"Easy as apple pie" - how many times have you heard that? Well now you can make make apple pie like a pro and not have a nervous breakdown in the process! Here are my top ten tips for making the perfect apple pie every time.
1) Apples! Apples! Apples! The most important part of the apple pie is obviously the apples. If you are lucky and live in an area with apple groves then pick a combination of tart and sweet apples and put them in a pie within 24 hours. If you live nowhere near an apple grove I recommend Granny Smith apples for your pie. The tartness combined with the sweetness of the sugar/cinnamon mixture creates an amazing taste. Another combination that works great is McIntosh and Cortland apples but only if the apples are fresh.
2) Don't burn the crust. When baking an apple pie, one of the big problems is burnt edges of the crust. To prevent this problem cover the edges of your pie with tin foil. But don't scrunch it down around the sides. Because the foil reflects the heat, the pastry edges may end up under baked. Or, you can actually purchase an edge guard at your local kitchen supply store that is placed over the edges of the pie to protect them from burning.
3) Taste the apples! Once you add your cinnamon/sugar mixture taste test your apples. Do not be afraid to add more brown sugar and cinnamon to your mixture. You can't spoil something good by adding something good to it!
4) Extra weight is a good thing!! If you bake your pie shell prior to adding the apple filling the pie shell might inflate. To prevent this from happening add dry beans to the bottom of the shell prior to placing it in the oven. Or you can actually purchase weighted beads that can be placed in the bottom of the shell to prevent the pastry from rising.
5) A mountain of apples is a good thing. Always prepare more apples than you think you will need. Make a mountain in the pie shell when you add the apples. Stretch the top pie crust over the mountain of apples as best you can. You will find while the pie bakes the mountain of apples will deflate. You will be left with a pie that has a sufficient amount of apples. Without the mountain you may end up with a caved in pie and few apples per slice.
6) The garnish: Ice cream. Don't forget to offer ice cream with each slice of pie. Be imaginative. Vanilla ice cream is the standard scoop to add to a slice of apple pie. Try cinnamon or butter pecan ice cream instead. Cookies and Cream ice cream works very well, as does Pistachio and Peach ice cream.
7) Apple Pie with a twist! Instead of the standard apple pie, look for variations of the recipe. Try Dutch Apple pie or French Apple pie or apple pie combinations like Rhubarb/Apple or Cranberry-Raisin-Apple pie.
8) Caramel yum!! Instead of ice cream, drizzle melted caramel over your apple pie. This gives your pie an added sweetness that will impress your family and friends.
9) Sweetness other than sugar. If you do not think your apples are sweet enough but you do not want to add sugar, try 1tbsp lemon juice, some finely grated lemon zest, and 2 tbsp melted apple jelly. The addition of the jam adds a special sweetness to the pie.
10) Pretty as a picture. The top of the apple pie must be vented with a few slices of the knife through the top pie shell. Instead of simple slits add a pattern or pretty decoration. Cut your loved one's initials in the pie shell, or a heart, or star. Your imagination is the limit!
Labels: Baking
2009 Camp Harlam Red Team Ridding hood Here are the lyrics: Red Little Red Riding Hood Fight Song 2nd Session 2k9 By: Strabe Geisfeld, Ali Esher, Fosh Jendrick, Rric Eowling (Carmina Burana) (1-2-3) Red Riding Hood! (stomp) Walks through the woods, (stomp) To bring cookies to Grandma! (stomp) Maccabi-tales, (stomp) Two thousand nine, (stomp) Other teams, dont waste our time! (stomp) Hudes and Farber, (stomp) And Liz Asher, (stomp) This wars alreeeeaaady overrr! (Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler) [Chorus:] (Piano: 1-2) We are the Red Team! (fist pump) (pause) We are Red Riiiiding Hood, and we cant be beat! Our basket is packed, Weve got hoods on our head, And weve made sure that bad wolf is dead! We are the Red Team! (fist pump) Farber, Huuuudes and Asher will show us the way! Ha Mishpacha, We love our Grandma, And well win Color War on this day! [Verse 1:] Goldi-locks and the three bears, Your team is going down, Tom David - whats with your hair? Is something dead in there? Carolyn Strum welcome Sarah to the G- Unit, G-Unit stands for the gold team, On to the chorus! [Chorus:] We are the Red Team! (fist pump) (pause) We are Red Riiiiding Hood, and we cant be beat! Our basket is packed, Weve got hoods on our head, And weve made sure that bad wolf is dead! We are the Red Team! (fist pump) Farber, Hudes and Asher will show us the way! Ha Mishpacha, We love our Grandma, And well win Color War on this day! [Verse 2:] Blue team Hansel and Gretel Why are you so stupid ...
