Cooking Brisket in the Oven - A Beginners Guide

Cooking brisket in the oven is a time consuming process, but also a very rewarding one. When your family and friends take their first bite of your delicious brisket, they will most definitely be asking you for the recipe. This article will make you a brisket cooking pro!

Did you know that at one time, brisket was considered a very poor quality meat? History has it, that two brothers from Germany, back in the 1950's decided to smoke up some leftover brisket they had. They left the brisket inside their smokehouse for an entire weekend. When they returned to work they sliced up the meat and served it to their customers. The meat was so flavorful and tender that it quickly became a hit.

I remember the first time I had the pleasure of eating beef brisket. It was at this fabulous little Barbecue Restaurant in Croton-On-Hudson, NY called Memphis Maes.

New York isn't known for its BBQ, so my wife and I were a bit skeptical. But after we took our first bite of the "Texas BBQ Beef Brisket", we became believers! My wife then looked at me and said , "You have to make this!" Not wanting to let the lovely wife down, I took it upon myself to try and recreate the BBQ brisket at home. I don't own a smoker, so I needed to improvise and cook the brisket in the oven.

Believe it or not, the oven makes a pretty darn good BBQ brisket. Many BBQ enthusiasts will tell you that a smoker is the only way to cook brisket, but I can tell you from experience this is simply not the case.

The secret to a good beef brisket is to cook it nice and slow at around 225 degrees for several hours. So if you are looking for a quick and easy meal tonight, cooking brisket in the oven is not the way to go.

You will have to prepare this particular recipe one day in advance and you will need to plan some extra time to cook the brisket as it takes several hours to finish cooking.

Lets Talk About Dry Rubs

There are a variety of different dry rub recipes you can use for your beef brisket. One such recipe is listed below. Don't be shy with your dry rub. You want to really coat the brisket well. Its not called a rub for nothing, so really rub those spices into the meat with your hands. After the rub has been applied put the brisket in the fridge and let it marinade over night.

DRY RUB

- 1/4 Cup Paprika
- 1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
- 2 Tbs Chili Powder
- 2 Tbs Kosher Salt
- 2 Tbs Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
- 1 1/3 Tbs Granulated Garlic
- 1 1/3 Tbs Granulated Onion
- 2 Tsp Ground Cumin

THE SAUCE

We need some type of liquid to slowly braise the brisket in the oven. Braising is an excellent way to cook brisket in the oven because it keeps the brisket moist and very tender.

What I do is mix some good quality store bought barbecue sauce with a little beef broth to thin it a bit. I like to use a smoke flavored barbecue sauce. To give it a little more smoky flavor, I also add a few drops of liquid smoke. This makes a very tasty braising liquid.

LETS START COOKING ALREADY!

Before we start cooking, lets do a little preparation.

Remove the brisket from the fridge and leave it on the counter for 30 minutes or so to allow it to come to room temperature.

Get yourself a baking dish with a tight fitting lid big enough to hold your brisket.

Mix equal parts of barbecue sauce and beef broth. I like to make enough so that the brisket is at least half submerged. Pour this mixture into your baking dish.

Pre-heat your oven to 225 Degrees.

Heat up a large pan over medium heat and add enough oil to cover the pan. Add the brisket to the pan and brown on all sides until it forms a nice crust.

Place the browned brisket into the baking dish with the braising liquid. Put the lid on and place it in the pre-heated oven.

About half way through the cooking process, flip the brisket over so that the other side has time to cook in the braising liquid.

The brisket is done when it is fork tender and has an internal temperature of around 185-200 degrees F. The amount of time it takes to cook a brisket in the oven really depends on the weight of the brisket. Figure 1 1/2 to 2 hours per pound of meat.

There you have it. My recipe for cooking brisket in the oven.

Make Any Cupcake Recipe Better With These 5 Healthy Cooking Tips

According to the media, millions of Americans are overweight. There are many diet plans aimed at helping people lose weight, but they all focus on an important fact--to lose weight, a person needs to decrease calories consumed. Staying on a diet plan can be a struggle, but the end result is worth the struggle. There are many ways to stay motivated while dieting, including not depriving yourself of your favorite treats. Cupcakes are a sweet indulgence that can be enjoyed while sticking to a healthy diet. Try these five tips for healthier cupcakes that will fit within your diet guidelines.

