Introduction: Making a Caribou Turtle Mocha. <PIC> This instructable gives directions on how to make a Caribou turtle mocha. I have worked in a Caribou Coffee shop for two and a half years.  A turtle mocha is one of our most popular drinks and easy to make.  I think it is important for a recipe for a specialty drink to be known, so that you do not need to spend a lot of money at a coffee shop when you can make it at home.  Someone who would want to make this should enjoy espresso, and be prepared to make a specialty drink.  It takes under 2 minutes.   Step 1: Materials Needed. <PIC> - Espresso Machine
- Espresso cups
- Milk
- Milk Pitcher
- Scoop
- Chocolate
- Carmel Syrup
- Whip Cream
- Snickers Step 2: Measure Chocolate Chips Into a Milk Pitcher. <PIC> For a small, use 2 scoops.  For a medium, use 3 scoops.  For a large, use 4 scoops.  You can use dark, milk, or white chocolate.  I chose to use white chocolate for this example because it is the most popular.   Step 3: Add Milk to the Chocolate. <PIC> Pour milk up to the appropriate line. Step 4: Steam Milk/chocolate Combo. <PIC> Steam to 160 degrees.  For extra hot drinks steam to 180 degrees.  For not-so-hot drinks, steam to 160 degrees and then add a little cold milk.  Step 5: Pull Espresso Shots. <PIC> The shots should take between 20-25 seconds to brew. Step 6: Pump Carmel Into Cup. <PIC> For a small, use 3 pumps.  For a medium, use 4 pumps.  For a large, use 5 pumps. Step 7: Pour Espresso Shots Into Cup. <PIC> For a small and medium, use 2 shots of espresso.  For a large, use 3 shots of espresso. Step 8: Add the Steamed Milk/chocolate Combination to the Cup. <PIC> Fill the cup, but leave about 1 inch room for whip cream. Step 9: Clean Steaming Wand. <PIC> This is necessary because otherwise the milk will dry to the wand.Warning:   Be sure to use a towel when cleaning the steaming wand because it will be too hot for a bare hand to touch.   Step 10: Top With Whip Cream. <PIC> Tip: Start applying whip near the rim, and move in circles toward the center. Step 11: Sprinkle Snickers Onto the Whip. <PIC> Use only one scoop, otherwise it becomes too chunky.   Step 12: Drizzle Carmel Over Snickers. <PIC> Apply carmel drizzle in three concentric circles. Step 13: Place Lid on Top. <PIC> You are done!  The turtle mocha is now ready for your enjoyment.  Warning: It may be too hot to consume immediately, so leave a few minutes to cool.  If not, you may burn your tongue.


Introduction: Simple Sangria Recipe. <PIC> It's hot outside, cool off with this simple, affordable, and refreshing sangria recipe. Step 1: Ingredients and Supplies. <PIC> Ingredients • 6 oranges • 1liter (32oz) “Grape Juice” (you can use wine if you would like) • 1 can of peaches in fruit juice • 1 can of mandarins in fruit juice • 2 apples • 1 bananaSupplies • Cutting board • Measuring cup • Citrus press • Knife • Punch bowl or larger pitcher (needs 80 oz. capacity) • Large spoon or ladle • Pitcher • Cups • Rag Step 2: Peel and Cut 2 Oranges. <PIC> • Take 2 oranges, and peel them by hand • Throw peel away • Remove white veins from the center • Once peeled take the orange and pull apart the wedges • Once separated cut the wedges in halves • CAUTION: watch your fingers when cutting the fruit • Place the Oranges in the bowl or pitcher Step 3: Cut and Juice 4 Oranges. <PIC> • Then take 4 oranges and cut them in half with a knife • CAUTION: watch your fingers when cutting the fruit • Once the 4 orange are cut in half, take each half and squeeze the juice out into the citrus press. • Press firmly and Twist the orange to get the juice out of the orange • Remove top from Citrus Press and clean pulp from the top before pouring • Now take the Orange juice from the citrus press and pour it into the mixing bowl Step 4: Measure and Pour Grape Juice. <PIC> • Take the grape juice and pour it into a measuring cup to 16oz. Do this twice so there is a total of 32oz • Then pour the juice slowly into the mixing bowl or pitcher Step 5: Add Cinnamon. <PIC> • Take the cinnamon and add 4 pinches to the mixing bowl or pitcher Step 6: Open, Drain, and Cut Peaches. <PIC> • Open the can of Peaches with a can opener • Once the lid is open, take the can with one finger hold the lid and drain the juices of the peaches into the mixing bowl•  Be careful as the edge of the lid is very sharp • Then remove the lid and put the rest of the peaches onto the cutting board, then dice the peaches.• CAUTION: watch your fingers when cutting the fruit • Once diced take the cutting board full of peaches and mix them into the mixing bowl or pitcher. Step 7: Open and Add Mandarins. <PIC> • Open the canned mandarins with a can opener • Remove the lid from the can • CAUTION Be careful as the edge of the lid is very sharp • Pour the mandarins into the mixing bowl • CAUTION watch for splashing juice Step 8: Cut and Add Apples. <PIC> • Take the two apples and cut slices around the core• CAUTION: watch your fingers when cutting the fruit • Throw away the cores • Once the apples are cut take and dice the already cut apple slices • Take the diced apple pieces and pour them into the mixing bowl or pitcher Step 9: Peel and Slice Banana. <PIC> • Take the banana and peel it • Once peeled take the banana and slice into discs • CAUTION: watch your fingers when cutting the fruit • Once sliced, mix the banana discs into the mixing bowl or pitcher Step 10: Cut and Juice Lemon. <PIC> • Take the Lemon and cut it in half • Once in half, take each half and juice them in the citrus press (press firmly and twist) • Remove pulp from the lid before pouring • Then take the juice from the citrus press and pour it into the mixing bowl or pitcher Step 11: Stir and Refrigerate. <PIC> • Take the Sangria and refrigerate till chilled • The Sangria is finished Step 12: • Sit Back, Relax, Kick Your Feet Up and Enjoy a Glass of This Great, Refreshing Summer Beverage!. <PIC>


