Archive for September, 2009

Luscious, Healthy Cranberries

Monday, September 28th, 2009


Luscious cranberries impart a deliciously tangy flavor to any dish, from barbecues and sauces to beverages and pies. Add cranberries to everyday relishes for mouth watering results.

Buying and Storing Cranberries

Fresh cranberries are available in plenty from September to December. They are shiny and plump and range in color from light red to dark red. Berries with brown spots or those that are shriveled are best avoided.

Fresh cranberries will last up to eight weeks if sealed in a plastic container and stored in the refrigerator. However, if you’d like to have cranberries all year round, they can be put in an airtight bad and frozen for up to one year. Cranberries should ideally be frozen without washing. You can wash them just before using. Do not thaw frozen cranberries when ready to use, instead follow the directions given in your recipe.

Cooked cranberries can be kept in a covered container in the refrigerator and will last up to one month. Cranberries cooked in alcohol can last in the refrigerator many months.

The Many Health Benefits of Cranberries

Besides being a flavorful addition to any meal, cranberries are also loaded with nutrients. Cranberries are high in fiber and have only 25 calories per 1/2 cup, making them a wonderful low-fat, high-fiber meal choice. Cranberries offer more than 10% of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C and are also a source of calcium, iron and phosphorus.

Studies show that cranberries and cranberry products contained significantly high levels of antioxidant phenols and other phytonutrients that are credited with protecting the body against cancer, heart diseases and several other adverse conditions.

Cranberries also contain significantly high levels of flavonoids and polyphenolic compounds, which offer a natural defense against atherosclerosis.

Certain compounds present in cranberries decrease the incidence of tumor development and are potential cancer fighters. Preliminary studies indicate the strong possibility that cranberries could offer the brain protection against neurological damage including loss of cognitive and motor function.

Cranberries are very effective in helping prevent the incidence of urinary tract infection, by not allowing bacteria to stick to the urinary tract lining. They also lower the incidence of dental plaque formation by reducing bacterial adhesion to teeth.

Recent research also shows that certain compounds that are present in cranberries inhibit the adhesion of certain bacteria to the stomach lining, thus preventing the incidence of peptic ulcers.

Studies also show that daily intake of cranberry juice could potentially increase HDL or good cholesterol levels and reduce LDL or bad cholesterol levels.
Learn about the health benefits of himalayan goji berry juice at http://www.gojicapital.com/

How to Use Less Energy While Cooking

Saturday, September 26th, 2009


There are a lot of little ways to save energy around the house. Most people know the basics, such as turning the thermostat to a lower temperature in winter and wearing a sweater. But it’s easy to not think of your energy use when you’re cooking.

This can seem like a pretty small thing. After all, cooking is not a large part of most people’s day. But it is one of those things you can do to make a difference.

We’ll start with putting a lid on the pan when you’re cooking. If you don’t need direct access to the food, having a lid on the pan means it will cook faster. This is particularly evident when you’re boiling water before adding spaghetti. The water boils much sooner with a lid on.

Having the lid on the pan helps to keep your food at the right temperature for cooking, while you can have your stove on at a much lower level since less heat is lost out the top. If you don’t like to spend a ton of time in the kitchen, this also translates to a shorter cooking time.

Another factor to consider is how long you preheat your oven, or if you even really need to. I very rarely preheat mine, as it takes only a short time for it to reach the required temperature anyhow. I make an exception for anything that is more sensitive to temperature, such as when I bake bread. But meats and casseroles don’t need to start out at that perfect temperature.

A tool I’ve been learning to use is my pressure cooker. It takes a bit of practice, but it can cook many foods in under 10 minutes. It’s one of the few things that I’m considering finding a cookbook for since I have very few pressure cooker recipes.

My slow cooker, on the other hand, is used very regularly. Despite how long it spends cooking, it uses less energy than the oven. It’s also very easy to have just about the entire dinner in one pot. Throw in a roast and put the potatoes alongside it.

Another favorite way to make quick, just about one dish meals is to stir fry. The chopping takes extra time, but that means the meat cooks very quickly. As a bonus, it’s one of the few ways I can be sure that my husband will eat his vegetables. The fact that everything only needs a little cook time really helps. If you need a little more intense cooking time, throw a lid on for a little while and decrease the heat so things don’t burn.

And of course, there’s the microwave. Meats generally don’t cook up too well in them, but for reheating leftovers or giving vegetables a quick steam they’re very efficient.

