Sugar-Free Chocolate Fondue: Delicious And Healthy

 By Lilith Richards 

Photo: http://thumbs.ifood.tv

For as much as you want to serve the best dessert, you also need to make sure that you do not only serve delicious dessert but a healthy one as well; and sugar-free chocolate fondue is one good example of it. By serving it, you need not to worry about any healthy issues at all, for it is proven to be safe. You can cut down the excess fats that you have without any hassle. You can also try to serve it with fruit slices as dippers and the best thing about it is that you can try to experiment other flavored extracts such as cheery, almond and even banana. For the complete list of ingredients and as well as the preparations, you can just read thoroughly the following things listed below.
To begin with, you need to prepare the necessary ingredients for your sugar-free chocolate fondue and they are as follow, 2/3 cup of dry unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 cup of milk, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and ½ cup of Splenda sugar substitute. You also need to be aware that the preparation time is only 5 minutes and the actual cooking requires only 10 minutes.
Now, the first thing that you need to do right after you have gathered all of the necessary ingredients for your chocolate fondue is it place the cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt and milk in a blender. You need to make sure that all of them are mixed evenly. You can pulse it until all is combined well enough. The next thing that you need to do is to pour mixture into a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. You then have to lower the heat and let it shimmer for at least 5 more minutes. You need to be sure that you keep on stirring it until it is thickened already. You have to remove it from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes while you occasionally stir it. You have to whisk in sugar substitute and then the vanilla. Stir all of those ingredients together until it had all dissolved and smooth.
The last thing that you need to do as you prepare the sugar-free chocolate fondue is to pour it into a fondue pot which is best in keeping it warm. You then need to serve with variety of fruits which will serve as your dippers. You can make 8 delicious servings using ¼ cup each.

Learn more about Chocolate Fondue

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How to Prepare Vegetables So Your Child Will Eat Them

 By Harriet Hodgson 

Photo: http://3.bp.blogspot.com

Children, especially young ones, have more sensitive taste buds than adults. They are also very aware of texture. If vegetables are slimy your child won't eat them. Overcooked vegetables, such as green beans that have been cooked until they are gray, are not appealing. If your child is going to eat vegetables, they must be cooked right.
Watch for seasonal vegetables like fresh asparagus. Steaming these vegetables retains their flavor. Frozen vegetables are packed with nutrition and you can cook them quickly in the microwave. Children like color and colorful combinations, such as green beans and orange carrots, are appealing.
According to the US Government's My Plate campaign, half of a dinner plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables. That's a lot. How can you meet this recommendation? First, you can have vegetables on hand. When you get home from the grocery store, cut up the vegetables and put them in plastic zipper bags. These tips will also encourage your child to eat vegetables.
Cut vegetables differently. Your child may ignore zucchini rounds. But if you slice the zucchini into thin ribbons like spaghetti, your child may eat this vegetables. Toddlers are put off by large pieces and will be more apt to try vegetables if they are cut into small pieces.
Pair new vegetables with familiar ones. What is your child's favorite vegetable? Maybe it is corn. To get your child to try a new vegetable, such as carrots, add it to corn. Strive for colorful, eye-catching combinations.
Perk up veggies with herbs. Sprinkle Italian herbs over vegetables just before serving. You may also sprinkle the vegetables with oregano, the herb that makes pizza taste and smell like pizza. The smell, alone, may entice your child.
Add zing with citrus. Children like to be involved. Put a lemon wedge next to the vegetables or salad on the plate and ask your child to squeeze juice over them. Lemon butter also adds zing to vegetables.
Serve vegetables with cheese sauce. Cheese sauce is easy to make. Your child will be tempted to eat broccoli, green beans, carrots, corn and other vegetables when they are combined with cheese sauce. Many reduced fat cheese are available. Use a cheese sauce mix if you're short on time.
Sneak vegetables into your child's favorite foods. Add grated carrots to spaghetti sauce, sloppy Joes, meat loaf, and soup. Pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store don't work as well as freshly grated ones. Other vegetables may be added as well.
Serve pasta-veggie combos. Whether they are long, short, curvy, straight, or shaped, children are nuts about noodles. To encourage your child to eat vegetables, combine them with his or her favorite pasta. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese over the combo before serving.
Make every casserole a veggie casserole. Instead of fixing plain scalloped potatoes, make scalloped carrots and potatoes. You may also add peas, green beans, carrots, asparagus and corn to hamburger casseroles.
The best way to get your child to eat vegetables is to eat them yourself. As the US Government advises on its My Plate website, "Set a good example for children by eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains with meals or as snacks."
Copyright 2011 by Harriet Hodgson

http://www.harriethodgson.com
Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 35+ years. Her 26th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from Amazon. Centering Corporation has published several of her books, including "Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life," a companion journal, "The Spiritual Woman: Quotes to Refresh and Sustain Your Soul," and "Happy Again! Your New and Meaningful Life After Loss."
Hodgson has two other new books, "101 Affirmations to Ease Your Grief Journey," and "Real Meals on 18 Wheels: A Guide for Healthy Living on the Highway," Kathryn Clements, RD, co-author. Please visit Hodgson's website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.

