty of recipes that will come with your doughnut maker. You can also find hundreds more of them online.

You can also create your own doughnut recipes. Make sure you take note of the ingredients you add and the amount of each one. This way you will be able to duplicate it again if you decide you are satisfied with your creation. If you don't, it sure can be very frustrating when you come up with something really great and then don't remember how you did it.

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You might have certain doughnut recipes you want to make in mind as you search your recipe source. Or else, you may just flip browse through your doughnut recipe book until you find something interesting or do I say 'mouthwatering'? Imagine being able to make great tasting chocolate doughnuts or even though with fruit inside of them. Or you can try applesauce, blueberry, and even coconut doughnuts if you want to.

Have some fun with this process and enjoy what you make. It may not always turn out sweet but some will. And the satisfaction you will get from one perfect creation you made will outlast a silly one. It is great to try to make doughnut recipes with your traditional favorites but do something more original from time to time too.

If you discover you really enjoy banana or chocolate flavored doughnuts or some other ones you have never tried before. The best thing is to have fun trying different combinations and do not have to run to the doughnut shop just to get your favorite doughnut before the shop runs out of supplies. Maybe you may just create your own favorite doughnut. Who knows?

Doughnut Recipes

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Jack o' Lantern Halloween Cake - A Bundt Cake Treat!

Just as Jack o' Lanterns can inspire laughter, the heebie-jeebies, or a round of "Trick or Treat!" so can your sculpted Jack o' Lantern cakes!

If you're new to cake decorating or cake sculpting, you'll find the Jack O' Lantern cake is fun and easy. And, if you're already experienced, you will have all the more fun by adding intricate details. Either way, this Jack o' Lantern Halloween cake is sure to light up faces at your next Halloween party.

Cake Recipes

Jack o' Lantern Cake Instructions

Before you whip up a batch of buttercream, take out a piece of paper and sketch some Jack o' Lantern faces. If you have kids at the house, enlist their help. Searching “Google Images” for Jack o' Lantern will also deliver lots of ideas. Once you've narrowed down your favorites to a final selection, practice drawing it to make the piping easier.

Ready? Here we go!

1. Bake 2 Bundt cakes. Coincidentally, pumpkin works like a charm for a Halloween sculpture cake because of its firmness (see recipe below). Butter cake works well too.

2. After releasing and cooling the 2 cakes, level the bottoms.

3. Ice the bottoms with orange buttercream (non crusting is best for this project). Place one upsidedown, and the other on top, so the iced bottoms fit together.

4. Now, cover the cake with orange buttercream. As you smooth your icing, you can work with the natural indentions left by the Bundt pans that mimic the vertical lines on a real pumpkin.

5. Using the orange buttercream, pipe the outlines of the facial features. If you make a mistake, just smooth it and start over. 5. Now for the fun part! Here are a few ideas for creating the details of your Jack o' Lantern's face.

a. Fit an icing bag with a small star tip and fill with chocolate buttercream. Fill in the eyes, nose and gaps between the teeth.

b. After completing the step above, add details such as pupils to the eyes with icing candies, like M&M's and black licorice.

c. To make your Jack o' Lantern glow, use yellow gel instead of chocolate buttercream (remember not to cover the teeth and other places that would be left intact in a real Jack o' Lantern).

d. Instead of piping facial features, bring Jack to life by modeling eyes, nose, teeth and any other features you want to add (eyebrows?) with rolled butterceam icing or marzipan.

Just like a real Jack O' Lantern your Bundt o' Lantern will have a hole in the top. Here are a few ways you can put the lid on Jack.

a. Cover an ice cream cone with green or chocolate buttercream and using icing, adhere this upside down over the hole in the top. Then using a large leaf tip, pipe a few green leaves around the top.

b. Model the stem and leaves with rolled buttercream.

c. Save just enough batter from the recipe below to make a cupcake. Trim it for the stem shape you want and adhere with icing to the top.

And here's your pumpkin cake recipe!

Halloween Pumpkin Cake

Note: This pumpkin cake makes a great treat for grown-ups too, and it's even more devilishly delicious with a buttercream and chopped nuts icing.

4 cups canned pumpkin

6 cups sugar

2 cup vegetable oil

6 eggs

6 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cloves

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour 2 10-inch Bundt pans. Blend the pumpkin, sugar, oil, and eggs. Sift remaining ingredients into a separate bowl. Mixing as you add it, spoon the pumpkin mixture into the dry mixture. Blend well. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middles comes out clean (around an hour and 15 minutes). Allow cakes to cool in pans for 5 minutes. Release, and after completely cooled, decorate.

Serving Tip: This is even better tasting and easier to work with after mellowing overnight, covered in the refrigerator.

The Homemade Pumpkin Cake recipe is adapted from "Cake Decorating Made Easy!" Here's what one reader wrote about our Video Books:

"Incomparable! I've not opened my other books now that I have yours...don't decorate another cake until you've seen these Video Books!"

Pia, Lynnwood, WA

Last but not least, here's one more tip. The quantity of liquid food coloring needed to concoct Halloween brown and black will bring a bitter flavor to your buttercream. Here's what you can do to keep the ghoulish elements in the design and out of the icing:

• Instead of liquid food coloring, opt for the more intense gel or paste forms. Can't find these locally? Try www.CandyLandCrafts.com

• Use chocolate for brown and start with dark chocolate for black (and you won't need as much black food coloring).

