FOOD IDEAS

Preserve Business

2009-12-22T09:04:00.002-04:00

I'm thinking of opening a preserve business, jam, jellies, salsa, pickles, etc. Have to do some research first. Want to start something o make a few extra dollars in my spare time.if,anyone has any suggestions or recipes to share,like to hear from you. I'll let you know how the plans are going over the next few weeks.

Traditional Christmas Foods

2009-12-18T19:34:00.002-04:00

Other than the Turkey dinner, we always had Christmas cookies(shortbread, sugar,icebox)never a shortage of cookies. My, mother always made fruit cake. I didn't like it then, but seem to have got over that. She always put a lot into those cakes, soaked in brandy and wrapped with cheesecloth. They were so moist and tasty. So, what ever your tradition Christmas foods are, i hope you enjoy them and have a Merry Christmas.

Lunch Recipes

2009-12-17T17:24:00.001-04:00

Does anyone have any good lunch recipes. looking for something fast and easy to make. Sure would like to here from you.

New Job

2009-11-15T23:04:00.002-04:00

Well, tomorrow I start a new job. Sous Chef at a new restaurant and sports bar(Marcus and Willy's). Looking forward to doing some real cooking and getting back to the food. Most of my past jobs have been in management positions, so it would be nice to concentrate on the food and presentation of it.

Look for a Great Get Away, Check out British Airways

2009-11-12T09:52:00.004-04:00

Looking to travel, visit, family vacation or just to get away. Check out what British Airways is offering its customers. Offer ends by November 19th, so hurry. They have a number of great location, as well as, packages to choice from. You can design your own package as they have flight, accommodations, car and experiences to make your travels most enjoyable to you and to anyone that my be accompanying you. The prices are great, they offer economy to first class trips. I would love to travel to Greece and this offer from British Airways can make that dream come true. They have 200+ entertainment options to look at, look at the options and get upgraded to experiences these incredible options. British Airways offers World Class Service to all it customers. A company that is customer oriented, great flights leaving Canada. So, now it's up to you check it out and you will find that British Airways is a great way to travel and they can make your travels enjoyable. Happy traveling.

Compact Appliances

2009-07-03T21:01:00.000-03:00

Fresh Strawberries

2008-07-31T16:29:00.001-03:00

Every summer, I can't wait for fresh local strawberries. Once, I see them in the stores, it brings back memories of trips to the valley. We, would go to the u-picks every year to a few flats. My mom would make some jam, but what I like most was Strawberry Shortcake. Now, I grow a few plants and have all the berries I need. It's great to be able to have fresh berries, right in your yard. Give it a try and start a few plant or try the patio types, they don't take up much room and can grow anywhere.

I Signed Up For SocialSpark

2008-07-24T23:14:00.005-03:00

I found this great site called SocialSpark. It allows you to connect to other bloggers, make friends and take Opps. Opps, stands for opportunities that can be free, but if you meet the requirements, you could make some money. I started to blog for fun and something to do in my spare time. Finding this site has changed my way I look at blogs. I still enjoy to post to my blog, but now have the chance to earn a few extra dollars. You, can also post opps your self. Great way to direct traffic to your site and generate some community building. It's worth a look, if you join, it gives you step by step instructions on what to do. With lots of help and tutorials, you should have any problems getting set up. First, you have to register and claim your blog. Second, once your blog meets the terms, you will be approved and your blog verified. Once, this happens things really start, your able to take opportunities that pay. My, blog just got approved and I'm excited about getting started. To look at what SocialSpark has to offer, check out the following site:http://socialspark.com/. Since, joining SocialSpark, I have drove a lot of traffic to my site and have viewed a lot of great sites, made friends and have made a few free sparks and have taken some free sparks my self. Generating traffic not only to my site, but to other blog sites as well. I do feel like I'm part of something great.