To enjoy cupcakes on a diet, try substituting healthier ingredients to cut calories and increase nutrients. For instance, use applesauce instead of oil, sugar substitute instead of regular sugar, and whole wheat flour instead of white flour. These changes will give your cupcakes a nutrient boost while cutting calories. If you are hesitant of these changes, try starting out by only substituting half of an ingredient until you get used to the flavor change.

Think outside of the flavor box and bake up a lighter batter. Try angel food cupcakes instead of chocolate. You can even flavor these cupcakes with cocoa to create a chocolate cupcake with a fraction of the calories a traditional chocolate cupcake would have. Other healthy flavor options include carrot cake, banana, zucchini, or raspberry. These flavors are delicious and allow you to indulge your sweet tooth while staying within your allotted calories.

If you just want a traditional cupcake, try miniature cupcakes. These can provide you with the taste and texture of cupcakes, but with fewer calories due to the small size. Miniature cupcakes can be packed in lunches, providing portion control while allowing you to have your sweet treat.

Frosting is a major source of calories on cupcakes. An easy way to lighten up cupcakes is to eliminate frosting. For vanilla or angel food cupcakes, try sprinkling the top of the cupcake with a dusting of cocoa powder. This will add a hint of chocolate without adding many calories. Another healthy frosting alternative is a homemade cream cheese frosting. By creating this frosting from scratch you are able to use reduced-fat cream cheese, thereby reducing calories. This cream cheese frosting can be flavored with canned pineapple tidbits, crushed strawberries, or whichever fruit that you prefer.

The last tip for creating healthier cupcakes is adding nutrients. While mixing cupcake batter, try folding in shredded zucchini or mashed bananas. This creates moist cupcakes with added vitamins. Adding a few tablespoons of flaxseed or protein powder will not noticeably change the flavor of cupcakes, but will increase the nutrients. Adding healthy nutrients to cupcakes will not decrease the calorie count, but will make your cupcakes a healthier alternative for a sweet treat.

Eating healthy foods does not have to mean depriving yourself. It is easy to make changes to a recipe in order to have the recipe fit your dieting needs. Cupcakes are a fun way to celebrate special occasions and can be a part of a healthy diet, if they are modified to your dietary needs and eaten in moderation.

Appetizer Recipes for the Super Bowl - Game Time Meatballs

Prepare these tasty meatballs early in the morning, and by game time they'll be ready to go.

1 cup milk

3/4 cup quick cooking oats

3 tablespoons onion, finely chopped

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1-1/2 pounds ground beef

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup water

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

In a bowl, combine the milk, oats, onion and salt. Crumble the beef over the mixture and mix together well. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place balls into a 5-quart slow cooker.

In another bowl, combine the ketchup, water,vinegar and the sugar; mix well. Pour over meatballs. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or until the meat is no longer pink.

Hot Bacon Cheese Dip

This appetizer is packed with cheese and bacon flavor. It's a real people pleaser.

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, cubed

4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup half and half cream

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dried minced onion

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

16 bacon stips, cooked and crumbled

Tortilla chips and/or French bread slices

Directions

In a 1-1/2-quart slow cooker, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, cream, Worcestershire sauce, minced onion and mustard. Cover and cook for 2 hours or until the cheeses are melted; stirring occasionally.

Stir in the bacon just before you're ready to serve. Serve with warm tortilla chips and/or French bread slices.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

This is an easy to prepare finger food made with mushrooms, Italian sausage, spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese.

24 large mushrooms

1 pound bulk Italian sausage

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

1 cup spaghetti sauce

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 15x10-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Cut stems from mushrooms and set the mushroom caps aside. Chop up the mushroom stems and set aside.

In a skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until brown. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon.

Saute the onions and mushroom stems in the pan drippings. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and the sausage. Stuff mixture into mushroom caps. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.

Place caps inside the prepared baking dish. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Cooking With Xylitol - The Healthy All Natural Sweetener

Whether you're a dieter or a diabetic, your days of waving away the dessert tray are over, thanks to Xylitol, a natural sweetener that can be used as a stand-in for sugar in virtually any recipe that satisfies your sweet tooth. 

In 2003, nutritionist Karen Edwards wrote an entire Xylitol cookbook -- "Sweeten Your Life the Xylitol Way" -- and three years later unveiled an expanded version containing more than 100 recipes for cookies, cakes, pies, even ice cream and condensed milk, adapted to suit the tastes of those who crave carbohydrates but have concerns about sugar content.