• Skip the chocolate and food colorings, and use instead candy and cookies. String black licorice works great for outlining. Crush, dark chocolate cookies or crumble dark chocolate cake to use to fill in large areas, like around Jack's teeth.

Happy Halloween Cake Making!

Jack o' Lantern Halloween Cake - A Bundt Cake Treat!

If cake decorating sometimes feels more like a trick than a treat, sign up for our free newsletter at [http://www.CakeAnswers.com] and receive devilishly delightful cake decorating tips, along with step by step videos (from the "Cake Decorating Made Easy!" Video Books).

Old-Style Red Velvet Cake Recipe From Scratch to Make At Home

Red velvet cake gained its popularity in the 1940s. There are different legends and stories associated with the origin of red velvet cake recipe and every region has its own version of them. Here is an old style red velvet cake recipe from scratch that you can prepare at home. This recipe takes 40 minutes to prepare (30 minutes for preparing the cake and 10 minutes for frosting the cake) and 30 minutes to cook.

What you will need:

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2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups of regular sugar

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 large teaspoon of cocoa powder

1 cup of fresh buttermilk at room temperature

1 ½ cups of vegetable oil

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons of red food coloring

1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

3 teaspoons of vegetable oil for greasing the cake pans

9 inch baking pans - 3

Method:

1. Preheat a conventional oven to 180°C.

2. Separate the egg whites and yolks.

3. Add the sugar to the yolks and whisk well.

4. Add the vegetable oil, buttermilk and vinegar and blend well until the sugar is fully dissolved.

5. In a separate bowl, take the egg whites and whisk to get to dropping consistency.

6. Add the red food coloring to the egg whites, whisk some more and keep aside.

7. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and vanilla extract.

8. Add the flour mixture to the vinegar-buttermilk mix and blend well. There should be no lumps in the mix.

9. Now add the red-colored egg whites to the batter and fold lightly until they are well incorporated.

10. Grease the baking pans with vegetable oil and dust the insides with a little flour.

11. Pour the batter equally in the three pans.

12. Bake the cake in the oven for 30 minutes. If your oven does not have a turntable then turn the cake pans once in between.

13. Once the cakes are done, invert them on a cooling rack and let them cool completely before applying the frosting.

Any red velvet cake is incomplete without delicious cream cheese frosting. Here is what you will need:

2 cups of cream cheese

4 cups of icing sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 cup of unsalted butter

Method:

1. Mix the cream cheese, icing sugar and butter, and beat well until fluffy.

2. Add the vanilla extract and your frosting is ready.

To apply:

-Using a flat spatula, apply the frosting in between the layers of the cake.

-Press the cakes lightly to stick to the frosting.

-Use the rest of the frosting to cover the cake from all sides.

-Cool for 2 hours in the fridge before serving.

Old-Style Red Velvet Cake Recipe From Scratch to Make At Home

About the Author:

Anu is a dedicated baker who's eastern influence allows her to create the most amazing cake recipe's.

Anu's inspired creations can be found on Cake Recipe Secrets.

This week you'll find Anu's 3 Layer Red Velvet Cake recipe from scratch along with links to her other memorable cake treats.

What to Do When Your Kids Eating Habits Are Out of Control

This is a common problem with families across the board. Obesity in children is on the rise and we need to help our children now, before they reach adulthood and start the bad eating cycle with their own families. Healthy eating starts at a young age. if you start your toddler off on healthy snacks like fresh fruits and veggie snacks you will start them off right. Now this is not to say that they will never touch junk food. Of course they will! But the important thing is that they will eat less of it. However sometimes no matter how hard you try your child's eating habits do get out of control and so does their weight.

Here are 5 things to do when your child's eating habits are way out of control.

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Educate yourself: you and your family need to understand the reasons for bad eating habits and what healthy eating really means. The best way I know to get this accomplished is to read up about this on the Internet. I know that this takes a little time and effort but it is worth it for the health of your child and family.

It does not take a lot of expensive books and manuals to learn how to eat in a healthy way. You do not have to obsess about it just make a few adjustments and use common sense. Then examine your family's eating habits and you will understand why your child is getting into bad eating habits.

Lead by example: In order to take control of bad eating habits you will need to get the whole family involved. Many bad eating habits are simply learned from home. Children learn from examples and contrary to many people's opinions not all these habits come from peers.

So the first thing to do is to get all the family involved. Once the entire family is eating in a better way you will be surprised to see that your child will often follow the same example. Now this will not solve the complete problem but will go a long way to resolving the situation. When all the family are eating in a healthy way your child will not feel that they are being singled out and they will feel that they have support and can change their eating habits.

Do not nag your child this will only make matters worse: The biggest mistake in getting your child back on the healthy eating track is to be continuously reminding them that they are overweight and should stop eating junk. Constant nagging will push them to defy you and eat even more junk. I know because I have done this mistake myself.

Get rid of unhealthy food from the house: This is a hard thing to do. Go through all the food in the house and get rid of all the junk food. You know what they are...chips, candy, cakes and cookies etc. Do not forget to get rid of soda. The important thing to remember when you do this is that once you have got rid of the junk food you must be very sure not to buy any more from the grocery store.

