Celebration

National Apricot Day - Recipe

Here is a quick and easy apricot recipe that is fun to make and even better to eat!

Chocolate Dipped Apricots

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 package (6oz.) dried apricots

Directions:

Combine chocolate and brandy in top of double boiler and heat until melted and smooth.

Dip half of each apricot into chocolate mixture and place on wax paper lined pan. 

Refrigerate one to two hours until chocolate is firm.  Keep in a cool place.

Then enjoy!

National Apricot Day

Celebrate the apricot, on National Apricot Day.

Did you know that apricots are an excellent source of beta-carotene (Vitamin A) Vitamin C, iron, potassium, and fiber among other nutrients. Beta-carotene, a member of the anti-oxidant family, is believed to play a critical role in fighting disease.

The beta-carotene in apricots is converted to Vitamin A in the body.  This nutrient helps protect the  eyes and keep the skin, hair, gums and various glands healthy.  It also helps build bones and teeth.  Plus, research shows that Vitamin A helps to fight infection by maintaining strong immunity.  For this reason, researchers are looking to apricots as a valuable source of beta-carotene’s healing power. 

The unique mix of compounds found in apricots also makes this fruit a good choice for helping to fight heart disease. Along with beta-carotene, apricots contain the other powerful anti-oxidants, Vitamin C and lycopene. Combined, these compounds help protect against cancer, heart disease and stroke. Just three fresh apricots provide an impressive 30 percent of the recommended daily amount for beta-carotene.

Remember, healthy living includes eating five servings of fruit and vegetables each day. The compounds found in food work together to provide the best benefit for your body. Not able to get fresh produce? Well don't worry. Canned apricots are nutritionally comparable to their fresh and frozen counterparts. Sweet canned apricots are a convenient way to add important vitamins and extra flavor to a healthy diet. They’re readily available year-round, store easily and add a boost of flavor, color and nutrients to meals or snacks.

Studies confirm that canned foods can play an important role in achieving the requirement of eating five fruit and vegetable servings a day.  Results of the University of Illinois study confirm that canned fruits and vegetables (including apricots) are nutritionally comparable to their fresh and frozen counterparts.  In a follow-up study, the University of Massachusetts found that recipes using canned ingredients are comparable in nutritional value and taste appeal to those made with fresh or frozen items.

In the next article, I'll give you and easy and delicious apricot recipe you can make.

National Shortbread Day - Recipe

In honor of National Shortbread Day, which is celebrated on January 6th, here is a well used recipe for Shortbread Cookies. In fact they're so good, I might consider making them more often!

Ingredients:

2½ cups flour

½ cup vegetable shortening

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Beat together the vegetable shortening, sugar, and salt,  to a smooth mix.
2. Gradually add the egg, well beaten, the flour, and vanilla extract.
3. On a floured board, knead the dough lightly, roll it out to ¼ inch thick and then cut into small round shapes.
4. Mark them with fork, place of lightly greased cookie sheets and bake at 350° from 10-15 minutes.
5. Recipe makes approximately 40 cookies.

Have some cookies and enjoy the day!

National Spaghetti Day - Recipe

Grangma's Spaghetti Bolognese

Meat Sauce:

• 50g (2oz) bacon, chopped
• 15g (1/2oz) butter
• 1 medium onion, skinned and finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 stick of celery, trimmed and chopped
• 350g (12oz) minced beef
• 45ml (3 tbsp) tomato puree
• 5ml (1 tsp) oregano
• Salt and black pepper
• 125ml (1/4 pint) dry white wine
• 125ml (1/4 pint) beef stock
• 225g (8oz) spaghetti
• Grated parmesan cheese

      Serves 4-6

Directions:

1. Fry the bacon in butter for 2-3 minutes, add onion, carrot and celery, fry for 5 minutes until lightly browned.

2. Add meat and brown lightly.

3. Stir in remaining ingredients, bring to boil, simmer for 30-40 minutes until sauce is reduced and thick.

4. Cook spaghetti in fast boiling water for 12-15 minutes.

5. Drain and serve on heated dish with meat sauce poured over.

6. Sprinkle cheese over to serve.

National Spaghetti Day

Do you like Spaghetti?