As you build up your cooking habits to use energy more efficiently, you may come to appreciate how fast many of these methods are. There’s nothing like doing something that saves you both money and time.
Stephanie Foster blogs at http://www.greensahm.com/ about being a stay at home mom who thinks about the environment. Get more tips on going green at her site.

Advantages And Joys Of Dutch Outdoor Cooking

Thursday, September 24th, 2009


Out-of-doors Dutch oven cooking contributes to an enjoyable and pleasurable experience. Rustling up great dishes and savoring them are delightful pursuits for most individuals, particularly those who relish the thought of food. A variety of cooking styles are in vogue, which give food a uniquely superb flavor. Cooking outdoors is all the rage in the present times. For instance, barbeques are the favored dish of some individuals rather than other cooking techniques. Adopting various cooking styles can result in exceptionally delicious dishes and make family gatherings a big hit.

Open-air cooking techniques are well liked since most people enjoy the outdoors and many of them are food buffs. Almost anything can be prepared using Dutch oven outdoor recipes. Delight in mouth-watering food such as great vegetarian food, fragrant breads, terrific roast meats, fantastic hors d’ oeuvres, and incredible desserts. Rather than firing up the barbeque, you should ignite the briquettes and show off your culinary expertise. Great outdoor Dutch oven culinary recipes include cobblers, donuts, pizzas, tortillas, and hash brown. The wonderful dishes will simply floor your family and friends. When food is cooked and dished up outside it seems to alter subtly the very mood and ambience of the meal.

Loads of benefits can be derived from cooking in the open-air, such as reducing the cooking time, convenience of cooking, healthy, and amazing tasting dishes. Dutch oven recipes include each of these benefits. To come up with splendid dishes using the outdoor Dutch oven cooking, you need to draw up the menus in advance to simplify things. Dutch oven preparations can be classified as breakfasts, soups, salads, main courses, desserts, and simple meals. Meats, vegetables, main dishes, breads and desserts can be prepared effortlessly, with enough time to
spend in entertaining your guests.

Open-air culinary recipes generally comprise of small, substantial, salads and desserts. Out-of-doors light meals usually include breakfast where bread, cheese, and eggs are served. Different preparations can be made by a judicious mix of these ingredients. It is an enjoyable activity to whisk eggs, blend a pancake mix and prepare a cherry cobbler or whip up a milkshake. In contrast, elaborate outdoor recipes are apt for lunch or supper. Vegetables are usually included in such dishes and are good for health. The variation in flavor is due to the application of varied cooking techniques. Open-air meals will be found wanting without the inclusion of desserts and salads. Right from preparing complete meals to roasting, cooking outdoors is an event that the entire family can treasure.

With the launching of technologically advanced equipment, open-air culinary recipes are the most sought after items these days. Cooking appliances used outdoors should be properly operated to ensure the dishes are simply fantastic. Ingenious recipes can be created at all times in the open-air.
Abhishek is a cooking enthusiast! Visit his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com and download his FREE Cooking Report “Master Chef Secrets” and learn some amazing Cooking tips and tricks for FREE! Learn how to create the perfect meal on a shoe-string budget. And yes, you get to keep all the accolades! But hurry, only limited Free copies available! http://www.Cooking-Guru.com

History Of Coffee

Monday, September 21st, 2009


Whatever be the reason as to why people drink coffee, it is undoubtedly the most famous drink consumed today.

As far as Americans are concerned, coffee is a merely three hundred years old. In other places and cultures it has been a widespread phenomena for a much longer time. There are records indicating the use of coffee as early as 800 B. C. In fact, Homer speaks of a bitter black beverage that has powers of stimulation and for all we know Homer might have been speaking of coffee.

In the year 1000 A.D., coffee was mostly used for medicinal purposes. It has been reported than in 1400 a Yemeni goat herder saw his flock eating some reddish berries and consequently becoming excited and restless. When this goat herder told a monk about this they gathered the berries together and boiled them in water. They found that the resulting beverage could get rid of sleep and weariness.

The first coffee plant was started in Africa, in the Ethiopian region known as Kaffa. It then spread to Egypt, Yemen, and Arabia, and by this time had become part of everyday life.

By the late 1500s coffee was already being sold in Europe as any other commodity. But the shipping taxes were too high and the demand for coffee was also rising. This resulting in many people experimenting with the cultivation of coffee in other countries. Somewhere around 1727 coffee was grown for the first time in Brazil.

In 1903, Ludwig Roselius, a German coffee importer delivered a batch of damaged coffee beans to researchers. The researchers in turn discovered how to take the caffeine out of the beans without losing any flavor. Thus, decaffeinated coffee found its way into the market and was so distributed in the 1920s.

