Overnight Ginger Snaps - Add Spice to Your Holiday Baking

Recently it dawned on me that many of the recipes I love contain spices-cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg, and I wondered why that is. Why do recipes for Pumpkin Pie, Molasses Crinkles, Tomato Soup Cake, Cinnamon Buns and War Cake appeal so much to me and make me recall happy childhood memories? Why do I choose these recipes over and over again?

Perhaps it has to do with aromas, with the sense of smell invoking memories. According to research I did on the internet, the word 'spice' refers to a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, leaf, or vegetable substance, and the earliest evidence of its use by humankind was around 50,000 B.C. Back then, spices were connected with magic, medicine, religion, tradition and preservation (think mummification).

During the Middle Ages, spices such as black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, ginger and cloves were imported to Europe from plantations in Asia and Africa, and with the discovery of the New World additional spices found their home in the kitchen. Who can imagine cooking without vanilla, allspice, bell and chilli peppers, and even chocolate? What a bland world we would live in.

So now this makes sense to me, my predilection for sharing spicy recipes and the memories each recipe evokes in me. I'll do my best to offer a variety of recipes in the future, recipes that contain no cinnamon or cloves or ginger, but not today.

Today I'm sharing a recipe for Overnight Ginger Snaps, another one of my favourite recipes that have been passed down from mother to daughter. I hope you try these-they are simple to make, oh so tasty (even the raw dough is good), and will certainly be a hit with your family this holiday season. These crisp, crunchy cookies dearly beg to be dipped into a steaming cup of coffee or tea or hot chocolate, so you may want to have the coffee brewed or the kettle on when you offer these treats to your loved ones.

Overnight Ginger Snaps

1 cup shortening

½ cup molasses

½ cup brown sugar

2 tsp. ginger

½ tsp. nutmeg

½ tsp. cloves

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

2 ½ - 3 cups flour

Directions

Cream together shortening and molasses. Add brown sugar, spices, salt and baking soda. Add flour last. Mix together well. Roll in long rolls, wrap in waxed paper and place in refrigerator until firm. Slice and bake in moderate (350° F) oven for 10 - 12 minutes until lightly browned.

Note: Cookie dough keeps in refrigerator for several days or can also be frozen to bake when you wish.

Easy Cake Recipes For Baking Newbies

If you fall into the novice rank of baking, you are probably on the lookout for less complex but tasty recipes. Sometimes a nice home baked cake is just the thing to brighten a dull afternoon, but you don't have to be a trained baker to pull off a simple, yet delicious cake. In this article, I've included a few of my favorite cake recipes that should be quite do-able for people with all kinds of baking experience (or lack thereof!). I hope you enjoy them!

Cherry Cheese Cake

Ingredients:
20 Oreo cookies, finely crushed
5 (8-oz) packages of cream cheese (softened)
1 (21-oz) can cherry pie filling
3 tbsp melted butter or margarine
1 cup sour cream
3 tbsp flour
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
4 eggs

Directions:
Line a 13 x 9-in baking pan with aluminum foil, making sure that he foil extends up over the sides of the baking dish. In a small bowl, mix the butter and the Oreo crumbs together. Press this mixture into the bottom of the pan (this will be your chocolate graham-like crust). In a large bowl, use a fork to soften the cream cheese a bit, then add the flour, sugar, and vanilla. Use a mixer set to a low speed and blend the ingredients together. Pour this over the Oreo crust. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 40 minutes, or until the center of the cheese cake is nearly set. Allow the cake to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Top with the cherry pie filling. Use the foil to lift the cake from the pan for easy cutting and serving.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:
1 package yellow cake mix
1 jar maraschino cherries, drained
1 can sliced pineapple rings, drained
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp butter

Directions:
Coat a large cake pan with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of brown sugar onto the butter. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of coconut over the brown sugar. Arrange the pineapple rings (no overlapping) on top of the coconut, then place a cherry in the center of each ring and in between rings, if you like. Prepare the cake mix as directed on the box, then pour the batter over the pineapple rings. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 - 50 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean). Cool for about 20 minutes. To transfer to a serving plate, place the plate on top of the baking dish, then carefully turn over. The cake should slide out of the baking dish and onto the serving plate.