Well today is National Spaghetti Day and besides giving you a family recipe, I thought I'd give you a little history of one of my family's favorite foods. Made from any of several varieties of durum wheat that thrive in dry climates, spaghetti, ( pasta,) has become one of the world's most popular foods.

For many, many years we have been told that it was Marco Polo who introduced spaghetti to Venice, Italy. He supposedly brought it from one of his voyages to the far east in the late 13th century. The spaghetti Polo encountered in the far east, was more than likely made from either rice flour or hard wheat flour (long noodles made from both grains exist in eastern cookery.)

But the big question on the minds of many has always been, wasn't spaghetti really invented in Sicily?

First, it's important to remember that at the same time, but in different parts of the planet, more than one culture at the same time could have been experimenting with food. So to attribute any one common food, such as noodles, to certain peoples and places exclusively, is probably unfair. As already mentioned, the spaghetti Marco Polo found in the far east was made from either rice flour or hard wheat flour. And the historical references to the variety of durum wheat known in Sicily during the middle ages, had been introduced to the region by Arabs, and was like lemons and oranges.

During the Middle Ages, a court chronicler and geographer named Abu Abdullah Mohammed al Edrisi completed a detailed geographical survey of Sicily. (The original book still exists in manuscript form.) Titled "The Book of Roger", it is considered one of the most important scientific works of the Middle Ages. And here's the important part.

One of the observations in the book, mentions that the inhabitants if a Sicilian town called Trabia,  made a form of pasta from hard wheat, and that this product, shaped into long strands, was manufactured in large quantity for export to other regions. This may represent what could have been the earliest production of spaghetti even though in Italian it was called "vermicelli."

Enjoy!

I'll add one of grandma's favorite recipes for Spaghetti Bolognese shortly.

National Chocolate Day Recipe

In honor of National Chocolate Day, I want to share with you a very simple and old fashioned way of making hot chocolate. Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against the powered variety of hot chocolate but, if you want some really, really great tasting hot chocolate, then you have got to try this  simple recipe.

HOT CHOCOLATE

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups milk

Chop up a block of semisweet chocolate

Place the milk and chopped chocolate (you can also add sugar or sweetner to taste) in a saucepan over medium heat.

Whisk the mixture periodically until it reaches the boiling point and is foamy.

Remove from heat and if more foam is desired, use a wire whisk or hand held blender to whip the hot chocolate.

How To Make a Gingerbread House

If you are looking for something new and unique to add to your Christmas décor this year, then why not build a gingerbread house. There's just something about gingerbread that brings the taste of Christmas to life.

Whether it is eating it or admiring a carefully constructed gingerbread house, this delectable delight is sure to please your family and friends. Of course, it you are short on time you can use this gingerbread recipe to create some gingerbread men cookies or even a few ornaments for your tree.

Here are the recipes for the gingerbread, the icing, which is also the glue to hold your house together and the pattern with assembly instructions. Have fun and enjoy the wonder of gingerbread in your home this holiday season.

Gingerbread Dough Perfect for Creating Gingerbread Houses

Ingredients:

• 1-cup butter at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 6 eggs
• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon allspice
• Various pieces of candy to decorate the finshed house

Directions:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars; then, beat in the molasses and eggs.
• In another large bowl, sift dry ingredients. Combine mixtures and knead into a smooth ball. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
• On a well-floured surface, roll out dough until it's 1/4 inch thick. You will use this dough to create your house pieces. (You can also use this dough to create Gingerbread Men. For Gingerbread Men, simply draw out your pattern piece on cardboard, or if you have cookie cutters, use them. Embellish your Gingerbread Men with raisins, frosting, M&Ms and other candies.)