Instant coffee is basically soluble coffee powder that does not require the long preparation process involved with whole grain coffee. It was mass produced using the invention of George Constant Washington. He was an English chemist who was living in Guatemala at the time. One day, he was waiting for his wife to join him when he saw that there was a find powder deposited on the spout of his silver coffee urn. He presumed that this was condensation from coffee vapor and experimentation led to the invention of instant coffee.

In 1906 Washington started experiments that led to the introduction of his Red ECoffee in 1909.

In 1938, Nestle created freeze-dried coffee in order to help Brazil with a surplus in coffee production.

Nescafe was first introduced into Switzerland and by 1956 coffee was everywhere.

Every year, 400 billion cups of coffee are consumed in the United States. Coffee has become one of the largest commodities and is second only to oil.
For more info on coffee, coffee beans and espresso, please visit our website. Gourmet Coffee

Eat Better The No Cook Way Veggies

Friday, September 18th, 2009


Much of what we eat today has had all the beneficial vitamins taken from it. One can go on and on, through the whole gamut of dishes cooked with excessive heat, canned foods, toasted cereals, vitamin plied flour and milk, which have been robbed of all or almost all of the original vitality, cooked out desserts and candies.

These products are so ingeniously advertised that the public is convinced they are musts for their growing children. So strong has become the faith in these foods, that natural, raw food is seldom given a thought. In fact, it is often a matter of controversy among our most listened-to nutrition authorities.

The result has been a deplorable deterioration and progressive undermining of the health of American youth. The proof lies bare in a recent government publication which gives startling figures on the number of rejections of our youth for the armed forces. Considering that these “rejects” are our teen-agers, our most select age group, and that the percentage is higher today than it was either in World Wars I or II, there must be something radically wrong. Moreover, this is most typical of America - not other countries. It behooves us to look into it!

Below are some valuable recipes for vegetables which preserve all the vital vitamins and minerals. Prepare some today for the sake of your health.

Asparagus Saute

2 cups fresh asparagus
1 teaspoon grated onion or 1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons olive or peanut oil
Coarse salt and coarse black pepper, as desired

Vitamins A, B and C, as well as calcium, phosphorus, iron and other minerals are found here. These vitamins make the necessary co-enzymes that control the important enzyme-controlled reaction, that establishes good health. The eyes are aided by the large amount of Vitamin A here.

Break asparagus into pieces 2 inches long, place in saucepan with oil, season. Add garlic section or grated onion and warm quickly over low heat for about two minutes.

Keep turning pieces over and over in pan. Serve in a covered casserole.

Artichokes
4 whole artichokes, small
3 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, grated
1/2 cup water
Coarse salt and coarse black pepper, as desired

Chlorophyll plus innumerable vitamins and minerals make this a valuable as well as challenging vegetable. The natural sugar is recommended for quick energy.

Heat water, season, and place artichokes sprinkled with oil in pan containing water and onion. Sizzle for five minutes using very low heat. Remove from heat keeping cover on for another minute.

Lima Beans And Fresh Tomato Combine
2 cups lima beans, soaked 48 hours
4 fresh tomatoes
1 onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon honey
4 slices raw lean bacon, minced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 tablespoons olive, corn or peanut oil
Coarse salt and red crushed pepper, as desired

The combination of tomatoes with its high Vitamin C content converts this dish into a richer ABC and mineral reserve for the body.

Saute the beans in oil over slow heat, stirring constantly until warm. Add tomatoes, onion, bacon and parsley and continue to saute until all of the vegetables are warm. Add seasoning to taste, and serve in a covered casserole.

Chile
2 cups red beans
4 tablespoons coarse salt
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, diced
4 teaspoons chile powder

The important bean again. The chile and vegetables convert this into a high Vitamin C product. A dish to aid the vigorous working man.

Soak beans 48 hours in salt water, changing it 3 or 4 times. Sear quickly in oil over high flame (2-3 minutes until hot and firm), the celery, onion and green pepper. Add the chile powder, salt, and, if desired, 4 crushed tomatoes. In another pan, warm the beans in oil over slow heat, turning constantly until warm. Blend both mixtures together and serve in a covered casserole.