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5 Tips to Baking the Perfect Cupcakes

By Dan A Ray  

Photo: 1.bp.blogspot.com

With National cupcake week closing in on us, what better ay to celebrate than with a gorgeous baking experience in your own home? With that in mind here are my top 5 tips for baking the worlds most delicious cupcakes.
1) Choose a good recipe
Use either the internet or your selection of cupcake books (which all home bakers should have), my favourite book is from Magnolia Bakery in New York. Search for a recipe that jumps out at you, you will usually find at least 1 that really tickles your fancy.
The basic recipe for making 12 cupcakes is:
125g butter
125g caster sugar
125g self-raising flour
pinch of salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of milk
2) Perfect the mixture
A decent mixer can take a lot of the hassle out of creaming or mixing your cake mixture, it can be a great investment if you are a regular baker. You can also use it for any large batches that you need to make (I do this to fulfil large orders).
When food processors and kitchen machines were tested a well known comparison magazine, each machine was tested to see how well it mixed batter, including variables such as speed, how evenly it was mixed, the volume in which the cake rose during baking.
3) Use a good cooker
One of the most overlooked factors of making a great cupcake is the oven in which it is baked. You'll get the best results in a decent oven in which the temperature is distributed evenly. Otherwise some of your batch may be burned while others are left gooey and uncooked (believe me, I learned this from experience).
Choosing a good oven is essential, to test your oven you can bake several strips of shortbread scattered around your oven to test heat distribution along with a large sponge cake to test how well a cake will rise (in terms of how even it rises and browns). You will know if you have a great oven if your cake is perfectly shaped and browned nicely.
4) Decorations
A huge factor in how good your cupcakes are is the decorations, a good decoration can change the whole shape and perspective of your cakes. Try to make them look pretty but looks are completely secondary to taste. There is nothing more disheartening than seeing people eating your cakes and scraping off your icing.
5) Cupcake makers
You can get a great cupcake maker (similar to a waffle maker) your general cupcake make will make a dozen cupcakes. They are simple to use, most do not even have an on button, simply plug them in and pour in your mixture, then the machine will bake them (almost to perfection). They will take around 10 minutes to bake your cakes and the majority of people wont even notice that they are not home baked.
I have tried out several machines and they basically all do the same job. These are for the lazy cupcake maker and on the record I do not endorse them (off the record, they can be amazing).

And finally if you want more information about cupcakes Leeds you can get more quality info at or website Cupcakes Leeds.
Dan Ray

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Easy Cheese Un-Burger Recipe

 By Jessica Gerald 

Photo: squidoo.com

Here is a twist on the traditional cheeseburger. I don't know why, but making meat patties for hamburgers or cheeseburgers is a task I just don't like to do. So I have devised a simpler way to make them that tastes just as good.
Basically what I do is to take the amount of ground beef or turkey that I would use to make burgers and brown it, as if I was going to make sloppy Joes. Here is the recipe.
Ingredients
2 pounds of ground beef or turkey
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
Optional ingredients are barbecue sauce or ketchup, mustard, pepper
Water
Directions
I have found that one envelope of dry soup mix for every two pounds of ground meat is a pretty good ratio. The soup mix is fairly salty, so I usually don't add any extra salt.
Brown the ground meat in a skillet over medium to medium-low heat, stirring and mixing frequently. When meat is completely browned and cooked through, sprinkle the soup mix over it and stir in well. Add just enough water to moisten the soup mix and keep the meat from burning or getting too dry. You don't want it to be watery or runny like a sloppy Joe would be.
Turn the heat to low and simmer for five to ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
What I like to do is add just a little bit of barbecue sauce to the meat mixture as it simmers on low. You may want to add ketchup instead, a little drop of mustard and some pepper. Or you may just prefer to have the ground meat and the soup mix without any extras.
I let it simmer uncovered until most of the liquid is cooked out and it is nicely browned, being careful not to let it cook dry or get burned.
Serve on hamburger buns with a slice of cheese on top. Add your favorite extras, such as sliced tomatoes, pickles, or onions.
Another variation is to sprinkle shredded cheese on top of the meat in the skillet at the end of the cooking. Let it melt into the top of the meat and then serve onto the buns.
This recipe is also good if you are having a get-together with friends, or simply need to keep dinner warm for a while. Transfer it to the crockpot, set on low, and people can serve themselves when they want to.

