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.

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.

Is A High Protein Diet About To Destroy Your Health?

Ketogenic or high protein diets cause a lot of weight loss very quickly. But this effect is somewhat deceiving since the majority of the weight loss is in the form of water.

Moreover, there are many other nasty side effects with high protein diets.

So, without further ado, here is how high protein diets can decrease your health:

1. Fast muscle catabolism: This process literally happens over night when you restrict carbohydrates. You see, without carbohydrates your body turns to its own tissues for energy. In other words, you put your muscle tissue on the dinner plate.

2. High levels of catabolic hormones: Primarily, cortisol levels sky rocket with high protein diets. So make sure you are well aware of this before jumping on the high protein band wagon. And remember that cortisol breaks down muscle in addition to depressing immunity.

3. Decreased mental speed: Your nervous system runs best on a steady supply of sugar. Without carbs, your body has to convert muscle protein into sugar-a slow process. So the best strategy here is to not take out carbs if you want best mental functioning.

4. Gloomy moods: Certain neurotransmitters in your brain need carbs to replenish themselves. So if you stop eating carbs, your mood deteriorates. This is one of the main reasons why fitness professionals suffer from extreme mood swings when restricting carbs.

5. Less intensity: For the absolute best workouts, your body needs full levels of muscle carbohydrates. Without them, you can’t reach your intensity potential. This in turn decreases the amount of calories your body burns outside of your workouts.

6. Decreased muscle tone: Without carbs, your muscles will not looked toned. There is no way around this effect. You see, your muscles look best when they are full of water and carbs. Both of these give them their tight and toned look.

High protein diets aren’t all their cracked up to be. You see, although they do cause very rapid short term water weight loss, they aren’t very good for your health. So take heed of the advice in this article!

How To Achieve Success In the Wedding Photography Industry

The field of wedding photography is a rather competitive one. The purpose of this article is to provide novice photographers with suggestions on how they can achieve success in this field.

(1) If you are going to photograph destination weddings, make sure you have a user-friendly online ordering system. People from out of town will not be able to visit your studio in person. Be prepared to process orders online. Think about letting another vendor handle purchases and sales.

2) Develop working relationships with different wedding vendors to increase the referrals to your photography business. This can include hotels, honeymoon resorts, bridal services, and caterers, to name just a few. Offer to take portraits at no charge, as well as complimentary prints and consultations with your vendors. For instance, with a resort, you should offer to take suite or portrait photos at no charge. Make sure you are on the head of their preferred vendor referral list. Watch for new businesses or organizations that are starting up in your area and contact them to inquire about putting you on their line up of preferred vendors.

(3) Offer top quality - this should be a basic. This signifies that you should create pictures that are correct in terms of exposure, color level, and editing. Take time to make really outstanding books.

(4) Be open to helping with anything that will make a wedding proceed smoothly. Of course you are there to photograph the wedding, but you should also be open to doing an errand for the bride if the need arises. Offer to do more than just take photographs. Accepting additional responsibilities will result in an excellent reputation and many referrals.

(5) Put further effort to connect with those you are dealing with. There are a whole lot of photographers out there who are great. If you can make a genuine human connection, this provides an additional level of service and sense of comfort.

If you adhere to the preceding advice, you can boost your success as a photographer in the competitive field of wedding photography.

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