Banana Cake

Ingredients:
1 package yellow cake mix
1 tsp baking soda
2 very ripe bananas, mashed

Directions:
Mix the yellow cake batter according to the directions on the box. Mash the bananas together with the baking soda. Stir this into the cake batter and mix well. Pour the batter into a greased 9 x 13-in baking dish. Place in the oven and bake at 350 degrees F for one hour. DO NOT preheat the oven before placing the cake in. Let the cake cool thoroughly before serving. Can be topped with cream cheese frosting after it has cooled.

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
1 package yellow cake mix
1 package instant butterscotch pudding mix
1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
4 eggs
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
Grease a 10-in Bundt cake pan (or a 9 x 13-in baking pan). Stir together the cake mix, butterscotch pudding mix, and vanilla pudding mix. Add the oil, water, and eggs and blend together well. In another bowl, mix together the cinnamon, brown sugar, and nuts. Pour half of the cake batter into the pan, then sprinkle half of the nut mixture on top. Pour the remaining batter into the pan, then top with the remaining nut mixture. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F, then turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees F and bake for another 40 minutes.

Hot Spicy Lamb and Eggplant Recipe

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Total cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

- 500g (1lb) eggplant, cut into batons
- 600g (1 1/4lb) lamb fillet, sliced diagonally
- oil, for cooking
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 cup (250ml/8 fl oz.) thick coconut cream
- 1 small red chilli, seeded and chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped mint
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley lemon wedges, to serve

Directions:

1. Heat the wok it becomes hot, then add 2 teaspoons of the oil and swirl it around to coat the side. After stir-fry the onion until it becomes soft and somehow golden. Then remove from the wok and set it aside.

2 After that, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok and cook the eggplant in two batches over very high heat until it becomes cooked through. Then remove and drain on paper towels.

3. Then reheat the wok and add 2 tea¬spoons of the oil. After that, stir-fry the lamb in two batches over very high heat until it becomes browned and just cooked enough.

4. After that return all the lamb to the wok with the onion and eggplant and add the chilli, the garlic and the spices, and cook for about 1 minute or so. Pour in the coconut cream and bring to the boil.

5. Then stir in the fresh herbs and season with some salt and pepper. Serve it immediately with the lemon wedges.

Nutrition Value:

- Protein 35g;
- Fat 30g;
- Carbohydrate 7g;
- Dietary Fibre 5g;
- Cholesterol 100mg;
- Energy 1775kJ (425cal)

Candles By Victoria Review Part 1

Just a review of the candles and scent shots that I've accumulated over time (the ones I haven't used up, anyway). I love talking about these candles! (Obviously, since I talked so long I had to make part 1 and part 2) And I love ordering new ones even more! Join me on the Pouring Pot message board! www.candlesbyvictoria.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZwkTFFETUA&hl=en

Quarterly BBQ Lunch - Pulled Pork - Turkey Breast - Sausage

I do a quarterly lunch at my work. Using a smoker that we pull behind the truck, I'll sleep in my office and cook the meat all night long at about 250 deg F. Started about 11:30 pm and pull the meat off at about 11 am. The beans and sausage go on about 8am. I check the fire about every two hours to make sure it is still going. I use charcoal for the main heat source and then hickory for the smoke flavor. I then pull the pork and cut up the turkey and sausage. Then set everything out. Menu: Pulled Pork Smoked Turkey Breast Sausage Baked Beans Green Beans Coconut Cake - Thanks, Judy! Cookies - Thanks, Lisa! Sweet Tea and Lemonade - Thanks, Gary! Thanks to Mike, Gil, Ryan, and Hunt for helping me get everything in from the smoker! And thanks to my dad for letting me borrow the smoker and teaching me everything I know about cooking BBQ!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jC74zZU2yQ&hl=en

Soul Food Recipes - Top 3 Cakes Eaters Love

Soul food desserts follow the best southern recipes to top off the best meals. The one layer cakes have the reputation as tasty, satisfying and light. I polled a sample of my readers on their favorite cakes. Many were eaters and others were cooks who prided themselves on baking these cakes. Of course those were the one's with the interesting stories and memory.