Offer alternatives to junk food and soda: of course you cannot expect your family just to "cold turkey" when you get rid of junk food you will need to replace those tasty snacks with other things. Fruits are a good alternative. Sugar free drinks can replace juices and sodas. Try to encourage your family to drink more water. Sugar free ice cream can be taken in moderation. You can make fun veggie snacks; there are many quick recipes for healthy snacks on the Internet. Make use of a slow cooker to prepare a good meal for your family which will be ready when you come back from work. This will eliminate the fast food habit.

If you take action today you can get your child's eating habits back in control and when they lose those extra pounds you will both be happy that you made the sacrifices. Do not forget to compliment your child on their weight loss as this will make them realize that they have achieved something and will make them feel better about themselves.

What to Do When Your Kids Eating Habits Are Out of Control

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Kid Snack Recipe - Let Kids Make Fruit Sorbet

A lot of people have the misconception that healthy foods are boring and tasteless. Nothing could be
farther away from the truth. In fact the closer to the natural state of foods that we get, the more food, usually fruits and vegetables are more flavorful and nutritious.

If you are looking for ways for you and your children to eat healthier, the USDA recommends more fruits and vegetables in the diet. Fruit Sorbet is a healthy and delicious kid snack recipe. Fruit sorbet provides kids a delicious way to get a full serving of nutritious fruit that includes important vitamins and minerals. Even more important to the children is the taste of sorbet which is delicious.

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Children like high calorie and fat laden ice cream but fruit sorbet can is a healthier substitute. Fruit sorbet is delicious, flavorful and easy to make. You can create a wonderful sorbet sundae as a healthy and enjoyable kid's snack. To eat healthier, simply replace higher-calorie snacks with fruit. Children learn that they can satisfy their cravings without resorting to empty sugary snacks.

Sorbet captures the essence of summer fruits and is virtually fat-free. Best of all
this delicious desert is simple to make. Sorbet contains no milk.so it is a special treat for children who are lactose intolerant. Ice cream has air whipped into it, sorbet has almost no air, which makes sorbet a dense and extremely flavorful product.

Add any type of Berries to a sorbet recipe. Raspberries and strawberries make a delicious
and healthy sorbet. Fruit Sorbet is packed with vitamins and fiber as has a fresh lovely
sweet taste.

Many of the recipes work well with frozen berries too.

Raspberry Fruit Sorbet

Ingredients:

*2/3 cup of superfine sugar

*1 cup of water

*Purée 23 oz. raspberries with 1/4 cup lime juice.

Instructions:

1) Combine sugar and water in a medium sized saucepan.

2) Stir slowly over low heat until sugar is dissolved.

3) Bring mixture to a boil.

4) Boil for 1 minute.

5) Remove from heat and cool completely.

6) Mix the fruit purée in a food processor or blender.

7) Add the raspberry purée to the cooled sugar syrup and stir to combine.

8) Place the purée/sugar mixture into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

If you do not have an ice cream maker, here is an alternative way to freeze the sorbet.
Place the purée/sugar syrup in a metal bowl or cake pan and freeze for 1 hour. Remove from freezer and beat with an electric mixer or whisk; return to the freezer. Repeat at hourly intervals 3 more times.

Fruit Sorbet Sundae Deserts For Kids

Ingredients

*2 pints of sorbet of your choice

*2 ripe bananas, sliced

*2 teaspoons lemon juice

*1 pint strawberries sliced

*1 package wafer cookies

Instructions:

1) Set out sorbet and ice cream scoops.

2) Toss the sliced bananas in lemon juice to keep them from getting brown.

3) Set each topping in a separate bowl.

4) Let the kids choose and mix their sundaes.

5) Add real whipped cream for added fun.

This healthy snack for kids does contain sugar but the sugar can be reduced depending on the fruit's sugar content. This is a healthy way to enjoy fruit and a good way to introduce the taste buds to a healthy refreshing snack.

Kid Snack Recipe - Let Kids Make Fruit Sorbet

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Would you like more Kid-Friendly Recipes? Christine Steendahl – “The Menu Mom” invites you to visit Kid Approved Meals (http://www.kidapprovedmeals.com) to pick up your personal 13 week breakfast and lunch menu designed just for children!

How to Make French Toast - You Can Do That

Let me explain. I run a do-it-yourself blog and most of the time I tend to write or find articles on DIY projects that relate to home improvement or auto repair. I thought it would be fun to write an article on something a lot different, like cooking. I chose this topic because my wife makes the best french toast and I thought there may be folks out there wanting a few pointers. It's an easy and fun project for the kids as well, they will have fun coming up with different toppings. So sit back and feel your mouth start to water.

As I mentioned making french toast is an easy and tasty breakfast. My
wife always makes french toast when she needs to use up bread that's on
the verge of becoming just a little too old. The ingredients listed
below will make 5 or 6 slices french toast.

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Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/2 c. milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

6 slices bread

1 tbsp. (or more, as needed) butter

maple syrup, jam, powdered sugar, whipped cream, or chocolate syrup (for topping)

Go ahead and put the oven on to warm in order to keep the first few pieces hot.

Then beat the eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon in a shallow bowl or small baking pan.

Dip bread into egg mixture and coat both sides.

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Don't get the skillet to hot.