Xylitol, a sweetener that occurs naturally in plants and in small amounts in human tissue, is sold in granulated form and has the sweetness of sugar, but contains roughly 40 percent fewer calories and produces neither the insulin spike of sugar nor the aftertaste of artificial sweeteners like Splenda and aspartame.

Because Xylitol and sugar react similarly to heat, Xylitol can substitute for sugar in cooking and baking on essentially a one-to-one ratio. But experts recommend starting with a smaller amount of Xylitol and adjusting to taste. In recipes calling for white flour, a good rule of thumb is to use a half-cup of Xylitol where you would normally use one cup of sugar and gradually add more until the batter is sweet enough.

Yeast bread is the exception to the rule, however. The same chemical compound that inhibits the production of harmful microorganisms in the mouth has the same effect on the microorganisms in yeast, making Xylitol unsuitable for use in baking yeast-based breads.

Cooking in the Caribbean

Caribbean cooking introduces all visitors to some truly distinctive flavors through the addition of spices and other ingredients like mangoes, coconut, lime, cassava, papaya, yam, guava, and peppers. Surprisingly, the use of limes in Caribbean cooking among the natives is not all that different from the way it is used in the United States. Lime is one of the most popular ways of marinating fish and a popular dish is Ceviche, which is seafood cooked with the aid of citric juices and seasoned with herbs and onions. Caribbean cooking is not merely delicious it is also unique from one island to another. Each island has developed its own style and technique of cooking food and the food in the Caribbean is as varied as the experience from island to the next.

The Bahamas is known for the conch recipes.

Cuba is famous for black beans and rice.

Jamaica is the home of jerk cooking and seasoning.

Barbados means fried fish and cou cou.

Puerto Rico comes closer to home with chicken and rice.

The French Caribbean is known for its cerole dishes and many similar French cooking methods.

Trinidad is the land of curries.

All Caribbean cooking involves herbs and spices of various types for seasoning. One such ingredient is tamarind that is in many ways similar to Worcestershire sauce in taste because it too has tamarind as one of the major ingredients. In fact, the use of spices in Caribbean cooking is truly diverse and amazing. Nutmeg flavors the desserts in the United States but in the Caribbean, this spice is mixed with other spices that are natively grown on the islands and this makes for a totally different flavor in Caribbean cooking. The jerk cooking of Jamaica gets its flavor from allspice while the island of Cayman has a chocolate cake recipe that includes some spicy peppers.

There are many common forms of spices used in Caribbean cooking but the trick is that though you will recognize flavors as a familiar taste the cooking will be subtle enough to feel unique to your taste buds. Caribbean cooking is full of delectable sauces that are made of sweet fruits like mango, papaya, and orange with spicy hot peppers. Dipping sauces in Caribbean cooking are made from mango, chili peppers, and melon.

In Caribbean cooking, coconut milk is the basis of several stews and sauces.

Last, and by no means the last, is the most favorite ingredient of Caribbean cooking that is used in marinades, desserts, sauces, and soups - rum.

How to Find Microwave Oven Recipes

Cooking in a microwave oven is a fast, easy way to prepare a large number of foods. Microwave cooking requires less oil and water than many other methods of cooking, and you'll keep more of the nutrients, too. For instance, spinach that's been cooked in a microwave oven keeps almost all the folate that was originally present.

Folate is a vital nutrient, also known as vitamin B9. It prevents anemia in pregnant women, and it helps us with cell division and correct DNA division. If you cook spinach on the stove, it could lose almost eighty percent of this nutrient. Foods that may develop carcinogenic materials than cooked on the stove, like bacon, develop many fewer of these substances when cooked in the microwave, too.

However, finding good microwave cooking recipes can be challenging. There are lots of recipes out there, but they won't all work for your oven, or turn out well. It takes some work to collect a set of high quality microwave oven recipes that taste good and are good for you. Fortunately, there are ways to sift through the vast number of microwave recipes out there and find the good ones. Here are some tips.

There are a number of different places you can start looking for microwave oven recipes. There are lots to be found online, or you could check cooking magazines and microwave cooking books from your library or bookstore. If you've never done much more than heat up a TV dinner in your microwave, start with a relatively simple recipe. Different microwaves require different things while cooking, so you'll have to learn yours. If you have the manual available, that will help a lot.