Icing/Glue for Construction

The icing is simple to make, but it dries quickly. Therefore it is best to make up a small batch at a time.

Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 3 - 3 1/2 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)

Instructions:

• In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until they begin to foam.
• Add the cream of tartar and beat until the whites are stiff but not dry.
• Gradually beat in the powdwewd sugar, beating for about 5 minutes until it reaches spreading consistency. Then keep it covered and refrigerated until needed.

Gingerbread House - Patterns and Assembly

Making the Pattern

Use cardboard pieces for the basic pattern of your gingerbread house. You will need:

• 2 rectangular shapes for the roof that measure 7’ x 11’ each.
• 2 rectangular shapes for the side walls that measure 5" x  8" each.
• 2  pieces, one for the front and one for the back of the house that measure 5" x  9" each. (Cut a door in one of the 5" x 9" pieces for the front of the house.)

Cutting and Baking the Gingerbread Pieces

Lay the cardboard pieces on top of the gingerbread dough. Using a sharp knife, cut around the  cardboard pattern shapes to create the pieces of gingerbread for your house.

Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

Grease and lightly flour the aluminum covered cookie sheet.

Place the gingerbread house pieces you have cut out on the cookie sheet and bake them at 320º for 25 minutes.

Once the pieces are cool enough to touch, remove all traces of foil from gingerbread shapes.

Allow all pieces of the gingerbread house to remain at room temperature overnight before assembling your house.

Assembling the Gingerbread House

First, you will need a base to build your gingerbread house on. A piece of plywood will work great. Just cover it with aluminum foil and you are ready to begin assembly of your house.

You should begin by adding the side walls first, then the front and back pieces. You may need to hold them in place as the icing/glue dries. It should take approximately 15 minutes for the walls to stand on their own. Once all of the walls have been assembled, let that stand for at least 30 minutes, to ensure its stability.

Next, you will assemble the roof pieces. Don't be afraid to use a lot of the icing/glue with these pieces. You can always create more batches of the stuff as you work. You will find that the icing will glue the pieces together just like you were using a real cement/glue to build a model.

After all the pieces have been assembled, let the house dry overnight. In the morning, decorate with your choice of candy. Let your creativity run wild as you find various candies to decorate your gingerbread house.

Celebration of Chanukah (Part 2)

If you missed the first part of our introduction to Chanukah, which officially began on the evening of December 15, then you can quickly find part one through this link.

The Chanukah Menorah

Chanukah is a family feast that lasts eight days. The most important Chanukah tradition is the lighting of the menorah, known in Hebrew as the "hanukiya." A menorah is a candle-stand with nine branches. Eight candles, one for each day of Chanukah, are situated on each side of a taller candle in the middle. The taller candle, the shamash (“servant,”) is used to light the other candles.The menorah is lit after dusk, lighting the first candle on the right, then kindling an additional candle, moving from left to right each evening. As each candle is lit, special blessings are recited. Part of the Chanukah tradition also involves the giving small gifts each night of the festival.

The Dreidel

The Chanukah toy called a dreidel, has become a favorite toy of Jewish children. But throughout history, it used to have a very serious purpose. When the Syrians forbid the study of the Torah, the Jewish holy book, Jews who continued to study in secret, kept spinning tops called "sivivons," or dreidels. That way, if they were caught studying, they could quickly pretend that they had only been playing a game.

Outside of Israel, a dreidel has the Hebrew letters “nun,” “gimel,” “hay,” and “shin” on its four sides. These letters stand for “Nes gadol haya sham,” which means, “A great miracle happened there,” referring to Israel. An Israeli dreidel has the letter “pay” rather than “shin.” This stands for “poh,” meaning “here” .... “a great miracle happened here.”