Add bread in batches and cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Add more butter as needed.

As mentioned in step 1, keep the cooked slices warm in the oven until all the toast is ready.

Serve the toast warm with maple syrup, jam, powdered sugar, whipped cream, or chocolate syrup.

For a different flavor, add a pinch of nutmeg to the
listed ingredients. Just a pinch though because nutmeg has a strong
flavor. You can substitute pumpkin or apple pie spice in the place of
the cinnamon if you are feeling frisky.

Here is a tip staged from the wife, be careful to not over saturate the
bread in preparation. It can make the bread stick to the skillet if you
are not careful.

That's all there is to it. This simple and easy dish is great for when
you have over-night guest and want to break from the normal eggs and
bacon routine and it also makes a great change from your normal dinner
planning. So put on your apron and get cooking...enjoy and have fun.

How to Make French Toast - You Can Do That

Dennis Watson - Just helping others succeed.

Zeoh.com Free Classifieds Web Site =>Free Classified Advertising

You Can Do That Web Blog =>Do It Yourself

Groovy Kids Cakes - 5 Types of Icing For Perfect Cakes

Nothing puts a smile on a childs face like viewing their birthday cake for the first time. And lets face it, few things out there are as satisfying for us mothers either.

Decorating a special cake for your child can be so much fun. For our girls, whimsical themes and gelati colours are in order, and for our boys, bright, bold and colorful is all it takes to make a little man smile.

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But what icing is best for the type of cake you want to create?

I categorize icing into 5 main types, and each one has its place in the cool cakes for kids arena. Understanding the types if icing will help you successfully plan your groovy cake design and save you a lot of heartbreak.

#1: Buttercream

Buttercream icing is a combination of softened butter, fine sugar and some sort of liquid flavor and coloring. It is essential to use a fine sugar when making buttercream icing as it melts very easily and importantly, contains small amounts of cornstarch which helps to stabilize the icing...This also explains why it doesn't taste so good in coffee!

Buttercream icing is so easy to work with as it's smooth consistency makes it so suitable for use with piping bags. It is the perfect icing for little cupcakes as you can get it through the piping bag tips with only one hand, allowing you to hold and manoeuvre the cupcake with the other.

#2: Ganache

Ganache is a fancy French term that simply means chocolate melted with heavy cream. When warm you can pour it over the cake for a gorgeous shiny glaze, just watch your chocolate loving child's eyes pop from their little faces as they peer over the counter top as you do this, its so cute. Ganache is so versatile, you can use it as a chocolate sauce for a pudding, dip strawberries in it, or just lick it off the spoon. You can make ganache into a frosting if you chill for a bit then beat it till fluffy, perfect for layer cakes.

Best of all though, make sure that you pop a tiny bit of the ganache into the fridge for later. Once it has chilled you can scoop out little spoonfuls, roll into balls and dip into melted chocolate for yummy after party truffles just for you.

#3: Glaze

Glaze is the simplest of icings. It is simply some fine sugar, melted over boiling water with a little bit of liquid flavour, usually fruit such as a squeeze of lemon or scoop of passion fruit. It forms a very thin liquid consistency and is simply drizzled over the cake to form a hard crust when it cools. i love the way it cracks when you bite into it, yum.

#4: Royal Icing

Royal icing is one of the most commonly used icings in cake decorating, it contains powdered sugar, egg whites and liquid. Its consistency should be similar to pancake batter and needs to flow easily in order to work it through a piping bag. You need to be quite confidant with your icing skills when using royal icing though as it sets very quickly.

#5: Fondant Icing

When it comes to really groovy cake designs fondant icing is my personal favourite due to its amazing versatility. You can make some seriously cool cakes with this as once made it is rolled out like pastry allowing you to cover cakes of all shapes and sizes. You can cut out shapes with cookie cutters, you can dye or even paint it with liquid food coloring, and as such the possibilities are endless. Fondant icing can be tricky though, sometimes having the tendency to sweat, so working at the right temperature is really important.

Now that you understand these 5 simple icing categories go and plan your groovy cake that will put a smile on your child's face, and the Best Mum on the Planet award on your forehead. Enjoy!

Groovy Kids Cakes - 5 Types of Icing For Perfect Cakes

Sarah Gasu has been putting together fantastic kids parties for over 15 years. Her aim with catering is to keep it fresh and healthy and she uses fruit wherever possible. If you'd like to try some of Sarah's sweet and fruity party recipes [http://www.thepartymums.com/sweet_treats.html] then go to her website => The Party Mums [http://www.thepartymums.com] now and while there sign up for her mailing list and receive your free guide to throwing successful parties for kids!

History Of The Guava

The early Spanish explorers of the 1500's found Strawberry Guava, 'Acca sellowiana O.,' growing as a native tree in America, where they were firmly established from Mexico southward to Peru. History records that Seminole Indians were growing guava trees in Northern Florida in 1816.

Strawberry Guava, 'Acca sellowiana O.,' can grow into trees 25 feet tall and frequently they are planted by homeowners as a privacy hedge that is easily trimmed or grown as an untrimmed windbreak. The guava tree can be trained to single or multiple trunks by pruning and will grow into an excellent specimen plant that is covered with exotic flowers during late spring. The wood is gray in color, and the grain is very hard and dense. The leaves are small, distinctly colored flat green, making the plants easily recognized at a distance.