SocialSpark

SocialSpark

My Favorite Food

2008-07-14T09:02:00.005-03:00

Great opp on Socialspark, http://monikadubska.blogspot.com/ wants to know what your favorite food is in 100 words or more. As a cook, I have a lot of food I like to cook, so I had to give some thought as to what my favorite food to eat was. After some thought I have it, pizza.

I guess pizza has always been my favorite. I love not only the flavour but the nice crispy texture of the crust as well. Pizza has come a long way. Now we have thin, thick, stuffed, whole wheat and a few other types of crust. I prefer the original thin crust myself, as I enjoy crisp golden crust. I also prefer the pizza to be cooked in a pizza oven right on the stones. Some are cooked in the pan and some go on a moving belt, but none compare to the tradition method of right on the pizza stone. This is what gives the crisp golden texture.

Next, is the pizza sauce. Their are so many to pick from, but just a plain tomato sauce with your favorite spices and herbs will do fine.

Finally, the ingredients, start with fresh and you'll have a great tasting pizza. Too many to go over, so go with your favorite. Even try something new, you never know .

Check out,http://www.annamariavolpi.com/pizza_recipe.html, great basic pizza dough recipes and pictures to show you the steps to make it. Give it a try, great for make your own pizza party's or fun for the family. Enjoy.

Pot-Luck Social

2008-07-11T20:45:00.002-03:00

Pot-Lucks, were everyone brings a dish of food main, side, dessert, etc. for everyone else. You never know what everyone will bring, could be all desserts. We, have about three or four a year at work. Great way for everyone to get together and team build or just relax and enjoy some great food. This time we have a Hawaiian Theme, were everyone is to bring a Hawaiian dish. We are going to decorate the board room for the occasion. Should be fun and build some moral as well. If, anyone has any great Hawaiian dishes, I would like to hear from you. Thanks, aloha.

Strawberry Shortcake

2008-07-11T16:58:00.002-03:00

It's strawberry season again and all the memories of when I was younger are going back. We, always made a trip to the strawberry fields to pick a few flats. My mother would make jam and we have fresh bowls of the bright red juicy berries, but my favorite was the shortcake using biscuits and fresh whipped cream. Now, I have a small patch of my own and in a year or two we should have all the berries we need. The following was taken from ABOUT.COM recipes and is just as I remember my mother making. I hope you enjoy and try planting your own patch, it only takes a few plants.

Old-Fashion Strawberry Shortcake

Biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 stick butter, chilled
2/3 to 3/4 cup half and half, milk, or cream
.
Filling:
1 quart strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
.
1 1/2 cups whipping cream for topping, or non-dairy whipped topping

Preparation:Rinse the berries under cold water; drain well. Hull and slice the berries; place in a bowl. Sprinkle with the sugar; cover and let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour. Whip the cream (sweeten with 2 or 3 tablespoons of sugar, if desired) until it holds a soft peak. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Set rack at center level.
In a food processor (you can use a pastry cutter or fingertips) combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and pulse to mix. Cut butter into about 8 pieces and add to the mixture. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, but with few pea-size chunks of butter left in the mixture. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and make a well in the center. With a fork stir in the cream or milk, just until dough is moist. Be very careful not to overwork. The dough doesn't have to hold together well at this point. Let the dough stand for a minute. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough over on itself (knead) 2 or 3 times, until it is holding together and is less sticky.
Gently pat the dough into a 6 by 12-inch rectangle about 3/4-inch thick and cut into 8 (3-inch) biscuits with a floured round cutter. Transfer to a buttered foil-lined cookie sheet. Brush on a little milk or cream and sprinkle tops with some sugar, if desired. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until risen and golden brown. Remove to a platter and split each biscuit horizontally with a serrated knife. Butter the hot biscuits then top with about 1/3 cup of berry mixture. Replace the tops and top with a tablespoon or so of berries. Serve with whipped cream for topping. Serves 8.