Enjoy these tasty vegetables prepared in such a healthy way!
Get The Shocking Truth Raw Food Diet Detox And What You Must Do To Eat Healthy! Click here for FREE online Ebook http://www.rawfooddietdetox.net/

Getting In The Habit Of Brewing A Great Cup Of Coffee Every time You Try

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009


Are you searching for that perfect cup of coffee? There are many different ways of brewing a great cup of coffee but the basics remain the same no matter how simple or complicated you make the brewing process. It all starts with great coffee beans. If this step is overlooked then anything else you do will not have a lot of effect.

Once you have that perfect blend of beans you need to put these in a clean pot. A dirty coffee pot has been known to make your drink taste bitter. Using bottled or filtered water should give your coffee that taste you are looking for. For that perfect cup you need to get the amount of coffee just right and you will be well on your way to a wonderful drink. This article will look at a few of the things you need to think about to get that perfect brew time after time.

If you want to brew perfect coffee you need good coffee beans. For the best results it is wise to grind them just before roasting. You may think it is too much trouble to grind your own coffee beans but once you experience the fresh taste they provide you might just change your mind. If you decide grinding your own beans is too much work at least use one of the fine grades of ground coffee. All of this work of grinding your own coffee will go to waste if you do not have a clean pot to brew in.

A clean pot is essential if you want great tasting coffee. Residue from previous use can leave your coffee tasting bitter. Some people have been known to use vinegar or baking soda to clean the coffee pot. Whatever you use you need to clean on a regular basis. This can make a big difference in the taste of your coffee. Once you coffee pot is clean you can help keep it that way by using clean bottled or filtered water to make your coffee.

Since coffee is mostly water it makes sense to use the best quality water you can. Try to use water that does not have chlorine or excessive minerals added for the best taste. If the water in your house tastes ok it may be fine to use but for the best results you would be wise to try tap water and then try bottled or filtered water and see what tastes the best.

Add your coffee to the pot and you will be well on your way to enjoying your home brewed drink. I would start with 2 tablespoons of coffee for each 6 ounces of water. This can be adjusted as you get more experience making coffee. Each individual may want to change this slightly to adjust for each persons taste preference.

Pour a cup right away to enjoy the full rich flavor of your coffee. Once you get the hang of brewing a great cup of coffee following these simple steps you will be well on your way to that perfect cup of coffee.
For more information on choosing the the best espresso coffee beans try visitig http://www.coffeebean101.com, a website that specializes in providing espresso and coffee tips, advice and resources.

Changing How You Eat In Texas

Monday, September 14th, 2009


Changes can be difficult, especially changes in your diet and nutrition. If you’re a young healthy individual who lives in Dallas, Houston or anywhere in Texas, it’s easier to change your diet now and reap the benefits, than to change later on when you’re older, because of health problems.

One of the first and best ways to control what to eat is to cook for yourself. If you can’t cook, learn how. With the hundreds of thousands of recipes, both online and in libraries, you’re bound to find a cuisine you’ll love that’s both tasty and healthy. Cooking is one way to take advantage of important nutrients that occur in extremely small amounts, yet have incredible repercussions in your body.

Unlike with freshly prepared food, many commercial food preparers find it convenient and cheaper to substitute nutrients for a longer “shelf life.” In addition, some of the more nutritious foods aren’t very popular; they’re never marketed, and few people know how to prepare or enjoy them. It’s a good idea to stay away from commercially-prepared foods and stick with preparing and cooking fresh foods.

One of the more important changes you can make in your diet is to cut back on the amount of fat you consume. So, if you currently eat a lot of fat, try just one or two of the following changes:

- For meat — eat it baked, grilled and broiled rather than fried. Take the skin off before eating chicken. Eat fish at least once a week.
- Cut back on extra fat — butter or margarine on bread, sour cream on baked potatoes, and salad dressings.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables with your meals and as snacks.
- When eating in restaurants, watch out for “hidden” fats — salad dressing and desserts as well as larger portion sizes.
- Read the nutrition labels before you buy food. If you can’t decipher the labels, talk to your doctor or your nutritionist.
- Drink no- or low-calorie beverages — water, unsweetened tea and diet soda.

Balanced nutrition and regular exercise are still part of a good health regime even if your weight is consistent. So it’s important to set goals that you have a good chance of attaining, like making one of the small changes listed above or walking one additional day per week.

Yours and your family’s medical history may also be an important reason to change your diet. If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, you may need to talk about nutrition with your doctor:
- Have you been diagnosed with a medical problem or risk factor, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol?
- Were you told that this condition could be improved by better nutrition?
- Does diabetes, cancer, heart disease or osteoporosis run in your family?
- Are you overweight, or have you gained weight over the years?
- Do you need to find out what kinds of foods you should eat or whether you should take vitamins?