Introduction: Pico De Gallo. <PIC>
          Pico de gallo is quick and easy to make at home, and it's fantastic made a few hours ahead of time. I often make it to go with tacos - today I made it with my chickpea tacos. This pico de gallo recipe isn't the most exact as far as measurements go, but I'll share some of my basic pico de gallo rules. :DIngredients:
		equal amount of tomatoes and white onions
		couple cloves of garlic
		a jalapeno or serrano
		a handful of cilantro - no stems!
		pinch of salt
		squeeze of lemon or lime
After eating at quite a few Mexican restaurants here in Oakland, and experimenting with making salsas and pico at home on my own, I've decided that having equal amounts of tomatoes and onions work the best. I also love sweeter tomatoes in this - I tend to use grape or cherry. :)
Make sure you're using a white onion - yellow onions are too mild and sweet.Method:
		Dice the onion finely.
		Pierce the tomatoes with a sharp knife and squeeze out the seeds and excess juice.
		Chop the tomatoes so they match the size of the onions.
		Mince your garlic and pepper of choice.
		Place everything in a bowl and mix in a generous pinch of salt.
		Add lemon juice and chopped cilantro to taste.
		Keep tasting and add until you love it!
I never add any crazy additional spices to mine - it's good as-is! I use lemon here instead of lime because I think the pico is sweet enough thanks to the tomatoes. The lemon adds a nice sour/sharp note. :) Just use whichever citrus you like more!
Also keep in mind that while it's best made in advance, the salt we added will cause lots of liquid to come out of the tomatoes and onions. You might want to drain it a little if you'll be using it on tacos.


Introduction: Green Apple Cupcakes!. <PIC> I'm so excited to share this with everyone! It was very experimental so I wasn't quite sure what to expect, and I was blown away by the results. It is THE CUPCAKE that has ruined all other cupcakes for me. I just don't think I can go back to paper-lined cupcakes AGAIN! Thank goodness I have an apple tree!
You will need:
6 green apples
1 spice cake mix (or your favorite recipe)
Frosting (I ended up making carmel frosting)
1. First prep your apples by removing any stickers & washing them.
2. Mix up your cake batter as directed & set it aside
3. Cut your apples in half
4. Core them out using a large spoon & leaving about 1/4" edge
5. Place your hollowed out apple cups into a muffin pan
6. Chop any salvageable chunks of apple up and throw them in the cake batter.
7. Fill your newly made apple cups nearly to the top with batter. (You will have plenty leftover for whatever else you would like too)
8. Bake as directed for your cake recipe until springy to the touch. (or toothpick method)
9. Remove from the oven and let them sit about 5 minutes.
10. Gently scoop them from the pan using a spoon or fork & transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely
11. Once cooled whip up your favorite frosting and frost them. (Try some salted carmel frosting!)
When I first took a bite of one of these I literally went weak in the knees. The cake stays so moist because of the juicies & there are multiple textures involved. I think the best part is that there are no pesky cupcake liners laying around everywhere because the entire cupcake is edible. I will say that the carmel frosting takes it to over the top deliciousness! Originally I was going to just use some store bought stuff, but the smell of spiced apples baking got me thinking of carmel. It complements the treat perfectly, you've got to try it. Here's the recipe I used. ( I did mix some of the store bought into mine too for kicks & giggles)
Salted Carmel Frosting:
1 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C butter or margarine
1/4 C milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 to 2 C confectioners’ sugar
Sea salt
Combine brown sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to lukewarm.  Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until
frosting reaches desired consistency. Frost your cupcakes and sprinkle with a little sea salt.