Old Wives In The Kitchen - Age-Old Advice That Works - And Some That Doesn't!
0 comments Posted by Dehaas at 8:53 AMMost people love food, whether they admit it or not. And lots of us don't mind a drop of nostalgia now and then too. Combine the two and you've got a recipe for one of those "I remember my Granny making the most delicious apple pie from the fruit tree in the garden" kind of moment. In fact there are loads of old wives' tales about food, and we're not the only ones interested in them.
Doctors and various other experts are all digging up old sayings and brandishing them on the internet and in newspapers and magazines. Traditional wisdom is suddenly cool, or at least worth a second look. And lots of the advice concerns food and drink! Whether it's chicken soup for colds (surprisingly, it works) or beer to encourage a nursing baby (please don't try this at home), there is something for everyone.
So, did our mothers and grandmothers know more than we give them credit for when it comes to eating? Let's see...
Alcohol affects women more than men - true. Women don't have as much alcohol-metabolising enzyme as men do; they retain more alcohol in their bloodstreams and stomachs. So a man and a woman of similar size can drink the same amount, but the effect on the woman will be greater and last longer - drink sensibly girls!
An apple a day keeps the doctor away - true. Apples are full of antioxidants (and fibre) and may lower our risk of breast and colon cancer, as well as keeping us away from the doctor.
Eating cardamom cures garlic breath - true. This does seem to work, chew a whole cardamom pod until only the husk remains and then spit it out (discreetly).
Eating carrots improves your eyesight - true and false. Carrot consumption won't prevent night blindness but it can help reduce the chance of age-related macular degeneration.
Chocolate gives you acne - false. No foodstuff has been proven to trigger acne, which is caused by blocked pores, but eating too much chocolate will make you fat.
Coffee stunts your growth - false. Coffee doesn't affect growth but too much caffeine can prevent you from absorbing calcium and some other nutrients.
Cranberry juice prevents cystitis - true. Cranberries inhibit the spread of the bacteria that cause cystitis, by preventing them from clinging to your bladder, as do blueberries.
Eat your crusts, they're good for you - true. Bread crusts contain eight times more antioxidants than the rest of the loaf. But eating them won't make your hair curly or your teeth whiter.
Fish is brain food - true. Fish and seafood contain omega-3 and zinc, which are linked to slowing the rate of cognitive decline, so try to eat fish once or twice a week.
It's better to eat fruit on its own or after a meal - true. Fruit is digested more quickly than other foods, so eating it during a meal may cause it to begin fermenting in your colon - which can cause bloating and flatulence.
Eating grapefruit will increase your metabolism and burn fat - false. No food burns fat, but grapefruit is low in calories and full of nutrients.
If you swallow gum it takes seven years to digest - false. It goes straight through your system, along with any other non-food foreign bodies.
Oysters are the food of love - true and false. Oysters don't boost libido but they are rich in zinc, which can aid fertility in both men and women.
Red wine is good for you - true and false. Red wine can stop arteries clogging, but that doesn't mean you can imbibe gallons - one a glass a day is all you need - and red rather than white.
Spicy foods cause ulcers - false. Bacterial infections or overuse of certain medicines cause ulcers, not spicy food, although spices may aggravate an existing ulcer.
Spinach makes you strong - false. Spinach does contain iron, but it also contains oxalic acid which discourages iron absorption.