- Do you think that you could benefit from seeing a nutritionist?

Sure, it’ll be hard make changes in your diet, but even very small changes can improve your health considerably. It’s important to keep trying to eat the right foods. Also, stay in touch with your doctor and nutritionist, to let them know how you’re doing. Take a look at the following suggestions to help you improve your eating habits:

- Evaluate the strong and weak points in your diet: Do you eat five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables daily? Do you get enough calcium? Do you eat whole-grain, high-fiber foods regularly? If so, you’re on the right track. If you’re not, learn the changes you need to make.
- Make these changes small and slowly, instead of making large, fast changes. Small changes are easier to make and to stick with.
- Keep track of your food intake. Keep a daily diary of what you eat and drink. Use this diary to help you see if you need to make beneficial changes to your diet.
- Ask for help from a nutritionist if you haven’t already done so — especially if you have a medical problem that requires a special diet.

Good nutrition is important to maintaining good health. And as you’ll discover, what you put into your body will affect your health. And your health, good or bad, will eventually affect your bank account.
Pat Carpenter writes for Precedent Insurance Company. Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at Precedent.com

Cooking Tofu for Vegans

Friday, September 11th, 2009


If you are cooking tofu for vegans, it is not difficult, but it is a matter of science just as any other cooking is a science. Including tofu in your diet is a good way to supplement your meals. It acts as a replacement for that which meat would normally provide, as far as essential vitamins and minerals go. Many of the non-meat products that you buy in the grocery store are actually made with tofu; that is how commonplace and important tofu is in many aspects of the Vegan diet.

Is cooking tofu imperative for Vegans? Probably not. Tofu is a soy bean product, and soy beans are packed with protein. Protein is the important part of meat that makes it so imperative in our diet, so replacing meat with tofu in your diet is a great way of keeping the protein and eliminating the dangerous animal fat. The problem with being a vegetarian lies in the dangers of not having enough protein in your diet, but tofu can help to eliminate this as a risk at all if you regularly include it in your diet as you would meat.

Many vegans out there choose not to include tofu in their diets, simply for reasons of taste. Not everybody is going to like everything and let us face it; tofu is not one of the tastiest foods out there, but it can be worked with. Cooking tofu is an art. Tofu can definitely ruin a meal, but not if it is prepared right.

It is often said that when you cook with tofu, it does not maintain a taste of its own, but it does tend to take the taste of the food it is prepared with. For example, if you were to include tofu in a Vegan tofu stir fry, it takes the taste of the noodles and soy sauce in the stir fry; if you include tofu in spaghetti, it would take the taste of the vegetables and/or the marinara sauce.

For Vegans, cooking tofu can be rather intimidating, but it doese not have to be. If you are considering become a Vegan, or just want to learn about cooking tofu for a Vegan you love, there are ways to learn. The internet is chock full of great recipes for tofu-cooking beginners, from the tofu spaghetti and stir-fry that was already discussed to great veggie burgers, hot dogs, and other things.

Cooking tofu for Vegans doese not have to be a chore, and with proper information and a bit of practice, you should not have to live with results that are less than pleasing for very long.
Kelvin Ho runs his own cooking site at http://www.pickupcooking.com. Looking for tofu information and recipes? Find them here at http://www.pickupcooking.com/tofu

Explore a Whole New World of Tea By Experiencing a Tea Ceremony

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009


If you consider yourself a connoisseur of fine teas, then you should really think that description over if you have yet to visit a Japanese tea ceremony. There is simply no better way to learn about the world of tea than through tea ceremonies, as they can provide you with some amazing flavors of the hot beverage with a rich tradition and historical background that you simply cannot experience anywhere else. But, do you have to go to Japan to experience an actual ceremony of tea? Not necessarily. With the increased sharing of cultural rituals and traditions during the mid to late 20th century, the good news is that you can easily have the experience of a Japanese tea ceremony in your own home.

Tea finally came to Japan in the ninth century when a Buddhist monk brought it back with him after a trip to China. From there, the passion for tea grew with a fervor never seen before in Japan, and the Japanese adopted it as one of their most popular drinks. As the passion for tea in Japan grew, so too did the wealth and prestige of those involved in the trade, and as tea began to mix with privilege, wealth, and the Zen Buddhism lifestyle - the tea ceremony was born.