Visit Easy Dinner Recipes for more recipes, cooking tips, and recipe e-books. http://www.easydinnerrecipes.org

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Vegetarian Baked Kibbee - A Must Try!

 By Shaw Rabadi 

Photo: 3.bp.blogspot.com

This dish is simply amazing for vegetarians. Period. It is tasty, flavorful, full of nutrient rich ingredients, and doesn't sacrifice that "hearty meal feel" whatsoever. This is a dish that you can play around with once you are comfortable with this recipe. Add or take away to suit your specific tastes and/or needs and make a dish to call your own.
Vegetarian Baked Kibbee BiSanieh
Ingredients:
− 2 cups minced onion
− 1 ½ cups chopped onions
− 3 tbsp olive oil
− 1 ½ cups fine bulghur wheat
− 1 medium eggplant
− 3 lbs. potatoes
− 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
− 1 tsp allspice
− ½ tsp sumac
− 2 tbsp chopped parsley
− ¼ cup cooked chick peas
− ¼ tsp cinnamon
− ½ cup cold water
− ½ cup pine nuts
− Salt to taste
Method:
Stuffing:
− Sauté 1 ½ cups chopped onions into 3 tbsp olive oil until tender.
− Add pine nuts until they turn light golden color.
− Add allspice, cinnamon, salt and pepper...mix well, remove from heat
− Add chickpeas and parsley to the sautéed onions and spices mixture, stirring well; set aside to cool.
− Peel eggplant and cut into long slices (¼ inch thick).
− Oil the base of a baking sheet and add a layer of eggplant brushed with olive oil and bake until soft and tender (8-10 minutes in 350° oven).
− Repeat this step to bake all of the remaining eggplant.
− Boil potatoes until firm yet tender.
− Peel and cut ½ of the cooked potatoes in to very small pieces.
Kibbe:
− Peel remaining potatoes and mash in processor.
− Add 1 tsp of oil and a splash of water to the potatoes to moisten.
− In a mixing bowl, soak bulgur wheat with enough water to dampen and set aside for 15 minutes.
− Mix mashed potatoes with minced onions, then combine with the new softened bulghur wheat and mix thoroughly.
− Work the mixture with your hands (clean hands of course) and then add the remaining spices and knead into a soft doughy mixture.
− Divide the mixture in half.
− Oil the bottom and sides of a 9 by 12 inch baking pan, spreading half the potato and bulgur mixture on the bottom.
− Place one or two layers (your preference) of baked eggplant over the mixture and sprinkle with sumac.
− Add the stuffing mixture, spreading evenly over the eggplant.
− Add the rest of the potato bulgur mixture, smoothing the top using a few drops of water.
− Score the top by cutting the layers into square or diamond shapes.
− Sprinkle with pine nuts.
− Bake in a preheated oven at 350° for 25 minutes.

Shaw H. Rabadi, restaurant owner/chef/author, invites you to Eat, Drink, and Be Mediterranean with him for a happier, healthier life!
Visit http://www.TheMediterraneanDigest.com for information on his newly released story-cookbook, "Savor the Spices of Life" and more info on eating, cooking, and living a heart healthier life.
Eat Better, Fresher, Smarter!