Introduction: Bacon Beef Butter Biscuits!. <PIC> Regular biscuits not cutting it? Want more bacon in your life? Want a just plain awesome snack? Try Bacon Beef Butter Biscuits! A great heaping serving of Awesome for any meal. Step 1: Ingredients! Or: Stuff You Need!. <PIC> You will need: An oven/stove combo. (not sure if they make them separately, actually)"Jiffy" baking mix, or similar.Measuring cupBowlBeef StockBaconButterFork. Step 2: Everyone's Favorite Meat. <PIC> Everyone loves bacon. It's been scientifically proven. First off, you'll need 4 (I'd recommend more, but I ran out) strips of bacon.Make the bacon however you like, but it should be crispy. My personal method is to flip it once or twice every couple minutes, then when the fat gets to be covering almost the entire pan, drain the fat. flip the bacon, and resume cooking until extra crispy. Once it reaches the desired cooked-ness, we move on to: Step 3: Mixing Everything Together and Making It Look Good, Too. <PIC> Now that we have our bacon, let's break it. Take each strip and pull/pinch/rip off chunks of bacon roughly the size of your thumbnail. Use larger chunks if you are using more bacon, and smaller chunks if you are going to make smaller biscuits. Now to mix some stuff together. Start with an empty mixing bowl, measure and add 2 cups Jiffy mix.Next, measure and add 2 cups beef stock, and quickly throw in the bacon chips you just made. Then: Step 4: Mix Until Your Arm Hurts.. <PIC> Mix the baking mix, beef stock, and bacon with a High-Performance Mixing Unit(or as we call it, a Fork), for about 2-3 minutes. your goal is to get something the consistency of  cold chunky peanut butter. Once your arm starts to hurt, take your butter (2-3 tbsp) and place it in your Melting Containment Unit. (plastic thingy). Microwave for 30 seconds if cold(30 seconds if warm, too), then quickly put it in your bowl. At this point, you have to mix it very thoroughly, for about 5 minutes, long enough for the butter to cool down. Your end product should now be the consistency of warm chunky peanut butter. Now, on to... Step 5: Baking! Finally!. <PIC> Once all the ingredients are mixed, turn your oven on to 450 degrees (F, not C.) you're going to want to get your cookie sheet and spoon out. Grease the pan with non-stick cooking oil or whatever you want to use (as long as it's non-stick cooking something), then grease the spoon. (it works a lot better, actually)Your goal is to make 10-12 globs of dough, evenly spaced on the cookie sheet. This should take you about long enough for your oven to pre-heat, so when you're done, pop that cookie sheet in there, and set your timer for 7 minutes. Amuse yourself in the meantime by talking to your oven mitt, or maybe just wash the dishes. After 7 minutes, check the biscuits. they should look like they're done, the bottoms golden brown and the tops splitting open at some points. Don't believe their lies, because they're not done. Turn your oven off, leave the biscuits in there, and set your timer for 3 more minutes.  Step 6: Done! Eat!. <PIC> After 3 minutes, take them out of the oven, and let cool for 4-5 more minutes. The Bacon Beef Butter Biscuits are now done! You can enjoy them as a side for soup, as biscuits usually are enjoyed, as a breakfast addition, or you could eat them all before you do any of those things, because they are quite hard to resist. This is actually my third batch, I ate a batch and a half  while trying to get my camera.Enjoy!


Introduction: Pumpkin SnickerBOOdles. <PIC> Yummy Pumpkin flavored snickerdoodlish cookies for your Halloween table!  These are soft and spicy and just pumpkiny enough to please. This was inspired by several other pumpkin snickerdoodle recipes I read online, but none of them had enough pumpkin pie spice for my taste.. This is my version with the spices kicked up a notch. ( next time, I might add a dash more of each, but I like pumpkin desserts spicy.. ) Step 1: What You Need:. <PIC>  For the cookie dough   2 sticks of butter, softened     1 cup of white sugar     1/2 cup of dark brown sugar     1 cup puréed pumpkin     1 egg     2 tsps vanilla     3 3/4 cup flour     1 1/2 tsps baking powder     1/2 tsp sea salt     1 tsp cinnamon        1/4 tsp ginger     1/4 tsp nutmeg     1/4 tsp allspice     Red and yellow food coloring  For the sugar coating   1/2 cup white sugar     1 tsp cinnamon     1/4 tsp ginger     A dash of nutmeg     a dash of allspice  An oven preheated to 350 a mixer bowls a refrigerator  cookie sheets parchment paper clean glass black cookie decorating icing (or royal icing tinted black) Step 2: Dry Ingredients. <PIC> Mix flour, baking powder, cookie spices and salt in a medium bowl and set aside Step 3: In the Mixer. <PIC> Mix the softened butter and sugars until creamy. Add in cup of pumpkin and beat until blended. Mix in vanilla, egg, 6 drops of red food coloring and 8 drops of yellow. Beat until smooth. Step 4: Add in Dry Ingredients. <PIC> Add dry ingredients and mix until just blended. (Don't over mix, or they will get tough) Step 5: Chill Out. <PIC> Cover and refrigerate for about an hour Step 6: Mix Up the Sugar Coating. <PIC> In a bowl containing the last 1/2cup of sugar, add 4 drops of red food coloring and 6 drops of yellow food coloring.  With a fork, mix the sugar, breaking the colored chunks up until all of the sugar is an even orange color. Add remaining spices. Step 7: Roll Some Cookies. <PIC> Once the dough is chilled, roll dough in balls, about a tablespoon at a time.  Roll the ball in the sugar spice mix and place on the parchment covered cookie sheet.  Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. continue until your cookie sheet is full. Bake at 350 for 10-11 minutes Step 8: Decorate. <PIC> Remove from oven and let cool. Draw faces on the pumpkins using cookie icing... I didn't get a photo of that step.. I was caught up in the Halloween magic of jack o lantern faces and forgot to snap a picture. Decorated, they look like this... And that's it! Enjoy!


Introduction: Hand Held Espresso Maker.. <PIC>
          Hi!!
A few months ago, I published and Instructable titled:“Pocket size Espresso Machine with integrated alcohol stove.”
I got a ton of comments on the design; a good number of them focused on my use of copper as the main build material.
Questions of material safety with food were raised and some people even went the extra mile to see if using copper in this way was food safe.
A second point was also raised, that it was not really an espresso maker but a moka pot, due to its inability to exert sufficient water pressure on the coffee grounds.
So, for all of you, I went back to the drawing board and came up with a new design that solved both the copper and the pressure problems!
And incredibly, it's also cheaper and easier to make!
BTW, it is just big enough to hold 2oz of water so you can pull a double shot :D
A short video of the machine in action: Step 1: Design Constraints. <PIC> <!--
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	The espresso maker works by releasing air at high pressure into the brew chamber (I used a small bike pump to build up the air pressure).
	It works just like the commercial Handpresso which is my main inspiration.
	To build this, I set the following constraints:
		All water handling parts had to be either aluminum or stainless steel.
		All parts had to be easily and cheaply obtained.
		Only simple tools could be used.
		It must be safe (no exploding parts due to high pressure or hands burned by hot water)
		Must be easy to give maintenance (sometimes overlooked) Step 2: Parts and Tools. <PIC>
          This is going to be an odd part list, because the sized of some parts are going to be dependent on the size of the espresso portafilter basket you get. In the next step I’ll tell you how to correctly size the parts
Parts to be sized:
	1 PVC union, sizes from 1 to 2 inches
	1 PVC reducer, sizes from 1 to 2 inches
	1 PVC cap, sizes from 1.5 to 2 inches
	1 PVC cap, sizes from 1 to 1.5 inches
	2 O-rings that fit into the PVC union
	1 small aluminum or stainless steel can