As is true with other ceremonies that have an association with the Zen school of Buddhism, the ceremony using tea is meant to impart physical, spiritual and emotional insights and blessings. Used as a catalyst to build bridges with others and to gain insights into the core of one’s being, this ceremony has deep significance. Often, it is considered to be one where truth in some form will be acknowledged, whether rediscovering old perceptions of truth, or uncovering a new perception of a truth for the first time. To be invited to participate in this sort of ceremony is considered an honor and also a sign of unity with the host.

Now that you know some of the basic history behind Japanese tea ceremonies, you are probably wondering where you can go to experience such a wonderful and unforgettable event. Well, as with everything culturally based, your best place to start is in your nearest major metropolitan area. If your closest city has a large Japanese population, there are sure to be several places where you can experience this ceremony of tea, but even cities that lack a major Japanese influence will still have one or two places where you can participate in a ceremony. On the other hand, if you really want to see a real, professionally done tea ceremony, you really have to take a trip to Japan so you can fall in love with tea all over again thanks to the beauty and simplicity of the ceremony.
Mayoor Patel is the writer for the website http://tea-party.tea-universe.com. Please visit for information on all things concerned with Tea Ceremony

YO HO HO HOOO I Gonna Make The Santa Clause So Happy With These Brownies

Monday, September 7th, 2009


Hehehe! Take a look at what I’m going to prepare for the Santa Clause this year… :o)

He will be soooo happy when he’ll taste one of my brownies that he’ll leave all your gifts at my place alone… hehehe… :o)

FROSTED CHRISTMAS BROWNIE

Serving Size: 12

Ingredients for Brownie:

~ 1-1/2 Cups Sugar
~ 1-1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
~ 1/2 Cup Cocoa
~ 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
~ 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
~ 3 Large Eggs
~ 3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
~ 3/4 Cup Margarine — Melted
~ 6 Each Red M&MS Plain Chocolate Candy
~ Green Tube of Frosting (Piping Jel)

Ingredients for Butter Cream Frosting:

~ 3 Tablespoons Margarine or Butter — Softened
~ 2 Cups Powdered Sugar — Sifted
~ 3 Tablespoons More or Less Milk
~ 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Here are the instructions:

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line up 12-inch pizza pan with aluminum foil. Stir together margarine, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl. Add the 3 large eggs. Beat well with spoon.

Mix baking powder, flour, cocoa and salt. Slowly add to egg mixture, stirring until well combined Spread butter in prepared pan. Bake around 22 minutes or until you see the top springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Trim off the edges that may have gone over the side of the pan. If desired, remove brownie from pan. Unwrap foil, or serve in pan. Spread frosting over top. Sketch holly leaves on frosted brownie and put red candies in proper place so that they look like holly berries.

For frosting:

Beat margarine in a small bowl. Slowly add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Beat until it becomes consistent.

CHRISTMAS CREAM CAKE

Serving Size: 10

Ingredients for Cake:

~ 1 Cup Buttermilk
~ 1 Cup Coconut
~ 1 Cup Shortening
~ 1 Cup Walnuts; chopped
~ 1 Stick butter or marg (1/2 c)
~ 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
~ 1 Teaspoon Baking powder
~ 1 Teaspoon Baking soda
~ 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
~ 2 cups Flour
~ 2 Cups Sugar
~ 5 Eggs; separated

Ingredients for Icing:

~ 1 Box confectioners’ sugar
~ 1 Cup Maraschino cherries
~ 1 Packet (8 oz) cream cheese; soften
~ 1/2 Cup Butter or margarine; soften

Instructions for the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut waxed paper to fit the bottom of three 9-inch cake pans. Grease lightly and flour the paper. Beat the egg whites well until they form peaks in a small bowl and then it set aside.

Cream together the butter and the shortening then the sugar, egg yolks and vanilla in a larger bowl. Add the baking powder, salt, buttermil flour and baking soda. Beat until well mixed.

Add the nuts and coconut and then stir thoroughly. Carefully fold in the beaten egg whites. Spread butter into the prepared pans. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Before removing the pans let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Cool thoroughly before making the icing.

Instructions for the Cream:

The fist things that you should do is to drain, rinse and chop the maraschino cherries. Set them aside. Combine the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and butter. Cream together thoroughly until smooth. Add cherries, mix well and use to frost the cake.

And I hear The Santa say: “YO! HO! HO! HOOOOO!!! MERRRYYYYY CHRISTMAS!!!”
Jonathan Is The Webmaster Of Quick Easy Recipes & Author Of A Famous Cookbook Called America’s TOP Secret Recipes. Also check his new website:Favorite Recipes Here!