Amazing Cookie Recipe

Ginger’s Sugarsnaps. Well, my grandma Ginger just died in a tragic hang-gliding accident but I refuse to be saddened. She died doing what she loved. For nearly 80 years my lovely grandma Ginger would hang glide over the poorer sections of America’s inner cities and shower them with her internationally famous sugar snap cookies, also known as Soundsnaps.

If you live in a destitute urban area of the United States then you likely know the distinct graupel-like sound of grandma Ginger’s cookie storms all too well. That’s why by 1960 people from areas of intense urban decay began to call these fantastic cookies “Soundsnaps.”

As her lone grandchild she took favor upon me and gave me her sugar snap recipe which I am excited to share with you here today. You might ask why would I share this prized family recipe? The reasons are two: 1.) I am a humanitarian and don’t see the sense in denying the slums and ghetto’s of the world the intense pleasure grandma Ginger’s scrumptious sugar snaps and the delightful Soundsnap they make; and 2.) I was born without arms or legs and though I have tried several times I have found that my condition prevents me from hang-gliding long distances. Since I can’t hang-glide, I can not continue grandma Ginger’s seven decade tradition of gentrification via inner city cookie showers.

If you can hang-glide and you can bake I implore you to take the recipe below and continue grandma Ginger’s legacy. Don’t let the Soundsnap die with grandma Ginger.

Without further ado here you go: Grandma Ginger’s Secret Soundsnap Recipe.

Yield 5-6 dozen

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup cornmeal, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, Chiffonade of 2 skins of extra-crispy fried chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup shortening, 1 cup white sugar, 1 egg, 1/4 cup dark molasses, 1/3 cup sugar

Directions: Heat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees Celsius). Stir the flour, ginger, baking soda, allspice, and salt into a large bowl. Stir the mixture to blend evenly, and sift a second time into another bowl, make sure it is really smooth. Put the shortening into a large bowl and beat until nice and creamy. Slowly beat in the white sugar. Beat in the egg, and dark molasses. Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture into the shortening mixture; stir to thoroughly blend. Sift in the remaining flour mixture. Remove the extra-crispy skins from 2 fried chicken breasts and proceed to chiffonade. Add the chicken skin to the bowl with the other ingredients. Mix together until a nice pliable dough forms. Pinch small amounts of dough and roll into 1 inch diameter balls between your hands. Roll each ball in sugar, and place 1 and 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake in oven until the tops are rounded and slightly cracked, about 10 minutes. Cool cookies on a cooling rack of your choice. Store in an air-tight container or use your favorite vacuum sealer like a Food Saver, until you are ready to shower the inner-city of your choice with these Ginger’s Sugarsnaps. Soundsnaps!

The Benefits Of Grass Fed, Organic Beef

Much of the cattle used to produce tasty, tender beef are fed with grass. The advantages of grass fed cattle are far superior to those consuming diets laced with chemicals and other additives. Believe it or not, these facts are upheld by hundreds of years’ worth of research, indicating that grass fed cattle are a far healthier choice.

Even so, consumers have to be careful when selecting meat. Unless they go out of their way to make sure that they are buying meat from producers of grass fed cattle, they could be in for a shock. If one thinks the differences between the two feeding methods have tiny effects on consumers - think again. Research in nutrition journals has shown that cattle who eat solely grass result in beef which have less fat. This is an important factor in having a healthy heart. This isn’t a minor health issue but directly tied to premature heart attacks and early heart disease.

Those who are keeping track of their cholesterol can have the peace of mind, knowing that grass fed cattle will be better for them. But it isn’t only the heart that is affected by choosing one type of beef over another. Vitamins A and E and other nutrients may be higher in the grass fed beef.

Of course, the taste test is an important factor when choosing food. Luckily, those who ate grass fed beef typically reported that the meat tasted far superior to other types of beef. Not only that but they weren’t exposed to dangerous chemicals. Although research is still being done, there has been evidence that the chemicals given to some cattle may result in early puberty and hormonal changes in children and young adults. This is simply another strong reason to choose grass fed cattle.