	Parts that don’t need to be sized.
	1 espresso portafilter basket
	2 tubeless tire air valves
	1 1inch threaded PVC plug
	1 1inch threaded PVC or bronze cap

	When we get to the part of the air release button, I’ll show you the parts that I used, so that you can either use the same parts or look in you toolbox for some similar things that will do the trick. Step 3: Part Sizeing. <PIC> The espresso maker’s main body is made out of the 1-2 inch PVC union.
Its size depends on the portafilter basket that you get.
When you disassemble the union, the basket should fit into the outer ring just like in the picture.
The 2 O-rings go one into the PVC ring, then the basket, then the other O-ring.
From the picture of the finished machine, you can see that the big cap has to be about the size of the union’s outer ring.
In my case, the union I used was a 1-1/4” with a 2” cap.
Since the cap is bigger than the part of the union that is screwed into it, you will need a reducer to make sure that they fit tightly together. In my case a 2” to 1-1/2” reduce did the job, but I had to sand both pieces down to make them fit.
The Small cap will be the same size as the inner diameter of the reducer.
Please see the pictures of how the machine built to better understand how the part sizes come together. Step 4: Sanding and Fitting Together the Air Chamber. <PIC> Sand down the parts until they fit together like in the pictures.
You will also have to remove the inter thread of the union part that screws with tube and outer ring, unless you can get an unthreaded one.
Glue the two parts together using PVC glue. Step 5: The Air Chamber Dome. <PIC> Remember that smaller cap?
Well, it will be to cap off the air chamber, but since caps this size also come in a nice, “dome” shape, I used one of those.
It also helps the design, because this part will be under pressure and a domed shaped one will take the pressure better than a flat one.
Just cut the cap at the top, making sure it fits tightly in place.
Just dry fit it. Don't glue it yet! Step 6: Modify the Tubeless Tire Air Valve.. <PIC> I got these two valves for free at the Walmart tire center.
I asked how much they cost, but the dude working there told me they didn’t have any barcodes, so the couldn’t sell me any but that I could take the two valves that I needed free. :D
Carefully cut out all the rubber until your left only with the brass.
I needed to cut the brass tube down a bit, so I pushed down the valve, saw how far it went inside the brass tube and cut it about 1/8”  longer than the lowest the valve went. Step 7: Aluminum Hot Water Chamber.. <PIC>
          PVC and hot water don’t mix very well.
The thing is that the hot water will make the PVC soft and it will fail.
But not in this case, because: 		The hot water is only in there a short while.
		The machine design. In the parts that will be exposed to heat for the minute the machine is used, are PVC walls are triple thick.
Since the rules say that only aluminum and stainless steel can touch the water, lets make the water chamber.
I took the part I made in the previous step to the store on the corner, and looked for some can that would fit into it.
None did exactly, but one can of teen deodorant I fount did have the right diameter and the top fit snuggly into the water opening.
I cut the can in half.  You don’t have to sand the outside if you don’t want to, since it will be glued to the PVC part.
I took hammer and a piece of tube I hand in my toolbox and started shaping the top of the can until it fit tightly inside the water camber.
The bottom of the can was already domed, so I used that for the domed inner part of the water chamber.
Sand and clean the inside of the can.
Drill a hole just a bit smaller than the air valve and carefully hammer it into place.
         Step 8: The External Shell. <PIC> Take the bit PVC plug and drill a 1/2” hole in the middle and a hole a bit smaller that the diameter of you air valve.
Screw the plug in place and glue.
Carefully hammer the air valve in place and glue. Step 9: The Inner Air Chamber. <PIC> Glue the dome in place. Step 10: Air Release Button and Cap Screws. <PIC> Since I didn’t trust my gluing, I decided not to use PVC glue in the external cap. What I did use was silicon but since I was sure it would not take the pressure, I secured it in place with 4 screws (just make sure that don’t go all the way into the water chamber.
I decided to use a bronze cap for my air release button (I thought it looked nicer) so I had to cut the plug down to size. If not, just drill a 1/2" hole in the middle of the plug.Beware!
Make sure that air can get from the external valve to the inner one before gluing.
If not, sand the bottom of the plug until it does. Step 11: Air Release Button. <PIC> Follow the pictures to assemble the air release button.
How does it work?
Well, a small screw is held in place by a rubber gasket. When you push the screw, it pushes he top of the inner valve, releasing the air under pressure into the water chamber.
I found that the rubber head of a number 10 syringe plunger was just the right part to seal the button of, but be flexible enough to allow me to push the screw underneath it.
Remember, if the inner valve fails,  you can easily disassemble this button to get access to the valve and with the special screwdriver, change it Step 12: Make Some Espresso!. <PIC> Preheat.
Like all espresso machines, if you don’t want a lukewarm first shot, you have to preheat the machine.
Put some hot water into the water chamber and wait some 20 sec. for it to warm up.
Also, but some hot water in the basket and let it heat up.Make the espresso
		Put your coffee in basket and tamper.
		With the main machine empty of the preheating water, use a bike-pump to pump air into the machine (I use 10 pumps)
		Fill the machine with 1oz of water for a single shot, 2 oz. for a largo.
		Screw the bottom of the machine in place
		Place over cup
		Press air release button
		Wait for the water to run out (about 20 sec)
Enjoy you coffee!


