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Chili is one of those love-it-or-hate-it foods – some people eat it as a comfort food, others simply cannot stand the taste.  For some people, chili is a favorite stable for pot-luck dinners, but there are no limits to what you can do with chili, and great chili recipes just require a little skill and imagination.

Most chili recipes contain beef – although other meats can be used in it's place, along with kidney and pinto beans, onions, peppers, and some spices.  Add some  jalapeño  peppers, and you have the makings of a chili dish.  Simmer it over a low heat – don't try to rush it by over-heating, a careful simmer is much more effective.

The Crock Pot Chili

A crock pot chili is a great every-day recipe, it is very easy to prepare and does not require constant attention, but tastes like it has been lovingly prepared, and may have people believing you slaved over the oven all day!  Start with a favorite ground meat (ground sirloin works well in a Crockpot, there is little fat) add to the meat one medium onion diced, one bell pepper diced, and one jalapeno diced (for less heat remove the seeds and veins). Read the rest of this entry »

Some people pick up a lot of cooking recipes from within their family, but others prefer to make their own collection of recipes, or did not have the opportunity to get recipes from their parents or grandparents.

When you are building a collection of recipes, you should try to have a wide variety available so that you have something nice and tasty available for every occasion, so that you are never left stuck for a recipe when something comes up.

If you can, why not take an old family recipe and change it a little so that it is more up to date and creates a nice blend between the history and modern times.  You may feel that this is not something you want to do, as keeping a recipe the way it has always been serves as a way to keep memories of your loved ones alive.  You could keep the old recipe and make your own variation, so that you are still remembering them, but also letting others experience the joy in your own way too. Read the rest of this entry »

There is a reason why chicken recipes are a staple in most societies. It's simple.  Chicken ranks as one of the healthiest sources of protein available. Additionally, it is  very versatile and cost effective ingredient.  Despite these plus points, the unfortunate reality is that chicken recipes have become boring and predictable. It's time to get beyond the mundane and make these recipes exciting and savory.

Too often, chicken is simply baked with little flavor involved. While baking chicken is still going to be a staple in many meals, it is what is baked with the chicken that makes the meal delicious. This is easily done with marinades. Chicken recipes need something to keep the chicken from becoming too dry and marinades do this perfectly. These can be purchased at the store ready made, or they can be created from scratch. Marinating chicken offers endless possibilities and flavors. Read the rest of this entry »

In my opinion, cheese cakes are the best desserts ever invented. Well, next to traditional home made chocolate cakes and apple pies, that is.  In any case, cheesecake recipes are guides one of the best desserts ever invented.  Surely there are people who would disagree by supporting pecan pie or chocolate mousse, but these people would have a difficult case to support.  There are now some restaurants that are actually named for cheesecake.  There are none named pecan pie or chocolate mousse that are very famous.  None with these names have become a nationwide chain where thousands of people dine every day.  On the other hand,. cheesecake recipes at this successful chain of restaurants are numerous.  Many cooks have their very own, top secret recipes for these delicious desserts.  This is serious business.

Cheesecake recipes are guarded as top secrets and are not freely exchanged by some of the famous cooks.   These top chefs usually keep their special ingredients secret.  That's the only way to surprise their friends and family  when they serve them some cheesecake that was made with the latest cheesecake recipe.  

The basic cheesecake recipes do not vary greatly, but the great cooks have some unique aspects of their recipes that make them special.  These cheesecake recipes could simply use unusual ingredients for the usual graham cracker crusts.  Other recipes for a great dessert might simply substitute one type of flavoring with another.  For example, some people might substitute an exotic flavor in place of the mundane vanilla flavoring used in many cheesecake recipes.   

So if  you LOVE cheese cake as much as I do, try experimenting with various cheesecake recipes and different ingredients.  If at all possible, become friends with one of the chefs where delicious cheese cake is served and find out ( if you can) what his secret ingredient is.  If you are lucky enough to have a chef in your family, getting those secret cheesecake recipes should be easy!  Just figure out what he or she likes and make a swap… the cheesecake recipe for his prized treasure!   That may be a bit sneaky, but for a great cheesecake recipe, it will be worth it!