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The guava tree or shrub is slow growing and requires the planting of two plants for cross-pollination. The tree is cold hardy to 15 degrees Fahrenheit and is salt water tolerant. Bees and hummingbirds visit the red and yellow flowers, and the pollination visits result in a heavy fruit set.

The guava fruit is classified as a berry by most botanists, and it occurs in clusters with individual berries in sizes just under one inch. Each guava berry is covered by a rough rind and the pulp inside occurs in colors of white, pink, or red.

The guava tree grows best in partial shade in acidic soils. The plants are virtually disease free, and the fruit is usually harvested by shaking off the mature guavas when the color change occurs, then, they are collected onto sheets or tarps. The fruit will keep well in a refrigerator up to a week and can be peeled and eaten as fresh fruit, as a dessert, or in salads. If the fruit is dipped into diluted lemon juice, the color of the pulp will remain bright.

The fruit is commercially made into puddings, pies, juices, and jellies, and is a rich source of Vitamin A and C, as well as many beneficial minerals. The guava is grown commercially in Florida and California, and in many southern forests the shrub has become naturalized and mistaken as a native historical plant

"Guavaween" is a traditional central Florida event and fund raiser that is held every year to celebrate the advent of the guava corresponding to parades and festivals that are scheduled near Halloween at holidays Ybor City, Florida, an outskirt of Tampa, Florida. This "Guavaween" event is celebrated during the last of October each year.

There are many kinds of guavas; one tropical guava, 'Psidium guajava L.,' is an important crop in Hawaii, with fruit production exceeding 15 million pounds per year. These guava fruits are technically considered to be berries, and the trees grow in the wild on the island of Kuawai as a native plant. Before harvesting, the plants are vigorously pruned, fertilized, and irrigated. Fresh vigorous shoots grow in response to the pruning, and the delicious fruit forms within the flowers that mature on the new wood to form guavas and require about seven months to fully develop.

Most travelers to Florida last century will remember the many tourist stops on U.S. Highway #1 and U.S. 41 that have now been transformed into interstate highways I-1 and I-75. Tourist shops such as "Stuckeys" were loaded with souvenirs such as pecan logs. One of the most memorable items displayed for sale was guava jelly, jam, paste, or any other conceivable product that involved the use of the magical fruit of the guava tree. All these little jars of jelly and other guava products were visually stunning to the eye, revealing their contents in colors of mint green, red, yellow, and blue.

History Of The Guava

Learn more about various trees by visiting the author's website: http://www.tytyga.com

Is Pasta Healthy Or Fattening?

Many people who are trying to lose weight wonder is pasta healthy or fattening? Pasta, like many foods high in carbohydrates, often gets a bad reputation for being fattening; however, this does not have to be true.

Carbohydrates, though recently made out to be villains, are actually necessary to keep your body and mind running smoothly. When carbohydrates are broken down they provide a major source of glucose. Glucose is the primary source of energy for your body and the only source of energy for your brain. Many people who have tried to stick to very low-carb diets have suffered from low energy and bad moods. I know I would be in a bad mood if I never got to eat my favorite pastas!

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Consuming too many carbohydrates can be fattening, but pasta itself is not fattening; cooked pasta has only about 200 calories per cup. Where you really get into trouble is with your pasta sauce. Pasta sauces that contain high calorie fatty meats, creams, cheese and other fattening ingredients can really make a pasta dish fattening. Tomato pasta sauces are usually not very fattening at all! Americans also have a tendency to eat too much pasta - portion control is important when controlling calories. Italians traditionally serve pasta as a side dish or as one course of a multi-course meal; not in the large mounds that are so common in the United States.

Along with being fattening, pasta has been criticized for being a simple carbohydrates and lumped into the same category as cake, pastries and white bread. The problem with all of these simple carbohydrates is that they spike your blood sugar resulting in excess insulin being secreted which encourages weight gain and a subsequent energy crash. Simple carbohydrates have a high Glycemic Index (GI) which is a number used to measure how quickly the body's blood sugar level rises after the ingestion of a food. The good news is that Pasta has a GI of 41, which is similar to pears and lower than many types of bread. And one easy way to lower the GI of pasta is to cook it like the Italians - "al dente".

Most pasta today is made from semolina flour obtained from durum wheat. This creates a firm dough which in turn also lowers the GI, while also providing a good source of nutrition. Homemade and dried pasta contain plenty of B vitamins, folic acid and iron. It's low in sodium and, despite a prevalent myth, pasta is not high in cholesterol even though it is usually made with eggs. It was once thought that egg consumption needed to be drastically reduced due to their high cholesterol content, but subsequent research has shown eggs are quite healthy in moderation and greatly contribute to the health benefits of pasta. For those on a strict diet, however, pasta can be made without eggs, while the flour and olive oil content still make this pasta healthy.

Another option is to use dried pasta. This pasta usually does not contain eggs or oil but is made from 100% semolina flour and is quite firm when cooked.  The firmness of this pasta helps lower the GI index to less than bread, potatoes and white rice while still providing vitamin B, fiber and iron. Dried pasta can be stored up to 3 years, but be sure not to store your pasta in glass containers as the sunlight depletes the vitamin B.

Is Pasta healthy in other ways too?