Introduction: Make a Pretzel Rod Cake With Your Kids. <PIC> This is an easy baking project you can take on in an afternoon with your kids.   Step 1: Get Your Supplies Ready. <PIC> Make sure you have your apron on because things are about to get messy.  This is meant to be a kid-friendly baking project, so we're using simple ingredients and the end result will be less than perfect, but it will be a day of fun in the kitchen.  I love to get my kids excited about baking projects. Step 2: Make the Cakes. <PIC> I use two boxed cake mixes for this cake.  You will simply mix the cakes according to package directions. Step 3: Bake the Cakes. <PIC> Grease and line 3 six inch round cake pans with parchment.  You'll use 1/2 of a prepared cake mix to fill each pan which will produce a very tall cake layer, leaving you with 1/2 of a prepared mix you won't need for this recipe.  You can bake it up for something to snack on while you decorate the cake. Step 4: Prepare the Frosting. <PIC> I made a simple, classic butter cream for this cake.  This will give you a delicious, easy to spread frosting.  However, if the slight yellow color bothers you, you can use pure white canned frosting.  I find that by the time the cake is decorated, the buttercream hardly shows through.  Just mix 2 sticks softened salted butter, 5 Cups powdered sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, and 2 Tablespoons half & half.  Whip until fluffy. Step 5: Let the Cakes Cool. <PIC> Once your cakes are baked, let them cool in the pan for 20 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge and remove the cake.  Allow it to cool thoroughly on wire wracks.  You can use a serrated knife to level off the tops of your cakes before staking them. Step 6: Stack the Cake Layers. <PIC> Place one layer of your cake onto a plate or cake stand.  Use some of the frosting you made to glue the layers together as you stack them on your plate.  Freeze the cake for an hour before you frost the outsides.  This will make it more sturdy and will prevent crumbs from getting into your frosting. Step 7: Get Ready to Make the Pretzel Rods. <PIC> The pretzel rods will be the decoration for your cake.  You will need a 14 ounce bag of rods, a jar of nonpareils, 1 pound of white chocolate candy melting wafers, and 4 ounces red candy melting wafers. Step 8: Dip the Pretzel Rods. <PIC> Melt the white candy melting wafers in the microwave according to package directions and place them in a tall glass.  Dip the rods slowly into the candy coating and lift them out slowly.  Place them on parchment or a wire baking rack to set up.  If the candy coating begins to harden before you've finished, just microwave it for 30 seconds and stir.  I let the kids do the dipping and they do a great job.  If you're worried about the chocolate being the same length on every pretzel, you might want to watch closely.  I kind of like the imperfect, homemade look. Step 9: Decorate the Pretzel Rods. <PIC> Melt the red candy coating.  Use the tines of a fork to pick up some of the coating.  Move your wrist back and forth quickly to create splatters on the rods.  Immediately sprinkle on some nonpareils onto the rods before the red coating dries.  Allow the rods to dry completely. Step 10: Frost the Cake and Attach the Rods. <PIC> Once your cake has set up in the freezer, frost the entire surface with the buttercream frosting you made.  Simply begin to place your decorated pretzel rods all around the cake, setting them close together.  Press them just slightly so they stick to the frosting. Step 11: Make the Coconut Topping. <PIC> Put a one pound bag of sweetened, shredded coconut into a large bowl.  Squeeze on a few drops of pink food coloring and use two forks to mix the coloring into the coconut.  This will serve as the topper for your cake. Step 12: Finish the Cake. <PIC> Once you get the pretzel rods placed all around your cake, pile the coconut topping in the middle.  You find out that pretzel rods may seem straight, but they are anything but!.  I think the imperfect lines make the cake more endearing, but you'll find versions of this on social media in which every single one is perfect.  I think those people must have use 17 bags of pretzels to find all the straight ones.  We didn't care to do that because right after we took this picture, we sliced out big pieces and ate them.  This was a delicious cake.  The salt of the pretzels created such a nice contrast to the super sweet cake, butter cream, and coconut.  This was a fun baking project and a great way to spend a cold afternoon with the kids.  Would make a lovely Valentine's day gift for a loved one too.


Introduction: Poppy Seeds Muffins . <PIC> Super easy to make! Step 1: Ingredients and Method. <PIC> 2 c flour1/2 c sugar 1 tsp baking soda 2 tsp BP 1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsp poppy seeds 1 egg 1 c buttermilk 1 tsp lemon juice/vanilla essence 1/4 c butter, meltedPreheat oven 375 fMix dry  ingredientsMix wet  ingredientsPour wet into dry and mix until just combined (don't over mixed) Bake for 18 minsEnjoy~


Introduction: Quick Quesadillas. <PIC>   This is a quick step by step for easy quesadillas.  You will need:   Tortillas (as many as you want)     Cheese (use the one you like the most, or what you have in the fridge)   Yes, is that easy. But you also need a microwave and a frying pan. Step 1: Step 1: Cutting and Folding. <PIC> First you just need to fold the tortillas so they can hold the cheese. Then cut the cheese in little pieces so they melt fast. Once you have all that done, you just need to put the cheese inside the tortillas as shown, and fold the tortillas again. Step 2: Step 2: Microwave. <PIC> Now microwave everything for about 20-30 seconds. Step 3: Step 3: Toasting. <PIC> Once you have the quesadillas with the melted cheese, you can eat them like this, or you can go ahead and toast them in a frying pan. Leave them in the heat for about 2 mins on each side. Step 4: Step 4: Enjoy. <PIC> That's it! Enjoy your quesadillas.