Once you've found a recipe that you think you'd like to try, examine it closely. See if you can find out what oven wattage the recipe is intended for. Many microwave oven recipes are made for a seven hundred watt oven. However, microwave ovens vary between around three hundred and fourteen hundred watts. Cooking a recipe meant for a different wattage could result in an under or over cooked food item.

If your recipe is meant for a different oven, look online for a conversion chart that'll tell you what kind of cooking time changes to make in order to prevent problems. If you don't know what your oven wattage is, there are charts to help you find that, too. They're based on how long it takes to boil water. Once you know your oven's power, you'll have a lot more control over cooking.

Oven features can be important when it comes to finding microwave oven recipes that'll work with your machine, too. For instance, while many microwaves now come with turntables that let food cook evenly, not all models have these. If your oven doesn't turn food automatically, you'll need to stop at various points during the cooking process to rotate it. That will keep your food from having some spots that are overcooked and others that are underdone or even cold.

Remember that while cooking in your microwave requires a lot less oil or water, these agents can affect the flavor and texture of food. Be prepared for a very low fat or low moisture microwave recipe to taste or feel a little different than a conventionally cooked one. You may wish to adjust recipes after you've tried them initially. The more experience you get with microwave cooking, the better you'll get at deciding the best way to change a recipe.

Chicken Wings Recipes For Home Cooking Experience

Chicken Wings Recipes are the one of the fastest and famous dish among children. Here are below 3 easy and fast ways to cook them. For food lovers, here is a very exciting way to do home cooking and to eat as you like with little money spend.

Hot Chicken Wings Recipe

Ingredients:

1 x Oil for frying (optional)

1/2 cup of Melted butter

2 1/2 lb of Chicken wings

6 oz of Tabasco sauce or hot sauce

Instructions:

At the joints, separate the wings into two parts. Fill a large pan with half oil then heat it up to 360F. For about 10-15 minutes fry the wings until it becomes crispy. Heat the oven to 450F before you start cooking. Display the wings on a baking sheet and let it cook until 45 minutes.

For the sauce, mix up the hot sauce or Tabasco together with melted butter and mix it thoroughly. When the chicken are ready, cover it with the sauce you have just prepared above, and serve as quickly as possible.

Serves: 2-6 people

Mandarin Chicken Wings Recipe

Ingredients:

20 Chicken wings

3 Eggs

6 tb Water

Cooking oil

1 cup of Sugar

1 1/2 cup of Cornstarch

1/2 cup of Catsup

1/2 cup of Slivered almonds, walnuts

1/4 cup of Water

1/8 teaspoon of Garlic salt

1/8 cup of Soy sauce

3/4 cup of Vinegar

Remove the tips and split the wings at first joint. Clean it well with water and dry it on a paper towel and put some garlic salt on it. Combine eggs, water and cornstarch; turn it into a kind of soft batter. Deep fry the wings in oil after dipping the wings into the batter.

For the sauce, in a pan, cover all wings equally. Mix up water, soy sauce, sugar, catsup, vinegar and boil them all together and at random turn the mixture. As the mixture thicken , on a medium heat add the wings and cook them. Stir in way that all wings are covered totally with the sauce.

Honey Chicken Wings Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup of Honey

1 Garlic clove crushed

1/2 cup of Soy sauce

2 lb Chicken wings, disjointed & tips discarded

2 tablespoon of Ketchup

2 tablespoon of Vegetable oil

Freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees then with pepper, season the chicken. In a cooking dish, place the chicken. Mix together soy sauce, honey, ketchup, garlic and oil until well mix together. Cover the chicken with the mixture. Cook for about 40-50 minutes until the wings are cook and the sauce is thick.

Rainbow Trout Recipes

Below you will find three wonderful recipes for rainbow trout. Trout are delicious, when cooked properly. These recipes turn out very well, and Rainbows cooked using any of them are delicious. Enjoy.

Baked Rainbow Trout

2-3 trout

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1½ teaspoons seasoned salt

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion-thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic

1 large tomato, thinly sliced

4 teaspoons white wine

Spray 13x9 inch pan with liquid shortening. Arrange fish in pan and sprinkle with parsley, lemon juice and salt. Heat oil in small skillet: fry onion and garlic till limp. Pour over fish. Place tomato on fish and pour wine over fish. Bake 350 degrees 30-45 minutes. Serves 2-3.