Does anyone still bake these days?  It seems that baking has become almost a lost art in recent years.  There is a good reason for this, since many people are so busy with careers and family that the thought of taking time to bake seems overwhelming.   The "quick fix" for this  it that baking is done with a cake or brownie mix purchased at the local grocery store.  It is sad that many old-fashioned baking recipes are being lost in the current generation.  And the skill used to bake a wonderful cake is being forgotten.  We encourage you to take the time to find and bake an old-fashioned cake recipe.  It's not only a relaxing experience, but a delightful treat too!

Finding Old-Fashioned Cake Recipes

Older relatives are an excellent source for finding  old-fashioned cake recipes.  Most of our mothers and grandmothers baked cakes in their homes, so they  will have tried and tested recipes which they are happy to share.  These cake recipes were often baked for special occasions and holidays and will probably rekindle some great memories to be shared with family members.  Mom or Grandma may even enjoy taking the time to bake the cake with their younger relative.  This will not only help preserve a family cake recipe but will also allow for quality sharing time.  

Take for instance my mother.  She makes a delicious chocolate cake, the old fashioned way.  There is nothing more delightful for me and my daughter than to spend time with grandma whipping up a good old fashioned chocolate cake, from scratch. Of course, it's even more fun to eat it when it finally comes out of the oven!  What a wonderful way for a mother, daughter, and granddaughter to spend precious time together and to pass on family traditions.  Needless to say, when the "guys" come home, they get to enjoy the chocolate cake too!

If you prefer your chili sweet instead of spicy, scrape out the lining
of jalapeno peppers before adding them to the chili, and use red or
yellow bell peppers for extra sweetness.  You could also try adding
fresh basil or oregano, for a milder, sweeter flavour.

If you prefer your chili with a little more kick, add several different
spicy peppers – anaheim and cherry peppers are quite mild, while
jalapeno and chipotle are slightly more spicy.  For the strongest spicy
flavour, try bahamian or habanero peppers.

You can make your chili more appetizing with some shredded cheese,
minced raw onion, olives, corn bread, and sour cream.  Offer some of
these as side-dishes, for people to add to the chili as a way to
enhance the flavor, or cool it down if people prefer it less spicy.

Basic cheesecake recipes have ingredients that are pretty simple and easy to find, such as  cream cheese.  Cream cheese is the basic ingredient the hundreds of cheesecake recipes available to potential cooks.  Some of the recipes strongly recommend a specific brand of cream cheese for the recipe, but most cheesecake recipes simply call for cream cheese.   Other common ingredients include butter, sugar, graham crackers and vanilla or other flavoring.  The size of the cheesecake requires different cooking times and cooking utensils.  

The trick with cheese cake recipes is to modify the ingredients in different ways.  This is what  most cooks teach their students and cheesecake followers.  Many of these cooks have books published with their favorite recipes.  There are some very famous cooks who have provided these cheesecake recipes in special books full of their favorites.  

These cheesecake recipes vary in the flavorings that are included in the baking process.  There are  other cheesecake  recipes which vary in the toppings that are added to the recipes.  Some of the toppings include cherries, blueberries or chocolate.  My all time favorite topping Is strawberries.  

Other variables that can be used in cheesecake recipes are the ingredients of the crusts.  Many of the recipes available will produce great cheesecake if these recipes are followed carefully.   So if you are trying to make a cheesecake for the first time, just do your best and follow the recipe to the "T" and your should be fine.  When you become a more experienced cheesecake maker, you can get adventurous and start  experimenting with your own flavors and ingredients.  

One thing is for sure,  those eating your cheesecake will be happy that you  chose a wonderful cheesecake recipe and will enjoy the treat.  Save me a piece too!

Older relatives are a great source for getting old fashioned cake recipes.  But, if you don't have the luxury of an older relative who lives close by, you can also  get  an old-fashioned cake recipe by visiting  a senior citizen home.  Many women in years gone by memorized their recipes and are still able to completely recall them when asked. 

Talking about and acquiring these recipes is a great way to cheer an older person’s day and also may help a person discover some great cooking treasures.   It may even be possible to gather several cake recipes from different people, record them, and share them with others so they can be preserved for time.  Remember to take some cake to the senior citizen home once you have baked it too!  That would surely be appreciated by all, and you may get more tips and tricks about how to make it even better the second time around.

Tips And Ingredients Baking An Old-Fashioned Cake

The primary and most basic ingredient in a cake recipe is flour.  Long ago, people sifted their own flour to be used in each baking recipe.   Fortunately, pre-sifted flour is available everywhere today, so that is one less chore you will have to do when baking an old-fashioned cake.  Still,  many people have discovered that sifting the flour has some advantages, even today.  You  can make a lighter, airier cake when you sift your  own flour.  