Introduction: Vermicelli (thin Noodles)Upma. <PIC> -Vermicelli upma also called as semiya upma is prepared from vermicelli,vegetables and spices and is one of the most popular south indian breakfast.Ingredients-2 and half cup vermicelli( semiya)-one diced onion-one sliced potato-one sliced carrot-Few curry leaves-one dry red chilli-salt as per taste-Half tsp cumin mustard seeds-Half tsp split black gram- Half tsp Italian herb paste(optional)-2 and half cups water-Any cooking oil Step 1: Roast Vermicelli. <PIC> -First step is to roast vermecilli. Take little oil in pan and roast vermicelli until it turns light brown color Step 2: Tempering. <PIC> -Take little oil in vessel and add half tsp cumin,mustard seeds. when they crackle add half tsp split black gram  Step 3: Add Turmeric and Dry Red Chillies. <PIC> -Next add few curry leaves,pinch of turmeric and dry red chillies Step 4: Add Onions. <PIC> -Add diced onions and saute for some time until they are cooked Step 5: Add Diced Potato and Carrot. <PIC> -Next add diced potato and carrots and saute for some time-When veggies are half cooked add salt as per taste and mix. Step 6: Add Water. <PIC> -vermecilli and water ratio should be 1:1.If we take 1 cup vermecilli add one cup water. Add half tsp italian herb paste which consists of basilicum,rosemary oregano.Adding herb paste is optional. You can add for additional flavour-After adding water close the lid and bring to boil Step 7: Add Vermicelli. <PIC> -when water boils add roasted vermecilli and mix everything-Reduce the flame and close the lid.After some time vermicelli absorbs the entire water and they are cooked. Step 8: Serve Hot. <PIC> -serve vermicelli upma hot with some pickle


Introduction: Captain Twmffat's Dark Spiced Rum. <PIC> Some hundreds of years ago, the only way that sea going folk, including pirates, could sustain the constant onslaught of bad weather, scurvy, rancid smelling body odour and other similar discomforts  was by way of their daily ration of grog - and traditionally this was an alcoholic drink called rum. Often, a swift glug of delicious rum was all it took to persuade the crew to go out on deck in a howling gale to trim the sails or prepare the lifeboats. Interestingly, the most common cause of mutiny onboard pirate ships was not bickering about dividing out treasure, but running out of rum, which, whilst out at sea was more precious than any gold trinket.In reality, alcohol is a very effective anaesthetic and can easily fool the brain into believing that the dangers of the sea are far less than they really are. In times gone by, especially on pirate ships, the concept of health and safety was not foremost on the captain's mind and with the absence of safety lines and harnesses and proper wet/cold weather clothing, extra rations of rum was the only way he could persuade his crew to brave the elements. Thank God we don't do this anymore!Disclaimer: Please do not trim sails or perform other hazardous activities whilst under the influence of alcohol. The above section is for historical reference only.Rum is thought to have originated in the Caribbean which was a popular stopping point for pirates and other ships of dubious patronage. It was first discovered when brewing with sugar cane and accidentally overcooking the sugars to produce caramel, which has a very characteristic 'chocolatey' flavour. Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> 1.05 kg sugar cane molasses  0.2 g liquorice powder  0.4 g dried angelica root  0.4 g chopped Madagascan vanilla pods  1 g safale 004 brewer's yeastObtaining the molasses can be quite confusing as quite a few different products are called 'raw sugar cane'. The trick is to look at the carbohydrate value in the nutritional profile on the label. The sugar value should read 95 g per 100 g and not more than 96 g. The molasses should be dark and compact with an amazing smell and exquisite taste! NB. Never use sugar beet molasses. Step 2: Equipment. <PIC> Air Still1 gallon demijohn (optional)    Demijohn bung and airlock (optional)    Separating funnel (optional)   Scales with range 0 to 200 g, accurate to 0.1 g.    Saucepan and wooden stirrer. Step 3: Making Caramel From Molasses. <PIC> 50 g of Molasses was added to a saucepan and gently heated and stirred until it reached it's smoke point (160 degrees C). Once smoking, quickly remove from the heat and stir vigorously. The photos show the process and, just before adding the water, we have a smoking light brown creamy substance.The brown cream was allowed to cool to just above 100 degrees C and then the pan was tilted to one side and 50 ml of water was added. Tilting prevents the water from boiling off as there is less contact with the hot sides of the pan.The last photo shows the final product which needs to be stirred over a very low heat to dissolve all, or at least most, of the sticky brown lumps. Eventually, we should have about 100 ml of liquid black caramel goo.Making caramel like this is fairly tricky and it's highly advisable to try the process beforehand with ordinary refined sugar. Step 4: Botanicals. <PIC> Since we are only making 750 ml of rum, we only need a tiny amount of botanicals as we don't want to completely overpower the flavour of the molasses.0.2g of powdered liquorice  0.4g of dried angelica root  0.4g of chopped Madagascan vanillaTotal botanicals = 1.0 gThese ingredients are added to the rum at the bottling stage and allowed to infuse for at least one month. Step 5: Making the Molasses Wine. <PIC> Add 1.0 kg of the molasses to 2 litres of water in a saucepan and warm to about 60 degrees, stirring to dissolve the sugars. Once fully dissolved, allow to cool, or it will crack the demijohn, and pour into the demijohn., topping up with water. The OG should now be about 1075. Any higher than this and it won't ferment.Add about 1g of safale 004 brewer's yeast to the liquid, put in the bung and airlock and store in a warm place for about 10 days to ferment. Step 6: Distillation / Rectified Spirit. <PIC> Distill the molasses wine to 50% alcohol, which will be diluted to about 40% when the liquid caramel is added. Click HERE for more info on distilling technique using an air still.The 'Making the Molasses Wine' step and the 'Distillation' step could be left out if you can get hold of some rectified spirit. Check out: Spirytus Rektyfikowany, but remember it's 95% alcohol so firstly needs to be diluted 1:1 with water to get it down to approx. 50%. 'Proper' rum should, however, be distilled from molasses wine to get the full flavour profile. Step 7: Labelling. <PIC> Create a fancy label - or use mine if you like!Have a quick taste of your concoction, just to check nothing's too obviously wrong with it. It will seem a bit 'harsh' for the first ten days or so but will rapidly improve and should be fit to have another sample after 2 weeks. It will then keep on improving in the bottle for months/years. No need for a wooden cask for this to occur, but if you want the authentic pirate experience, then by all means cask it up!There will be some sediment in the bottom of the bottle, which can be most easily separated by using a separating funnel (see 'Equipment' step). Mine is a 500ml funnel, so I poured off the top 250 ml from the bottle into another bottle, then pour the remaining 500ml into the funnel and wait a few days before opening the bottom valve to remove the dregs.Please drink responsibly and do not use alcohol when changing the sails on a ship!Please         in the competitions - top right - Thanks!