Grilled Trout

6 small trout

Salt or seasoning for fish

Prepare trout: rub with oil and sprinkle with salt or seasoning. Place in fish basket if available or place on preheated grill rack and cook for about 15 minutes, turning as needed. Option: Rinse trout under cold water and stuff with lemon wedges and onions. Wrap in foil and cook on hot charcoal or gas grill for 6 minutes on each side. Do not overcook. Open foil and, with back of fish facing you, remove skin. There is a line
down the middle dividing the back meat and the belly meat. With fork,
Pull the back meat toward you and belly meat away from you and remove bone.
Squeeze on fresh lemon. Salt and pepper as needed.

Rainbow Trout with Artichoke Heart

6 Rainbow Trout fillets

1/2 cup butter

4 tbsp. green onion, chopped

2 tbsp. parsley, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. lemon juice

8 oz. can of sliced mushrooms, drained

14 oz can artichoke hearts, sliced, and drained

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Pat rainbow trout fillets with a paper towel and place in flat baking dish. Melt butter in sauce pan and sauté the green onions, parsley and garlic until tender. Add lemon juice, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until heated thoroughly. Pour sauce over the filets and bake in 325 degree F oven for about 18 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. Serves 4.

Cooking with Applesauce

When I think of applesauce I think of a childhood memory. My mom used to buy the applesauce with cinnamon in it. Until I was a teen, I thought all applesauce was dark in color and had a cinnamon flavor. I still smile when I see the small servings of cinnamon flavored applesauce in the market, knowing that other moms are also giving their kids this yummy treat.

I love to use applesauce when cooking. I'll share a few recipes that I enjoy using applesauce:

Cookies Made with Applesauce

2 3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup applesauce

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 -3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 small package chocolate chips (I always prefer milk chocolate)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cloves

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Drop dough by level tablespoonfuls two inches apart on an un-greased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees or until done.

And what about Applesauce Chicken?

1 fryer, cut up into 8 pieces

1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook about 5 minutes. Onion should be soft. Add applesauce, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is slightly thickened.

Arrange chicken in casserole dish. Pour most of the sauce over the chicken leaving enough to baste once during cooking. Bake in 350 degree oven until chicken is done.

I love quick breads. These are loafs made in a loaf pan, without yeast. They are quick and easy to make and require no rising time.

Applesauce Bread

2 1/2 cups Bisquick

1 cup applesauce

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

Note: Try both sweetened and unsweetened applesauce. Try Splenda, instead of sugar. Try cinnamon applesauce and omit the teaspoon of cinnamon. If you like nuts, add some chopped up nuts to the recipe. There are so many variations on making this quick bread.

Mix all ingredients together. Beat well, medium speed about 2 minutes. Pour into loaf pan and cook about 55 minutes at 350 degrees. Insert toothpick into center of cake. Toothpick should come out clean.

Enjoy these 3 recipes, using applesauce as a main ingredient.

Bon Appetite!!

Grandma Hystad's Recipes, Cooking, Cleaning, Tips, Bar Mixes

To save space on your computer, make a few files and name them
Recipes, Cooking Tips, Cleaning Tips, Bar mixes. You can
then copy and paste only articles you would like to save.

GANDMA’S WRAPPED TURKEY

TURKEY ROASTING TIME

AUNT PAT’S BUTTER TARTS

MOM’S MINCEMEAT COOKIES

LIGHT SIDE

TIPS FOR CLEANING, WARNING

BAR MIXES

NON-ALOHLIC DRINK

RESPONSIBLE DRINKING

SAVE, EARN TOP MALLS

MYFRIENDLY HOST

MERRY CHRISTMAS

GANDMA’S WRAPPED TURKEY

Place dressed turnkey, breast up in centre of greased, wide,
heavy foil. Bring ends of foil up over breast. Overlap fold
and press up against ends of turkey. Place bird in shallow pan.
Open foil last 20 minutes to brown. Bake at 450 F, (230 C)
according to time table.

Weights Roasting Times

Ready To Cook Weight Roasting Time

8 – 10 lbs 2 ¼ - 2 ½ hours

10 – 12 lbs 2 ½ - 3 hours

14 – 16 lbs 3 – 3 ¼ hours

18 – 20 lbs 3 ¼ - 3 ½ hours

22 – 24 lbs 3 ½ - 3 ¾ hours

AUNT PAT’S FAVOURITE BUTTER TARTS

1/3 cup ………………………(80 ml) …………………butter

1 cup………………………………(250 ml)…………………brown sugar

2 tablespoons…………(30 ml)……………………milk or cream

1/3 cup……………………….(80 ml)……………………currants

1 egg beaten well

1 teaspoon……………….(5 ml)………………………vanilla

Mix all ingredients together. Put in unbaked tart shells.
Bake at 450 F, (230 C),for 8 minutes. Turn down to 350 F,
(175 C), and cook until brown.