The memories of family gatherings accompanied by their cake creations filled their thoughts. Most of the cakes that finished at the top of the favorites list were the one layer or the sheet cake variety. But others that received votes but finished lower on the list mentioned the multi-layer cakes. These received fewer votes perhaps because they had more elaborate baking techniques than the 3 that finished at the top of our voters list. For example, the 3 layer chocolate and coconut cakes.

Here's a list of the top 3 soul food cakes voted by readers.

1. Sock-it-to-me Cake - This cake started out as an excellent cake eaten for the holidays. But it has grown in popularity and now many people enjoy it all year. The pecans, cinnamon and nutmeg gives it a tasty and crunchy texture. An excellent coffee cake if you drink coffee. Also an excellent light snack also.

2. 7-Up Cake - This light cake has grown into a popular soul food cake. As the name implies, 7up is added to the cake mix instead of water. This helps to make the cake light and airy. The texture is similar to pound cake. It's shaped and baked in a bunt pan and topped with a glaze or white frosting.

3. Lemon Jell-O Cake - This is another favorite with readers who love the hint of tang plus the lightness of the cake. This sheet cake is topped with a clear lemon glaze that gives it just the right look and taste. People love this cake because it's super simple to make and taste good. It's especially good right out of the oven and topped with glaze.

Cake is an all time favorite when it comes to soul food recipes. These desserts represent celebration and good times to those who consume them. Their simplicity encourages more people to try their hand at baking them and many have. These are beginners cakes. Some creative types even add their own imagination to give the cakes their own unique touch or signature.

You Want to Be Happy? Get Inspired by Little Katie's Story

Little Katie offered to help her mum to prepare a cake for her sixth birthday party. "Well thank you Katie! That's great! We'll make a special chocolate cake this year, with custard and roasted almonds, and coconut flakes..." said mum, wanting to make the event really exciting for Katie.

And so, the preparations for Katie's special cake started.

First, there was the whisking of eggs. Little Katie did it brilliantly but just as she was passing the bowl to her mum the egg mix fell on the kitchen floor. Mum didn't realize until she saw Katie sliding right and left in a puddle of egg mix, giggling and shouting: "Look mummy, I can dance like Justin Timberlake now! Look!"

Mum looking horrified, quickly proceeded to clean up the mess so they could start the cake all over again.

After the sponge base was taken out of the oven and had cooled down, it was time to squirt the custard onto the first layer of the cake. Katie thought she'd spice it all a bit more by emptying the whole jar of strawberry jam onto it too, and flatten it using her hands.

"Look mum, bloooooood! Aaaargh! Are you afraid mum?!"

Mum told her to stop messing and to wash her hands well with soap. "OK" said Katie " but can we keep the jam in my cake please mum? I like jam...Three hours later, the kitchen looked like a battle site and Katie's chocolate cake was almost finished.

Mum had melted dark chocolate buttons and had covered the cake fully with the melted chocolate, and the coconut flakes were ready to be sprinkled onto the top. Katie was busy licking the remaining melted chocolate straight from the bowl. Her red lips and rosy cheeks were covered in dark brown chocolate and her new pink t-shirt was now a little abstract work of art.

"Katie! What are you doing? Don't you want to wait until we finish your special cake?" to which Katie, wearing the biggest smile on her little cute face, replied: "No mummy, thank you, I'm happy now".

Just thinking of little Katie puts a smile on my face...

Kids can often teach us adults valuable lessons. And no one knows how to be happy the way kids do. Playfully, even nonchalantly, fully immersing yourself in the moment, with no other expectations but to just be there and enjoy whatever it is you are doing to the maximum.

Being happy " just because" is something we, as adults, tend to forget along the way. When you allow yourself to remember all the simple, "silly" things you used to do when you were a kid that made you so happy so easily, you can realize that you can choose to be happy right now too. Just think of something that puts a smile on your face and notice how much happier you feel!

Follow Dr. Richard bandler's Recipe for Happiness: Be in a good mood for as long as you can!