Introduction: Personal Deep Dish Pizza. <PIC>             We have all been there one time or another you like everything on your pizza, but he only likes cheese, and she only likes a few things on her pizza. Or you live by yourself and don't want to get a whole pizza. This is the solution! A personal deep dish that you make with all of you favorite toppings, meat, and sauce, and nothing you dont want. This is a quick, yummy, and affortable dish that almost anyone can make. This can be used for family get togethers,when friends are over, or just a nice treat for you and your family. Step 1: Materials and Tools. <PIC> These are some of the things you might want on your pizza...
Meat-pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, bacon, and anyother meat you like
Vegetables/ toppings- peppers (bell or spicy), olives (green or black), mushrooms, onions, pineapple, and anything else you like
Cheese- I would recomend getting a block because it is usualy less expensive and has less preservatives than pre-shredded cheese.Again it's up to you- any kind of cheese you like
Sauce- your favorite store bought brand or home made. I would recomend searching Instructables for a home made recipe (this is a great way to test it out)
Crust- make this from a mix or home made
Oil or non stick cooking spray
Tools...
oven
coffee mug (oven safe- if it doesnt say but is thick you should be ok)
Cookie pan Step 2: Making the Pizza. <PIC>            Start by spraying or puting oil in and a couple inches down the rim of your (oven safe) coffee mug. Then put your ingredients into the cup in REVERSE order. Usualy start with cheese then meat and toppings and sauce last. If you have larger mugs like the ones shown don't fill them all the way up or they won't cook all the way. Keep in mind which mug is yours if mulitple people are making these. If you have different mugs that shouldn't be to hard, but if you have all the same i will share another tip in the next couple steps. If you look at the last pic the answer is not to break off the handle. Step 3: Crust. <PIC>             Now is the time to prepair your crust. Just follow the directions on the bag and move to the next step. The crust below is actualy a biscuit mix you just have to add milk and mix together. Step 4: Finish. <PIC>             To finish putting together your upsidedown pizza just spread the crust to fit over the top of your mug and an inch or two over the lip. Make sure it is semi-even and they're are no holes in it. Also if you are making this with more peole make sure you leave enough for them to make their crust. Remember that tip i said i would give you, here it is. If you have all the same mugs put a topping on the crusts after it is on the mug. (example: mine has a piece of meat on the crust, my brother's has nothing, and my dad's has an onion) Step 5: Bake. <PIC>             Make sure the oven is pre- heated to 350 degrees. Next put all of the mugs onto a cookie sheet and stick them in there. Leave them in there for about 25 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown. You might need to adjust the time if your mugs are thicker. Step 6: Enjoy. <PIC>             Once out of the oven let it cool down for a minute then very carefully use a pot holder to tip your mug upsidedown over your plate. Use your fork to scrape and push the crust off like this. You see why it was important to greese the cup? Now take just a second to admire your very own personalized deep dish pizza. Then eat and enjoy. Step 7: Questions or Comments.             Thank you for reading this.I hope you enjoyed your pizza and learned alot. It was my first Instructables so please comment with any suggestions and/or constructive critisism. Thank you Dave and Janet for showing me this!