MOM’S MINCEMEAT COOKIES

¾ cup…………………………………(185 ml)…………………shortening

1 ½ cups…………………………(375 ml)…………………sugar

3 eggs beaten

3 cups………………………………(750 ml)…………………flour

¾ teaspoon……………………(3.75 ml)………………salt

1 teaspoon………………….(4 ml)…………………..soda

1 cup…………………………………(250 ml)……………….canned mincemeat

3 tablespoons………….(45 ml)…………………water

1 cup…………………………………(250 ml)…………………walnuts

Cream, sugar and shortening. Then add eggs. Sift flour, salt,
and soda together. Add to creamed mixture. Add mincemeat and
water. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Add nuts and stir. Drop
from teaspoon onto well greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350F,
(175 C), for 10-15 minutes.

YIELD: 4-5 dozen cookies
TIME: 1 hour

GRANDMA’S WHIPPED SHORT BREAD COOKIES

1 pound………………….(500 g)…………………….butter or margarine

3 cups…………………….(750 ml)……………………flour

1 cup……………………….(250 ml)………………..icing sugar

Beat with mixer until creamy. Drop on cookie sheet and bake
at 350 F, (175 C), until slightly brown.

YIELD: makes approximately 5 dozen cookies

CALORIES: approximately 80 calories per cookie

TIME: 1 hour (includes cooking and cleaning time)

LIGHT SIDE

A fellow finds himself in front of st. Peter at the golden gate.
St. Peter explains it is not easy to get to heaven. There are
some criteria before entry.

He asks the guy are you religious? Gave money to the church? Gave
money to the poor? Help his neighbour?

The fellow answers “no”.

Peter says, “look, work with me, I am trying to help you, think”.

The fellow says, ”Well, I came out of a store and found this old
lady surrounded by a dozen bikers. They were shoving her around,
and abusing her. I got so mad I threw my grocery bags down, fought through the crowd, and got her purse back. After helping her to her feet, I went to the biggest, baddest biker and told him how despicable, cowardly, and mean he was. Then I spat in his face.”

“Wow”, said peter, “ That’s very impressive. When did this happen”?

“oh, about five minutes ago”, replied the fellow.

Guide to Introduction of Solids For Infants.

4 to 6 months

Iron-enriched infant cereal

(Provides a dietary source of iron to avoid depletion of infant’s
iron stores)

6 to 9 months

Pureed vegetables. Pureed and juices.

(provides dietary source of vitamins, minerals and energy.
Introduces new food flavours and starts setting basis for
Good eating habits).

Pureed meat,fish and poultry. Egg yolk. Yoghurt, cottage cheese
Pureed well-cooked legumes (i.e. beans, peas, lentils)
(Provides additional protein, vitamins, and iron for rapid growth).

Dried bread products e.g.rusks.

(Encourages chewing when teeth erupt)

TIPS FOR CLEANING WITHOUT TOXIC CHEMICALS

WARNING: Never, MIX BLEACH AND AMMONIA TOGETHER, THE FUMES CAN BE DEADLY.

Commercial cleaning supplies can aggravate your allergies and have long terms effects on your health. You can save on your house-cleaning bill with very good results using less toxic substances.

Ø Ammonia – cuts grease, cleans windows, Strip wax off floors.

Ø Baking soda – cleans, deodorizes, polishes, and removes stains.

Ø Bleach – whitens practically anything, removes mould and mildew.

Ø Cornstarch – cleans and deodorizes carpets and rugs.

Ø Lemon juice – cuts grease and stains on aluminium and porcelain.

Ø Ketchup – cleans copper.

Ø Vegetable oil – good furniture polish.

Ø Washing soda – cuts grease and disinfects.

White vinegar – cleans windows, shines metal surfaces.

Grout: ammonia, vinegar, water softener and water.

Clean Runners: ammonia.

Furniture Polish: turpentine, vinegar, boiled linseed oil.