Eating sweets and snacks rots your teeth - true and false. It depends what you're eating, the stickier it is the longer it hangs around on your teeth and gums, which gives tooth-destroying acids a chance to form. Things like hard sugar candy and chocolate shouldn't cause tooth decay, as they are easily washed out of your mouth by saliva. But eat crackers, biscuits, cookies, peanut butter, toffees, sugar-coated cereals and other more "claggy" snacks and you should brush your teeth sooner rather than later!
Water hydrates you better than other drinks - false. There is no significant difference in the hydrating properties of water, coffee, tea or soft drinks - they all contain mostly water anyway. But sugary or fizzy drinks won't help your teeth or your waistline.
Remarkably, half of the 22 adages above actually are based on facts. So Granny really did know her onions!
For a health-boosting supper tonight you could try some baked fish with carrots and a warm crusty roll on the side, maybe with a glass (just one!) of red wine. And if you feel peckish later, how about a fruit salad of apples and berries? Your Mum will be so proud of you...
Showing you the right way to make pumpkin sugar cookies. Make sure you follow the recipe exactly as we do it.
MY GRAD IN 28 and a half HOURS ! :D i just got fake nails put on :D its kinda hard to type bc theyre so long ahah so please dont blame me for typos or anything :p Dallas; DEM WE ALL DO. DEMI; *RUNS TO THE DEAD BODY* MOM NO MOM WAKE UP!! THIS IS JUST A DREAM; WERE ON PUNKD! *runs backto joe and grips his shirt* JOE TELL ME ITS A DREAM -- Joe; *hugs her tightly* demi, im sorry, its not punk'd or a dream Demi; *crying and yelling* NO YOUR LYING!!! YOUR LYING JOE! *punching his chest yelling, but falls weak and hits the ground* **the next day at the funeral** Demi; *wearing a black pencil skirt, black blazer, and black shirt with the neck line up to her neck* [an- respecting herself] Dallas; now , id like my sister demi to give a speech Demi; *goes up and stands there infront of all their relatives tearing a bit* Mom, my mother was the kind of lady who always was a perfectionist.. she would always tell me to respect myself, and i never did. *smiles a bit* it was all about the tight clothes and low neck shirts for me, mom, im sorry, ive learnnt i need to respect myself. my mother always wanted the best for me , dallas, maddie, my husband Joe, and my daughters alyy and lyssa. i groaned about the thought of marrying the hot shot jerk , Joe Jonas.. but she knew it was best for me, and our family. My mother forced me to do so, the first few years may have been hell, but im happily settled and i love Joe very much. what ever shes done for me.. has been the best.. i love you mom ...
How do you keep delivery cookies warm and fresh? How do you keep granny alive in the trunk?
Labels: Grandmas
Shabby chic kitchens are now one of the most sought-after kitchen styles, in the modern world; especially in country properties. However it is not by any means a new look since it originally evolved in the mid-twentieth century, when it became a popular method of creating an acceptable and charming way of decorating as money was tight after the second world war.
The essential element that conjures up the shabby chic look is a timeless elegance where furniture does not have to match, just so long as all your pieces have an inviting, slightly worn look, and are closely related in colour or tone. True shabby chic in your kitchen should reflect the grace and beauty of a bygone era, when life was simpler and altogether more natural.
Shabby chic kitchen styles are characterised by a rural style comfort coupled with old world whimsy. The décor, which is normally based around white, off-white or very pale unobtrusive colours such as soft greens, pale blues, pale yellows or muted beiges, should look effortless and completely uncontrived.
Before setting about creating this well-loved style take a good look round your kitchen and consider the existing style in terms of wall colours, cabinets, appliances, work surfaces and even cookware. Also take note of the size and layout of the room to determine if there is enough floor space to accommodate additional pieces or the necessary wall space for additional cabinets or shelves. If not, begin thinking about how you could change the current look to achieve a more rustic feel. Newly painted walls and certain paint effects on furniture, along with the right accent pieces will help change the whole look your kitchen.
