Tuesday, October 4, 2011

breadsticks


2 1/2 cups flour
4 tsp. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cup milk
6 tbs. melted butter
4 tsp. sesame seeds

In a small bowl, combine first 4 ingredients. Gradually add milk and stir to form a soft dough.Turn onto a floured surface. Knead gently 3 to 4 times. Roll into a 20x5x1/2"rectangle. Cut into 24 breadsticks. Place butter in 2 13x9x2" pans. Put breadsticks in butter and turn to coat. Sprinkle with seeds.
Variations: Chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, etc. can be added, if desired. Add 2 tablespoons minced garlic and sprinkle with garlic powder before baking to make garlic bread sticks. Bake at 450°F for 14 to 18 minutes.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Power of a cucumber


WHAT A LITTLE GEM THE CUCUMBER IS, I WILL LOOK AT IT DIFFERENTLY NOW.
1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber.. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5 Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6.. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.
11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the
roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!
Pass this along to someone who is looking for better and safer ways to solve life's everyday problems..

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Homemade Marshmellows

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/homemade-marshmallows-2/

  • ¼ cups Cornstarch
  • ⅓ cups Confectioner's Sugar
  • 1 envelope (1 Oz. Packet) Unflavored Gelatin
  • ⅓ cups Water
  • ⅔ cups Granulated Sugar
  • ½ cups Light Corn Syrup
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
In a small bowl, sift together the cornstarch and confectioner’s sugar.
Lightly grease an 8″x8″ baking dish. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch/sugar mixture into the baking dish, tilting it this way and that to cover the bottom and sides. Leave the remaining cornstarch/sugar mixture in the baking dish.
In a small saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin into the water, and let soak for 5 minutes. Add the granulated sugar to the gelatin, stirring occasionally over medium low heat until the gelatin and the sugar dissolve completely.
Using a standing mixer, add to the bowl the gelatin mixture, corn syrup, salt, and vanilla, and beat on high speed for 15 minutes, until peaks form.
Spread the marshmallow mixture into your prepared pan (this is the sticky, sticky, sticky part, because I used my fingers to move the mixture in the pan). Smooth the top as best as you can. Now just let the mixture sit for 2 hours.
Using a wet knife, slide the knife around the edges to loosen, then cut into quarters.
Sprinkle the remaining cornstarch/sugar mixture onto a large baking sheet. Put the marshmallow quarters, top side down, onto the baking sheet. Cut each quarter into nine pieces, then roll each of those pieces into the cornstarch/sugar mixture, making sure to cover all sides. Place the marshmallows on a cake rack, then cover it all with paper towels to dry overnight (the surface of the marshmallows will be slightly dry at that time). I also put a paper towel under the cake rack to catch any of the cornstarch/sugar mixture.
Store the marshmallows in an airtight container. They’ll keep for up to a month … if they last that long!