The Hebrew letters also represent Yiddish words that tell how to play the dreidel game. Each player starts with the same amount of candies, chocolate coins called "gelt," (other tokens can be used,) and puts one token into a pot. Players take turns spinning the dreidel, waiting to see which letter lands face up.

Nun is for “nisht,” meaning, "nothing" ... "do nothing." Gimel is for “gants,” which means, "whole," .... "take the whole pot." Hay is for “halb,” which means, "half," .... "take half." Shin is for “shtel,” meaning, "to put in," .... "add to the pot." The game ends when a single player wins all the tokens.

Chanukah Foods

On of the most well-known of the Chanukah is the "latkes," or potato pancakes, that are cooked in oil. The serving of latkes during Chanukah is a custom that more than likely developed in Eastern Europe.  In Israel, the favorite Chanukah food is "sufganiya," a kind of jelly donut cooked in oil. In fact, many of the traditional foods served during Chanukah are cooked in oil, in remembrance of the oil that burned in the temple.

Another Chanukah tradition is the eating of dairy products, especially cheese delicacies. This custom signifies the remembrance of the Jewish heroine Judith, who according to legend, saved her village from Syrian attackers by feeding  wine and cheese to the Syrian general Holofernes. According to the story, when the general became drunk, she killed him, which caused his troops to flee.

To Learn More About the History, Customs and Traditions of Chanukah

Visit what is called the world's largest Chanukah website. This site has games, stories, recipes, Kabbalah Insights, and a lot more of interest. Visit the Chanukah site through this link. 

Christmas Recipes: Stained Glass Cookies

This recipe is a lot of fun to make with children. Not only do the cookies taste great, but these Christmas cookies can be used to decorate the tree or simply displayed on a glass plate.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup honey
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 3 cups sifted flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup butter (melted)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Bright colored hard candies
• Cookie cutters

Directions:

• Mix the butter, sugar and honey in a large bowl and add water.Mix until smooth.
• Combine the salt, baking soda and sifted flour in a large bowl.
• Add butter mixture to the flour mixture and knead the dough a little with your hands.
• Wrap up the roll in cling wrap, and place in the freezer for approximately 20 to 30 minutes. 
• While the dough is chilling, unwrap a selection of round hard candies and set them aside.
• Once the dough is ready, roll it out on a lightly floured surface, and cut out shapes using the cookie cutters.
• Using the tip of a knife cut out a circle in the center of the cookie to approximately fit the size of the hard candy.
• If you’re cookie is going to be an ornament, make a hole at the top of the cookie, using a straw.
• Bake at 350F for approximately 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly golden.
• Remove the cookies from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
• Place one hard candy in the center of each cookie and bake for another minute or so (just until the candy slightly starts to bubble).
• Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before displaying or eating

Christmas Recipes: Festive Christmas Bread

For the past three days we've been discussing some of the necessary components of a Christmas party.

What we haven't talked about is food! So for the next few posts, I'll be sending some Christmas recipes your way. Besides using these recipes to make some holiday goodies for your Christmas party, you may find a couple of the recipes just right for making those homemade, straight from your oven, Christmas gifts. The choice is yours.

Festive Christmas Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup butter
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cups brown sugar
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ¾ cups flour
• 1 jar (10 ounce size) maraschino cherries   

Directions:

• Drain the juice from the maraschino cherries into a bowl, and reserve 4 tablespoons of the juice.
• Roughly chop the cherries and set aside.
• In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt and mix well. 
• In a separate bowl cream together eggs, butter, sugar and the 4 tablespoons cherry juice.
• Mix well until all ingredients are fully combined.
• Add the butter and sugar mix to the flour mixture and mix well.
• Then gently fold in chopped cherries and chopped walnuts.
• Lightly grease a 9-inch loaf pan and scoop batter into pan, spread evenly.
• Bake bread in a preheated oven at 350F for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour or, until golden and baked through.
• When done, remove from pan and cool on wire rack for 15 minutes.