In the main most kitchen walls are best painted in plain or lightly toned white to maximise the amount of light, however for something a little more unusual you could also try painting your walls in a pattern of wide pastel and white stripes. If however you prefer wallpaper, to make your kitchen appear more homely, it is best to choose a muted floral pattern, especially roses or tiny bunches of daisies or forget-me-nots.
Do bear in mind though that endearing as old fashioned wallpaper can look it should not even be considered if your kitchen doesn't have proper ventilation to stop it getting overly steamed-up when cooking; otherwise you will soon be re-papering!
Concrete, grotesquely tiled or tacky linoleum floors are a complete anathema to the shabby chic kitchen style so they will need to be replaced with something more in keeping with your new soft and natural look. This of course can be a major and expensive undertaking, so if you don't want to completely replace your kitchen floor you can simply add lots kitchen mats or rugs in muted pink, blue, green, or floral designs; just be sure to choose colors that complement your walls and existing flooring.
Plain wooden floorboards can be given a new lease of life by being sanded and varnished to prevent splinters in bare feet! They can also be stained in a 'natural' wood colour but be careful that you don't go too dark and make you kitchen feel grim and gloomy. Very pale wood may be stenciled in an interesting design before varnishing, but do ensure that the design ties in with your existing colour scheme. A clever floor design could be used to emphasise a special feature such as an old couch, a favourite rocking horse or a freestanding butcher's block.
Kitchen furniture and cabinets can be decorated in a number of exciting paint finishes, which is then distressed in varying degrees depending on just how truly 'shabby' you want your kitchen to look. If you are not sure how to go about the distressing process simply dial up 'How To Paint Shabby Chic Furniture' on the internet and you will find plenty of information and even videos on Youtube.com that cover the subject in depth.
To avoid an overly modern look you should always replace any current hardware on kitchen cabinets and door furniture with something more appropriate, such as glass or vintage ceramic knobs; which will indeed look so much more authentic. You can often find just what you need on Ebay or you could try scouting round some of the more reputable building reclamation yards. Sometimes it is worth buying old cabinets or doors just to lay claim to stunning or unique door and cupboard accessories.
If your current kitchen appliances don't look remotely right in your new kitchen, you can have them repainted to match everything else, as fortunately companies do exist that will repaint appliances. Alternatively, if you want to replace the appliances altogether, there are also companies that sell retro style appliances.
Don't forget to give your kitchen a light and airy window treatment. Curtains, rather than blinds, are an excellent way to emphasise the shabby chic look especially dainty floral prints, held in place with antique tie-backs. For a cleaner, unfussy look you could also use cotton nets slung over pine poles or even pure lace, draped across just half the window.
Be aware that one of the joys of shabby chic style is that it utilises less than perfect pieces, so do check out jumble sales, garage sales and even skips for discarded items. Someone else's rubbish may just be the perfect display piece for your shabby chic kitchen. A tart-up with a pretty paint finish or some floral material can give new life to many a neglected treasure.
The right accessories will simply 'make' your shabby chic kitchen so these should be chosen and placed very carefully to give the right effect. This stage of achieving the shabby chic look is rather like planting a country garden, in as much as it should all look entirely natural and as if it has just happened by chance.
However as any skilled gardener will tell you it takes quite a bit of forethought and planning to create just the right uncontrived look. Exactly the same will apply to your kitchen but, being careful not to over-clutter working space or surfaces, you can easily develop the shabby chic feel simply by applying a little imagination, time and effort and the best of all it won't cost you a fortune.
Some really great additions to your kitchen can include distressed corner shelves for old battered recipe books, Victorian chamber pots for plants, early spice racks, embroidered hand-towels and homespun linen on wrought iron hooks, well-worn oven gloves, 1950's tin canister sets and cookie cutters, granny's wash board, sepia framed photos, Imperial kitchen scales, a rose patterned china tea service, vintage wooden boxes and serving bowls, old baking trays, copper pans, fish kettles and of course lots and lots of fresh flowers.
Finally do remember that the true shabby chic look is only achieved by being understated, so you don't need to have every single item in your kitchen distressed, miss-matched or floral. Sometimes less is definitely more and it is also vital that your own personality comes into play to make your dream kitchen particularly special and unique to you.