True, using chemicals and grains can result in a very high fat beef product, one that consumers may be trained to think is desirable. However, cattle producers started using this practice to cut costs and not to focus on the health of those eating the beef. Consumers need to be pro-active about their health and realize that producers’ focus on cost cutting may come at the expense of people’s health.

As grass fed cattle are allowed to graze on healthy, organic land, they also live less stressful lives. This lack of stress translates into tastier beef. They are also given fewer hormones and antibiotics in addition to those required by law, and who wants to eat these? These are not only unnecessary, but may do far more harm than good to consumers. The quantities that are administered usually are also far less than are given to chemically-fed cattle.

One major concern with antibiotics is that of acquired resistance to the medications. When the cattle given these excess antibiotics acquire resistance, diseases will spread far more rapidly, and some of these diseased cattle may be made into beef. This will result in higher beef recalls and greater risk to customers. This is far less likely to occur with grass fed cattle, and the meat tastes better besides, making it a win win situation for consumers.

Cuisinart Chef’s Classic - A Great Cookware Set At A Wonderful Price!

When I started shopping for cookware, I was looking for a set that would provide me with both quantity and quality. I found it in the Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Nonstick Cookware Set that came in a 17 piece set of hard anodized pans. I couldn’t believe the great price I found online for the cookware in the well-known name of Cuisinart. It has a 1-1/2, 2, and 3 quart lidded saucepans, 8 and 10 inch skillet, 12 inch skillet with lid, 4-quart lidded saut, 9-quart stockpot with lid, a 7-3/4 inch steamer insert with lid and a 9-1/2 pasta insert.

I’m fond of most foods, but Italian food is my favorite! Cooking great pasta dishes requires a cookware set with a variety of pieces, and this set has all of the pieces required to cook great Italian dishes. The food is prepared properly because of the hard anodized aluminum construction and Quantanium finished that combines with an aluminum core that is reinforced by titanium to give it strength and reliability. When the meal is over, the cleanup of sticky sauces is quite simple and easy. It take s almost no effort on my part when I wash the pots and pans by hand.

The riveted stainless-steel handles and break-resistant glass lids are two more features of this Cuisinart cookware set that add to their strength, versatility, and safety. All these features in combination with triple-layer construction make it a steal for the price. The non-stick interior means you can cook with less oil so that your foods are even healthier. The pieces that make up the set are a combination of all the most commonly used pots and pans while the pasta insert eliminates the need for a colander to drain pasta.

This Cuisinart cookware set is a handsome set and represents a great value. The only other thing that you will need to purchase besides this cookware set will be cooking utensils that are non-metal. Each pan has its own lid to keep the moisture inside the pan and the food. The cookware set pots and pans are each in a size that you will find useful and will make it possible for you to prepare any kind or amount of food.

My wife and I have talked about buying a cookware set like this for most of our 35 year marriage. For that 35 years, we have been using a stainless steel cookware set that we got for our wedding. Price has always been the deterrent to us purchasing a quality cookware set. But then, I was looking ar reviews in Cook’s Illustrated and discovered this set. With our anniversary coming up, I bought a set online and presented it to my wife. This is a beautiful, well constructed, well performing cookware set. Cleanup is fast and easy and I think that the food tastes better. If you want to make someone feel great, buy them the Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Cookware Set for some special occasion.

So Many Kinds Of Pizza… So Little Time

Throughout the history of pizza, many types have been invented. Some are made in certain locations; others are made everywhere. It just goes to show how popular it is all over the world. It is delicious, convenient, and offers a great deal of variety. It does not matter whether you buy your pizza or make it yourself… you are in for a great meal that everyone will enjoy.

Fans of New York style will fold their slices in half while eating them. This style features a crust that is thin and chewy, topped with a sweet tomato sauce and delicious fresh mozzarella. One of the hallmarks of a real New York pizza is the yellow grease that runs down your arm from the rich cheese. You will not find a pile of toppings on a New York pie… they like to enjoy the genius of a simple pizza.

Ike Sewel came up with the idea for Chicago style in 1943. His version was deep dish, with tall sides on the crust to hold in all the toppings. He wanted a pizza that was not only delicious, but also filling. In Chicago, the cheese is put on first, followed by the toppings and finally by the sauce. A dab of margarine in the pan helps crisp up the crust. This is not a hand held kind of pie… you must use a fork and knife.