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Cauliflower Pizza Crust

By Andrea Wyn  

Photo: 1.bp.blogspot.com

A couple of times this week I made this fabulous cauliflower pizza crust. What is so great about this vegetable pizza is that it's a gluten free pizza crust and it can also easily be made as a delicious vegan pizza recipe.
I first heard of cauliflower pizza crust last week while at a class learning how to make regular pizza crust. I had my doubts but after making it and there not being a crumb left I knew this was a winner, and so easy to make!
Ingredients for this gluten free pizza crust:
About 1/2 lb of cauliflower
1 egg - to make it a vegan pizza recipe use 1/4 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon of oregano
1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese (For the vegans, I used Daiya cheddar cheese in my crust and then the mozzarella cheese for the topping.)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook the cauliflower until firm but not too soft. Let cool and then either grate it, blend it or place the cauliflower in a Cuisinart to finely chop it (also known as cauliflower rice). Should come out to 1 cup of cauliflower rice.
Place cauliflower rice in a bowl and mix it with the egg or egg substitute, oregano and 1 cup of cheese or cheese substitute. Note, I also chopped up some fresh spinach into the mixture to get a little extra vegetables! Mix ingredients well and then spoon it onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
You want to pat down the mixture on the baking sheet so that it is about the same depth of a regular pizza crust and form your cauliflower pizza crust dough into a round pie shape.
Bake your gluten free pizza crust in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes. You want the top of the crust brown with the sides crispy. Start watching the crust after about 15 minutes to be sure it gets brown and crunchy without burning.
Let the crust cool and then remove the parchment paper by sliding the cauliflower pizza crust onto the cookie sheet. Note, if the middle of the crust is a bit soft, you will need to use a large spatula to help transfer the crust off of the parchment paper.
To finish your pizza, add your favorite pizza sauce and toppings. (I used fresh chopped mushrooms, spinach and Daiya cheese to make this a vegan pizza recipe.)
Place the pizza back in the oven until cheese is melted and bubbling. Take out, plate and serve.
What I loved about this gluten free pizza crust is that it's light and healthy plus you are getting your vegetables!
Until next time, remember the Budget Bash mantra: make it simple, stylish, fun and economical for all!

Andrea Wyn is owner of A Wynning Event http://www.awynningevent.com, a Los Angeles wedding and special event management company. She is a marketing & special event planner with over 15 years of experience and for the past ten years, she has been the event planner for the Screen Actors Guild Awards(R). She has taken her knowledge and special event experience and written an easy-to-read book called Budget Bash http://www.budgetbashbook.com where you can find more ideas and helpful tips on event planning including menus, decor, budgets, timelines, florals and more.

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Bison Burger Recipe

 By Matt Brenner 

Photo: simplyrecipes.com

Cooking buffalo meat is not an easy task, as buffalo tends to be gamier and leaner than its common yet not so distant cousin the cow, or beef. Lean meat means more maintenance but the flavorsome reward is well worth the extra effort. In fact, in addition to being a delicious alternative to beef, buffalo meat is a more healthy food alternative, and is actually recommended by the American Heart Association.
If red meat is not often a choice in your household because of health factors, buffalo is a more practical option compared to beef, containing half the cholesterol and 80% less fat. It also has less fat than chicken or pork, as well as being an excellent source of protein, iron, and essential amino acids. There is about 10 grams of protein and less than 3% total fat in a small buffalo steak.
Preparation Time:
· 15 minutes
Cooking Time:
· Approximately 20 minutes
Ingredients:
· 2 lbs of ground lean Buffalo meat
· 2 teaspoons of Salt (sea salt preferably)
· 2 teaspoons of Pepper
· ½ teaspoon of Cayenne
· Four double-sided Cibatta Rolls (my favorite) or large burger buns.
*tip: remove the meat from the refrigerator 30 to 45 minutes before grilling
Preparation:
Each patty will be ½ pound. Form your patties into roughly 4-inch round diameters, or about 1.5 inches thick. Create a dip or depression of about a half-inch deep with your thumb in the middle of the burgers, as this will help keep your burgers moist during the cooking process.
Make sure your coals or wood are ready for cooking. Usually, I use coals or gas, though my preference would be wood or a campfire for the best results..
Place each burger on top of your choice of cooking device approximately 5 to 6 inches above the flame.
Once you have placed your burgers on the grill, sprinkle some salt, pepper and cayenne on top of each patty. The tried-and-true rule for sprinkling spices is less salt than pepper, and even less cayenne than salt.
Cook each side for roughly 7 minutes, repeating the sprinkling process on the other side.
When flipping your burger you may notice it starting to look somewhat too "well down". Do not panic, as the leanness of the meat will cook the outside quicker than you might be accustomed to. This, in turn, allows the inside to cook slower while helping the meat retain the natural moistures that swirl from within.
After approximately 7 minutes of cooking on the second side, place your cheese on top of the buffalo patty. Once the cheese has begun to melt, just enough that you begin to worry about cheese spillage, remove your burger from the grill. Allow your burger to sit for approximately 5 to 7 minutes before eating. During this time, you can prepare your bun, perhaps toasting it to a light golden-brown color or whatever your preference. After the burger has reached the desired temperature, remove the burger from the flame.

This bison burger (pictured here) can also be used in conjunction with the tasty honey BBQ recipe here, making it a Honey BBQ Bison Burger.

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