Remove Lime Scale from Kettles etc: vinegar and water.

Clean Plastic Wrap From Toasters, Kettles: nail polish and acetone.

BAR MIXES

After Dinner Special

1 ½ oz. apricot brandy

1 ½ oz. Curacao

2 oz. limejuice

Combine with ice; shake. Strain.

Add a twist of lime and ice.

Drop in the peel.

Can-Am Flyer

1 ½ oz, Barcardi

1 ½ tsp. Limejuice

1 pinch sugar

Champagne

Combine the rum, juice and sugar with ice.

Shake. Strain; fill the glass with champagne.

Non-alcoholic Drink

Christmas Juice Punch

2 quarts apple juice

2 quarts cranberry juice

8 oz. lemon juice

8 oz. sugar

2 bottles ginger ale

Combine everything except the ginger ale.

Stir well. Add ginger ale plus chunks of ice before serving.

RESPONSIBLE DRINKING

If you have teenagers, or in fact any adult, impress on them
the risks of driving while intoxicated. Statistics demonstrate
many fatal road accidents are caused by drunk drivers.

If you're having a Christmas party, provide food with drinks. Offer non-alcoholic substitutes such as fruit, soft drinks.

2 drinks taken within an hour by a person 100 pounds produces a
.075 reading. One drink is equal to about 1.5 oz. of whisky or 2
bottles of beer. The rate of elimination for each hour after drinking has stopped is 015. A 200 pound person, after 1 drink produces a reading of .019, so you can see there is a big difference due to weight.

As a host it is your duty to make sure no one leaves your party impaired.
Have some one drive them home.

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has reasonably rates, is very helpful and really is a friendly
helpful Person.

Thank you for being with me 2005. A very sincere Merry Christmas,and hope 2006 will be one of your best .

Bruce

Cooking Recipe - Camper's Succulent Barbecued Lamb Recipe With Pita Bread and Fresh Mint Salad

You are on your camping holiday. You're cooking over a barbeque. Let's say, you're putting on the burgers. Now, do you ever think to yourself, what are the ingredients that make up these burgers?

We have all seen on the packets of burgers the list of E numbers and preservatives. Also do you ever wonder how old and how good is the quality of the meat?

What better way of knowing the quality of the meat than to make the burgers fresh yourself. That way you know they are made from the freshest meat. Of course there will be no artificial colors or preservatives. They'll be packed with all the proteins and vitamins that fresh meat provides.

Here is a quick and simple recipe for lamb patties (small burgers) using fresh lean minced lamb. This is accompanied with a fresh and tasty mint salad inside a wonderful wholemeal Pita pocket.

Ingredients: Serves 4

1Kg fresh lean minced lamb
60g finely chopped fresh parsley
1 medium onion finely chopped
25g finely chopped fresh mint
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 egg
Salt and pepper

Mint Salad

4 small ripe tomatoes
20g whole fresh mint leaves
1 small red onion finely sliced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Method

Place the lamb, parsley, mint, onion, garlic and egg into a large bowl. Knead all the ingredients together while adding salt and pepper for seasoning. The use of the egg is to bind the ingredients together while adding extra protein and vitamins to the meal.

Shape the mixture into eight small patties and leave until you have made the mint salad. To make the Mint Salad first slice the tomatoes into thin rings. Place them in a bowl along with the sliced red onion, whole mint leaves, olive oil and lemon juice. Using a spatula or large spoon gently turn over the salad. Add salt and pepper for seasoning at the same time. Stop when the salad is evenly coated with the olive oil and lemon juice.

Once the salad is prepared brush on the patties a little olive oil both sides to stop them sticking to the hot barbeque grill. Place the patties on the barbeque and cook on each side for approximately 3-4 minutes. Make sure there is a nice brown crust on the bottom before you turn. Otherwise it may fall apart.

Put the wholemeal Pita breads on the barbeque only for a few seconds to brown both sides. Using wholemeal Pitas gives the meal an extra higher fibre content than using ordinary white pitas. Once browned take off the pitas and cut in half. Open them up and place inside them a little salad. Add a lamb pattie and then a little more salad.

If you like natural yogurt, it is a great compliment as a dressing. It is also good for your digestive system because natural yogurt has good bacterial properties. This cooking recipe is rich in nutrients. It has protein, vitamins, iron, minerals and good bacteria for the digestive system. A truly wholesome meal for the whole family. Enjoy.