Other needed ingredients for cake recipes include sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking soda or baking powder and butter or oil.  When purchasing eggs large eggs are usually equivalent to the egg in the recipe.  Baking soda and baking powder are not interchangeable and need to be fresh for a good rise. I found that out the hard way, when I accidentally added baking soda to my receipt instead of baking powder.  It did not flop completely, but it certainly did not come out "right".   

Often in very old-fashioned cake recipes lard was used for the oil; however, butter, margarine, or oil will work equally well today.  There are other ingredients and tips to making a great old-fashioned cake recipe and you would do well to take the time to share in this worthwhile process with an elderly relative or friend.  That's what I do, and I love every moment of it.  Not only do I learn how to make delicious cakes or pies from scratch, but  I also get to know my elderly relative or friend much better.  It truly is a satisfying experience!  Try it and let us know how it all worked out for you!  Happy Baking!

Both you and your family may be tired of the same old bread recipes.  If you are looking for something new then we have just the thing for you.  It's time to take a break  from the boredom of preparing the same kind of bread over and over again.  There is a variety of  zucchini bread recipes and many others that will add variety to your bread making skills.  Above all,  your family with welcome the idea of something different and delicious on the breakfast table.

Choose From Different Zucchini Breads

Want an idea what your choices are when it comes to preparing zucchini bread?  You can choose from chocolate chip zucchini bread, pineapple zucchini bread and zucchini cheddar bread.  They all sound delicious, don't they?  The zucchini bread recipe requires three eggs, one cup of oil, two cups of sugar and peeled and grated zucchini, three teaspoons of vanilla, two teaspoons of cinnamon, half cup of nuts, three cups of flour, a teaspoon of baking soda and salt as well as a quarter cup of baking powder.

The method of making this bread recipe is to stir all the eggs, oil, sugar, and zucchini and also sift salt, soda, cinnamon and baking powder before adding to zucchini mixture and stirring in vanilla as well as adding nuts.  Next,  bake the whole dish  at a very high temperature (as much as 325 degrees) for an hour.   Follow this by a 15 minute cooling period.  Be sure to cool the dish properly before freezing.  This recipe should give you 2 delicious loaves!  Dig in!.

There are no shortage of bread machine recipes that you can try. It all depends on what your bread preferences are. For example, would you prefer to try bread machine recipes that are more for dinner breads, or would you prefer to try recipes that are for breakfast breads?

Many people prefer to try recipes for breakfast breads. When it comes to popular kinds of breakfast breads, do not just think it is some kind of toast! In fact, a popular breakfast bread is often thought of as being a kind of muffin, when in fact it is a kind of sourdough: the English Muffin.

Making English Muffin bread in your bread machine will require several ingredients. Make sure you have the following ingredients on hand: warm water, nonfat dry milk, salt, sugar, baking soda, bread flour, and bread machine yeast. You can also choose to include an optional ingredient called gluten. Gluten is a protein from yeast that improves the overall appearance and texture of the bread.

Wheat Bread Is Healthy & Delicious

Personally, I like to make wheat bread in my bread machine. I actually got the recipe from my mom, who just happens to be a “class A” baker. But since I could not stand the idea of the physical work of “kneading dough”, I decided to let my bread machine do the hard work instead.

I mix wheat flour with white flour, add a little olive oil, a sprint of salt, some butter and Crisco, some warm water and yeast and press “start”. The machine does the rest and 2 hours later… I am delighting in the taste of my own home-made wheat buns right out of the oven.

When it comes to choosing the proper amount of each of the ingredients, it will have to do with the kind of bread machine that you have. Some bread machine recipes require larger bread machines to accommodate the size of the bread. This is because some breads have a thicker consistency than others when it comes to the texture of the loaf.

Finding Bread Machine Recipes

If you want to get great information on bread machine recipes, search the internet. You can also visit your local kitchen supply store for more information on various bread machines. With the proper research, you are sure to find some interesting bread recipes. Bookstores are also a good source for bread machine recipes. The bread machine itself will also come with a bread machine recipe book. At least mine did.

Armed with your breach machine and your bread machine recipe book, you will be ready to make some delicious tasting bread.

For those experienced bread making folks out there, please feel free to share your bread machine recipes with us! We would love to hear from you.