Yes, homemade pasta can be quite healthy. It is not difficult to learn how to make pasta and homemade Pasta can be made even more nutritious with the inclusion of whole wheat flour, spinach, garlic and herbs that add to the vitamin, mineral and fiber content of the pasta. Fiber is another nutrient often lost in modern diets, but fiber is necessary for digestive health, hormonal balance and the prevention of certain types of cancers.

There are many easy pasta recipes which make this nutritious food very convenient for modern busy cooks as well. When trying to eat healthier, you don't have to wonder "is pasta healthy" since there are many ways to prepare pasta that are. So go ahead and enjoy your pasta without guilt, just remember to go easy on the fattening meats and sauces and enjoy your pasta in moderation!

Is Pasta Healthy Or Fattening?

Joy Harrison is an experienced home cook and cooking instructor. She loves to find easy ways to prepare great home cooked meals in today's busy world. To learn about homemade pasta and easy, delicious ways to prepare it visit her site at http://www.italian-cooking-made-easy.com

Happy Baking Recipes

Finding happiness in baking can come from many things. The first whiff of chocolate from a freshly opened bag of chocolate chips. The joy on a child's face when they are able to crack the egg into the bowl by themselves. The absolutely delightful smell that fills every corner, nook and cranny of your home as your baking creation comes to life in the oven. The smile on the faces of friends and family when you bring that special dessert to the table. But sometimes the most simple joy can come simply from the fun and creative names of the treats that we bake. These two recipes brought a smile to my face simply because of their names. I hope that they do the same for you.

Happy Day Cake

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1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup shortening

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Add in the shortening, milk and vanilla. With an electric mixer, beat the mixture for 2 minutes. Add in the egg and beat the mixture for an additional one minute. Grease and flour an 8-inch cake pan. Pour the mixture into the cake pan. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes. Frost with your favorite frosting (chocolate in our house) or top with berries and whipped cream.

Cloud Nine Butterscotch Squares

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 package (3 3/4 ounce) butterscotch instant pudding mix

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/2 cup milk

1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, beat the butter until it is creamy. Add in the pudding mix and mix well. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract. Alternately add in the milk and the flour. Mix well. Stir in the oatmeal and chocolate chips. Put the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and then frost with the following.

Chocolate Frosting

6 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons milk

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup chocolate chips

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, milk and sugar. Bring the mixture to a heavy boil. Allow the mixture to boil rapidly for 30 seconds. Take the mixture off the stove and add in the chocolate chips. Allow to cool a bit and then frost the bars.

Wishing you a happy, cloud nine kind of day!

Happy Baking Recipes

Jill Seader finds happiness in baking and shares that happiness on her website: YourBakingStory.com. Find baking recipes, share your stories and find recipe scrapbooking supplies to tell your stories on her website. Happy Baking!

3 Easy To Make Gelatin Dessert Cake Recipes

When it comes to making and baking homemade dessert cakes I like to use recipes that are easy to prepare, bake up quickly and taste delicious. When you use gelatin in your cake batter recipes it adds a nice flavor and coloring to your dessert cakes. It will make a boxed mix taste like a homemade gourmet cake.

Each of these recipes start out with a boxed mix that you spruce up with a few additional ingredients. When the recipe calls for a box of gelatin it is for the standard (not family-sized) box. You can top these desserts with a glaze, frosting or icing of your choice or see the recipe for suggestions.

Cake Recipes

Lemon Lime Gelatin Cake

1 box lemon flavored cake mix

1 box lemon gelatin mix

1 box of lime gelatin mix

1/4 cup bottled lemon juice

1 cup confectioners sugar

Add gelatin mix to the dry cake mix. Proceed to making the cake following directions on the package. Pour the batter into a prepared baking pan that has been greased and lighly floured. Bake according to box instructions. Mix lemon juice and confectioners sugar together. When it has finished baking, prick with fork all over while it is still hot and pour lemon/sugar mixture evenly over the top. This will make a nice glaze when cooled. Store in an airtight container until serving time.

Dreamy Gelatin Cake

1 box white cake mix

1 box lime gelatin mix

1 container dream whip

Follow directions on the back of the box to mix and bake the cake. Make gelatin according to directions on the box. After cake is baked, poke holes all over it with a large fork, then pour the gelatin over the cake and into all the poked holes, using all of it. Put dream whip on as the icing. Refrigerate cake two hours and store it in the refrigerator.

Creamsicle cake

1 orange cake mix

1 box of orange gelatin

Bake the cake as directed on the box. Let it cool for 1 hour before proceeding. Mix and dissolve gelatin in 1 cup of hot water, then add 1/2 cup of cold water. Poke holes in top of cooled cake with a fork and pour onto cake making sure that it runs into the poked holes. Put in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Then mix:

1 box of vanilla instant pudding

1 cup cold milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 ounce package Cool Whip

In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat together the vanilla instant pudding, cold milk and vanilla extract. Fold in the package of Cool Whip. Frost the top with the frosting you just prepared after the cake has been completely cooled.

3 Easy To Make Gelatin Dessert Cake Recipes

Shelly Hill is a mother and grandmother living in Pennsylvania who enjoys cooking, baking and canning. Shelly is the owner of the popular foodie blog called Shakin 'N Bakin in the Kitchen at http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com where you can find free menu ideas, cooking articles, tips and free recipes.