Natural Healthly Skin

2008-07-09T15:01:00.003-03:00

Not a food related topic your thinking. Well take a look at the following site,http://ppcr-tinman.blogspot.com/naturalhealthlyskin. It tell you all about the benefits of olive oil, green teas and other foods that a great for the skin, much better than using chemicals or having injections.

Family Pig Roast

2008-07-04T21:08:00.002-03:00

It's our second annual Family Pig Roast at work for all employees and their families. We had a good turn out last year and are expecting an even better one this year. We got a whole pig with head on, about 60-70 lbs. Going to cook it on a open spit, fired with charcoal. Cooking needs to start around 6 AM to have ready for 5 or 6 PM. Everyone is bringing a side dish, so their be a lot to eat. Pig will need to be turned every 20-30 mins. We baste with maple syrup for about the last hour of cooking, this gives it a real sweet taste, that goes well with pork. Should be a good time, some games for the whole family. Washer toss being the most popular and lots of laughs. I'm sure their will be a few beers downed as well.

Basic BBQ Sauce

2008-07-02T00:17:00.000-03:00

Summers here and that means BBQ season. Remember to follow safe food handling, as well as, follow good practices for using the BBQ. Theirs nothing better than the smells of the BBQ filling the air. Theirs so much you can cook on the BBQ, but it all starts with a good BBQ sauce. The following is a good basic sauce. You can start with this and add to your taste. Cooking is a matter of taste, yours.

Things you need.

Saucepan
1/4 c. cider or white wine vinegar
1/3 c. molasses
1 c. tomato ketchup
1 tbsp. mustard
1 tsp. each garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and black pepper
liquid smoke (optional)

Food Safety Tips for Groups

2008-07-01T12:47:00.000-03:00

Summer here and group get together will be starting. Such as family picnics, community events and so on. I wanted to mention a few things to remember when preparing for a large groups. Some advice and tips to follow, so your event goes smoothly and safe. An out break of food poisoning can turn a good event bad quickly. So, I hope the following is of help to you and your group.

1. Hand washing is your ally: Wash your hands with soap and warm water often, including when you come home, before preparing food or eating (including at restaurants or special events), and after blowing your nose, touching pets, using the toilet or changing diapers.

2. Don’t forget to wash food: All food should be carefully washed, especially when prepared to eat raw. Hard to clean items like wrinkled lettuce leaves should be individually washed, with attention paid to each crevice.

3. Cut larger food items into smaller portion sizes: This ensures guest only handle their own serving – not the entire plate. A great example: bunches of grapes can be cut into small clusters of 2 or 3 grapes for serving.

4. Two hours maximum! Food should NOT sit out for more than two hours. If you’re expecting guests over a longer period of time, offer small amounts of food on the buffet, adding more from the fridge or oven only as needed. DO NOT mix old with new.

5. Keep food safe: Food should be kept at below 4°C (40°F) or above 60°C (140°F). Cover food whenever and as often as possible. (DANGER ZONE 4 C (40F) to 60 C (140 F))

6. Have extra serving utensils: You can never offer too many tongs, forks and spoons – whether dropped on the floor, dipped in another dish, or sneezed upon, utensils should be clean at all times. Include serving spoons when offering bowls of nuts or unwrapped candies.

7. If you’re sick, stay home: Have another person make the food for your child’s class, for family events, or to share with co-workers. You may even consider buying individually portioned and wrapped food to reduce the risk of spreading germs.

Buying Local

2008-06-30T23:28:00.000-03:00

Recently, I been thinking more about buying local products, not just to support local farmers or producers. This is certainly a very good reason as a great number of local products and produce is raised or growing locally. Still, items from away can be less costly than items from local suppliers. with the cost of everything going up, we will have to make some choices and cost will play a big part in that. How can we promote local when its not always better or cheaper? I’ve been buying local as much as I can. The fresh produce can’t be beaten for flavour and freshness. As, I look for more products I fine we have a great deal to offer. It’s time we all look at what is offered for local goods and question why it cost more than good from half way around the world. I know we can’t and don’t produce everything, but we have a lot to bring to the table.