California pies feature unusual topping combinations and exotic ingredients. After rising, the crust is baked partially, to keep the crust’s height. The crust should be airy, light, and tender. You will often find California style pies with toppings like smoked salmon, feta cheese, and asparagus. Vegetarian toppings are very popular.

Pan style also uses oil in the pan. This fries the bottom of the crust, making it a bit crunchy. It also changes the flavor slightly. Pan style offers a thicker crust that has been raised in the pan before baking. Any kind of toppings can be added.

Cracker style crusts were developed in the 1950s. The dough is slightly fermented, giving it the layered texture of a cracker. This technique was well documented in the history of Pizza Hut. Thin-crust is different from cracker crust. It is usually stretched by hand. The crust on a thin pie is crisp on the outside and soft inside. They are usually served with less sauce and toppings than thick crust varieties.

Focaccia is more than just a bread… it is one of the original ways pizza was served. It did not have a sauce. Oils, vegetables and other toppings were added and baked on. This style has been eaten in Europe long before the tomato was introduced by New World explorers.

Still more styles are invented all the time for example. Tex-Mex versions offer Mexican toppings like corn, picante sauce, shredded beef, and other ingredients on a crust that is made with a percentage of masa flour. The crust is more corn chip-like than a normal crust. Other regional styles may use specific ingredients. For example, in the Midwest, Provolone cheese is preferred to mozzarella.

Easy Tips To Make Delicious Chocolate Cake Via Cake Mix

Utilizing ready made cake mixes is most likely the most convenient technique to make chocolate cake. Nevertheless, this packed cake mix variety commonly only yields cakes that are a bit too plain ‘n boring. Nonetheless, you could make the cake mix chocolate cake much more tasty by tweaking the recipe a little bit. Read on for a lot more.

Add chocolate chips to the boxed mix. You may as well consider using mini M&M’s. Ideally, you should mix anywhere between one to 2 cups of chocolate chips or morsels in the complete mix. First of all, create the batter as directed and add the chocolate chips or morsels towards the end. Now, bake the cake as directed. These chips will serve as a fascinating twist to your cake.

Using white cake and chocolate cake simultaneously could also be a great thought. Create the white cake and chocolate cake batter separately. Now take a bowl and create layers of white cake and chocolate cake. Set this for baking. Alternatively, you could additionally create a swirl cake. Put the 2 batters together and just whisk it once a little. This will create a marble like effect. So, your cake will not just taste yum but look superb too.

Do off normal water that you use to mix the ingredients. Instead provide chocolate milk an effort. When you add chocolate milk to normal boxed cake mix, you are likely to contribute on to the consistency of the cake and make it a lot more creamy than usual. Additionally it helps contribute a hint of chocolate taste to the cake. Workout caution when utilizing chocolate milk for the cake. Make use of toned milk rather than the full cream milk. This is due to the fact it helps even out the consistency of the cake to a brilliant degree.

You could in addition augment the flavor of your cake by adding frozen fruit to the mix. It will impart a fruity flavor to your cake. Nevertheless, while you might have several frozen fruit choices to choose between, frozen raspberries work the finest. In case you’re using frozen fruit, remember to add them at the very finish ‘n combine it in gently. Also, you’re required to bake the cake for a little longer than the instructed time on the package when utilizing the fruits.

Marshmallow cream could also make for a amazing add-on to your cake. Just take the box mix and pour half of this mix in a bowl. Now contribute a layer of marshmallow cream. Pour the leftover fifty percent of the cake mix into this bowl. Bake the cake as directed. Your children will like this gooey center.

Several folk love the flavor of coffee. In the event you enjoy coffee, you could as well include it is essence in your chocolate cake by adding coffee liquor. Half a mug of coffee liquor will add just the right amount of the caffeine flavor to your cake. However, in case you are utilizing coffee liquor, remember to decrease the amount of liquid you are utilizing to prepare the mix.

So, what are you waiting for? Simply employ these easy tips and you’re surely going to like the taste of the common boxed cake like never before.

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