Dessert Recipes - Desserts That Go Well With Coffee

Do you like to enjoy a cup of coffee with a crunchy low-fat dessert? Read on to learn how to make the best biscotti ever. This recipe is so easy that once my wife showed me how to make them, I bake fresh biscotti every couple of days! I even make my own orange zest to make the dessert flavorful (the commercial orange spice just does not give the natural aroma, not to mention the flavor).

ORANGE BISCOTTI

Cake Recipes

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour,
¾ cup sugar,
1 tsp. vanilla,
1 tsp. baking powder,
3 eggs,
2 Tbsp. orange zest

DIRECTIONS

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2) In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and vanilla.
3) In a separate bowl, blend eggs and orange zest. Add to other ingredients and mix well.
4) Divide dough in two and shape into 2 wide loaves. Place on a cookie sheet.
5) Bake for 35 minutes.
6) Slice into long biscotti cookies and let cool on wire rack.

Serve with coffee or cocoa

HOW TO MAKE ORANGE ZEST

INGREDIENTS

Orange peels,
Water,
1/2 cup sugar,

DIRECTIONS

Place orange peels in a small pot. Pour in about 1 cup water. Boil for about 5 min.
Let cool. With a sharp knife, peel off a thin layer of the skin. Cut it into small squares. Place it in a small pot, pour about 1/2 cup of water and sugar. Bring to boil and let simmer until all water is gone. Let cool. Store it in an airtight container for a couple of weeks.

Use to flavor your cakes and cookies, pankcakes, or add to tea.

POLISH BUNDT CAKE

INGREDIENTS

4 eggs
¾ cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla flavoring
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup potato starch
1 tsp baking powder
2 sticks of unsweetened margarine, melted

DIRECTIONS

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Beat egg whites and sugar until stiff peaks appear. Add egg yolks, starch, flour, baking powder, and vanilla flavoring. Mix well. Mix in melted margarine.
3) Pour batter into a bundt cake pan. Bake for about 30 minutes.
4) Turn cake out onto wire rack and let cool. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top and enjoy!

Dessert Recipes - Desserts That Go Well With Coffee

Ed Stein is a staff writer for Pugged In Parents.

Please visit http://www.pluggedinparents.com for more recipes.

The Effects Of Chocolate On The Emotions

It is common perception that chocolate is a mood elevator although some people believe that it causes headaches and migraine. Though it is widely accepted that chocolate affects our moods, the research on this is still in a fluid state. Every contention is fiercely debated. We will discuss various ways that chocolate affects our moods and emotions, according to the present set of beliefs.

Chocolate affects us both negatively and positively. Some people, when they are sad or depressed, experience a craving for chocolate. On eating chocolate they report that their mood is elevated and they feel better. This elevation in mood is temporary though and when this effect wears off, they again revert to their previous state of mind.

Cake Recipes

There are many health benefits that are attributed to chocolates. It is good for the heart. It increases the responsiveness of blood vessels which is useful for preventing heart disease. It also increases glucose tolerance. Chocolate also contains some substances which have an anti oxidant effect. This is helpful in preventing cancer.

Chocolate is reported to cause headache, obesity, rectal itching, heart burn and emotional problems like irritability, confusion, anger and depression.

Chocolate is rich in carbohydrates, which increase the rate with which tryptophan enters the brain. This increases the level of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates moods, creating a good feeling.

The addictive property of chocolate is also well documented. This is evidenced by the fact that some people, when trying to give up alcohol, depend on chocolate to satisfy their cravings. This drug-like property is attributed to caffeine, anandamines, phenylethylamine and magnesium that are present in chocolate. The presence of caffeine and magnesium can contribute to a feeling of craving for chocolate. Ananadmides affect the brain in a similar way to marijuana, though research in this field is still debated.

There are more than 350 chemicals in chocolate. Some of these are believed to cause allergic reactions. Some scientists believe that phenylethylamine and theobromine could cause changes in moods. Phenylethylamine causes blood pressure and blood sugar to rise. It generates a feeling of alertness and contentment thus creating a feeling of well being. But, a short period of emotional high is followed by a period of emotional low. Theobromine is found naturally in cocoa and acts as an anti-depressant, but has been known to be toxic to animals.

Eating chocolate can also give rise to a feeling of anxiety. Phenylethylamine is said to cause dilation of blood vessels in brain causing headaches. Though it is still debatable whether phenylethylamine reaches the brain.

One ounce of chocolate contains 20 mg of caffeine. Researches on the effects of caffeine have reported that caffeine can cause problems in sleep, restlessness, irritability, heartburn and anxiety. Withdrawal from caffeine causes fatigue and headaches.

Tyramine is another amino acid present in chocolate. Though it is not certain whether any significant amount of tyramine reaches the brain, yet it is known that it causes blood vessels to expand and contract causing dull headaches.

Women appear to crave chocolate more than men, including diabetics. Some amongst these women reported that only chocolate and nothing else could satisfy their craving. The presence of magnesium in chocolate can account for the fact that during PMS (Post Menstrual Syndrome) craving for chocolate increases in women, as during this period a deficiency of magnesium may arise.

With all this contradictory information on the effects of chocolate on mood, one has to observe from one's experiences and decide whether chocolate is right for one. But, certainly, large amounts of chocolate will effect us physically or emotionally one way or another.

The Effects Of Chocolate On The Emotions

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Chocolates [http://chocolates-guide.com/]

Easy Recipe to Try: Black Sambo

Black Sambo was one of the first recipes I learned from my mother when I started my catering business back in 2006. When I introduced it to my friends, everyone were quite amazed with how wonderful it tasted. Today, it is one of the most ordered desert by my regular customers. Black Sambo is a two layered gelatin made of creamy milk and Chocolate. As I was browsing in the Internet, I came across several almost the same recipes that made me want to share my own. I have invested in several plastic molders circular in shape that makes the Sambo so much prettier when presented.

First Layer:

Cake Recipes

1/2 cup of Boiling Water
1 can Nestle Cream
1 can Condensed Milk (big)
2 envelopes Knox Gelatin (unflavored)

Procedure:

Mix Condense milk and Nestle Cream together until smooth

Dissolve gelatin in Boiling water, let it cool and strain.

Combine it together with the milk mixture. Chill in the refrigerator.

Second Layer:

1/2 cup Boiling Water
1/2 cup Hershey Chocolate powder
1 can Evaporated Milk (big)
3/4 cup Refined Sugar
2 envelopes Knox Gelatin (unflavored)

Procedure:

Combine sugar and chocolate powder together with the evaporated milk.

Mix well until smooth.

Dissolve gelatin in water then combine it with the milk mixture.

Once the first layer is almost firm, put in the second layer slowly; let it chill. Note: It is best not to wait too long to put in the second layer so that both layers will stick to each other when you serve it.

This recipe is so easy to do-everyone should try it! You can serve it topped with Hershey Chocolate syrup or shredded chocolate but others prefer it as it is.

Easy Recipe to Try: Black Sambo

Charlene is a freelance writer who writes on various niches especially in regards to health, food/cooking, family and relationships, self help and self improvement. To avail of her writing services, you can contact her at lynne.sampilo@hotmail.ph. To know more about the writer, you can visit her personal website: http://lynnesampilo.wordpress.com

Incredibly Delicious Italian Dessert Recipes For Dessert Lovers

In the history of desserts, famous Italian dessert recipes definitely stand out. Italian desserts range in flavor from bitter to sweet and they go nicely with a glass of wine. In Italy, the locals are just as likely to eat a piece of fruit for dessert as an indulgent, creamy confection.

If you have visited an Italian bakery, you will have seen many different varieties of cookies and biscotti. The Italians like to dunk their biscotti in red wine. A lot of Italian cookies are sweet but not excessively so and light glazes often provide most of the flavoring. Nuts or candied fruit are often added too. Biscotti might be very popular in the United States but in Italy hard, slightly sweet twice baked cookies are more popular. They are baked twice to remove as much moisture as possible, which makes the cookies dry, crumbly, and hard.

Cake Recipes

Which is the Most Famous Italian Dessert?

Tiramisu is thought to have originated in Siena. Duke Cosimo de Medici enjoyed it so much that it spread around the world with Italian immigrants. Tiramisu is a delicious combination of lady finger cookies, liquor, espresso, cocoa, mascarpone cheese, and eggs.

The best known Italian cake has to be panettone, which is from Milan. Boxes of this cake can be found in cafes and Italian bakeries during the holiday season all over the world. The fluffy panettone dough is flavored with raisins and candied fruit pieces and the cake is shaped like a dome. Italians enjoy panettone with zabaglione custard or mascarpone cheese and a glass of liqueur or dessert wine.

Perhaps you have tried Italian gelato. This is ice cream made with milk, sugar and flavoring. Sometimes it contains eggs and cream. Gelato is churned less than regular ice cream, making it less airy and more dense. Italian desserts are best eaten in moderation because a lot of them are very rich. If you find a lot of Italian desserts heavenly but a bit too rich, why not make your own and change the ingredients to tone them down a bit?

Using Jello in Italian Dessert Recipes

Gelato is a great candidate for experimentation with jello. Italian ice cream is nearly free of air, which makes it dense and super heavy. By combining gelato, boiling water, and jello powder, you can create a deliciously light dessert with a nice texture and any jello flavor you like. You can use sugar free jello to halve the calories because half the dessert is jello and the sugar free kind is also calorie free.

If you happen to own an ice cream machine, you can make gelato with kool aid and jello, which tastes great and makes a refreshing dessert on balmy summer evenings. Jello goes with a lot of ingredients, with fruit trifle being a great example.

Jello also goes nicely with fruit pieces, with custard or zabaglione or with chocolate. In fact, it is one of the most versatile dessert ingredients you can get and it is great for making Italian dessert recipes lighter. Dessert making is a creative process and you might feel like making a rich, luxurious tiramisu one day and healthier layer jello recipes the next.

Incredibly Delicious Italian Dessert Recipes For Dessert Lovers

If you are ready to start whipping up some deliciously decadent desserts, why not have a look at the wide selection of scrumptious jello dessert recipes at our site for some ideas to get you started? We have jello pudding recipes, jello no bake cheesecake recipes, seasonal jello recipes and the best jello making tips.

JelloRecipes.net - We Don't Make the Products We Just Make Great Desserts with Them!