Introduction: How Ingredients Behave in a Cookie Recipe. <PIC> Cookie chemistry! Learn what ingredients do in a cookie recipe and how to change them for different cookie results. You'll be creating your own cookie recipe in no time! Step 1: Fat & Sugar. <PIC> The foundation of any cookie recipe consists of five types of ingredients: fat, sugar, flour, a rising agent, and a binding agent.
Fat is added for flavor and controls how chewy or crunchy the cookie is. More fat = a chewier cookie, less fat = a crunchier cookie. Your options for fat are butter, margarine, shortening, or oil. Since shortening melts at a higher temperature, it is the best choice if you want to keep spreading to a minimum.
Sugar is a sweetener (obviously!) and tenderizer, while controlling how much the cookie spreads. Using white sugar will result in a crispier cookie, while brown sugar will help retain moisture, making cookies chewier. Adding sugar increases the spread of a cookie, so cookies with less sugar will be puffier. Ever notice how sugar cookies spread like crazy?! Step 2: Flour, a Rising Agent, and a Binding Agent. <PIC> Flour is a stabilizer and thickener and controls how much the cookie rises. It holds the cookie together, providing it with its structure. If you use too little flour your cookie won’t keep its shape but if you use too much you’ll end up with a thick tasteless cookie. Also, different types of flour result in different cookie textures. For example, cake flour provides a cake-like texture (go figure!). All-purpose flour is the standard flour used most often.
The rising agent or leavener most commonly used is either baking soda or baking powder. If you use baking soda, your recipe must include another acidic ingredient, like sour cream, lemon juice, or buttermilk. On the other hand, baking powder has its own built-in acid. Baking soda increases browning and spreading, resulting in a flatter cookie. Baking powder will give you a puffier cookie.
Binding agents are the liquid in the recipe that hold the cookie together. Examples of binding agents are eggs, milk, honey, and fruit juice. Cookies with more eggs will rise more and spread less. If you want a crispier cookie, you can replace a whole egg with just an egg white. Or, if you want a chewier cookie, you can replace a whole egg with just an egg yolk. Step 3: . The rule of thumb for cookie baking is to always keep the amount of fat and sugar used relatively equal. There should be less than 1/4 cup difference between the two. The amount of flour used should be about two times the amount of fat. To determine how much flour to use, start with equal amounts of flour and fat and then increase the amount of flour until the dough is slightly tacky. It is better to have too little than too much. And you should add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of your leavener for every cup of liquid or flour you use (use liquid to determine the baking soda, use flour to determine the baking powder).
Once you have these basic rules down, you can start to tinker with recipes to make them more to your taste. Like I did! See Part 2 of The Great Sugar Cookie Experiment to see my results or head straight to My Favorite Sugar Cookie Recipe and start baking!
For more creative sweets made simple, visit sugarkissed.net or stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.


Introduction: Coconut Macaroons. <PIC> This instructable will teach you how to make delicious coconut macaroons. Step 1: Gather Your ingredients . <PIC> You will need:14 oz shaved coconut2 tsp vanilla extract2 large egg whites2 eggs  1/4 tsp kosher salt1 cup brown sugar2 Tbs flour1/2 tsp baking powder1/2 salt Step 2: Make This Goop. <PIC> I know it looks odd but it is great.Mix together:2 eggs1 c. brown sugar2 tsp. vanilla2 tbsp. flour1/2 tsp. baking powder1/4 tsp. salt Step 3: Mix. <PIC> Mix together the coconut and the brown sugar mixture you made earlier.  Step 4: Separate Your Eggs. <PIC> Next  you have to separate your two remaining eggs. The easiest way to do this is to use an egg separator. that is the big yellow thing in the picture. to use it crack an egg open like you were making eggs and make sure the yolk ( the yellow part of the egg) lands in the center of the egg separator. Do this to both eggs. Step 5: Whip Dem Eggs! (and Salt). <PIC> Put the egg whites and kosher salt in the mixer on the high. beat until the eggs are a little stiff and look like snow. Step 6: Fold. <PIC> Carefully fold together the coconut and the whipped egg. Also preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  Step 7: Line the Pan. <PIC> Now line a sheet pan with parchment paper.Note: The potato does nothing, but it is funny. Step 8: Make the Macaroons. <PIC> Now roll the macaroons into balls that are the size of ping pong balls (or bigger). put them in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 min.You could also make them in a dutch oven with 15 coals on top and 9 coals on the bottom if you want to make this for a camp out.   Step 9: Feast. <PIC> Now eat your macaroons. this recipe should make 15-20 depending on how big you made them.


Introduction: Fireless Smores . <PIC> These are fun cookie smores that you can make at the comfort of you home without needing a campfire. I will be using Jet-puffed creme instead of actually marshmallow which acts a lot like a spread instead of a solid like marshmallow.  These are delicious and extremely affordable and easy to make. Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> The following three items are what I used for this recipe:-Kraft Jet-puffed Marshmallow Creme-Honey Maid Graham Crackers-Nestle Semi-Sweet Chunks Step 2: Melting. <PIC> The next step is to melt the type of chocolate chips/chunks that you have selected. I already had a chocolate melt pot (Wilton) but you don't need one. If you do not have a melt pot you can use a double boiler ( a big pot filled with water in the stove and then a smaller pot inside of it so the chocolate pot isn't in direct contact with the heat).Make sure to keep the heat low and stir constantly to avoid burning the chocolate. Step 3: Coating the Crackers. <PIC> The third step is to coat two crackers with chocolate on one of them and the Jet-puffed creme on the other. Before the chocolate hardens stick the two crackers together.This step can be very messy and is very time consuming so having someone else to do it with is very helpful.I would also recommend setting down Parchment paper on the table to avoid a long clean up.   Step 4: Let the Smores Dry. <PIC> After carefully sticking the two sides together, let them dry either on the counter with some parchment paper under them or in the fridge if you want the process to go a little faster. Step 5: Decorate the Smores. <PIC> You are pretty much done at the last step but you can coat the entire cookie half way to have them decorated. I personally like them a lot more with this extra step because I think its a pretty good ratio of chocolate, cracker and marshmallow.You can also add sprinkles if you that's what you enjoy.After these have dried they are ready to enjoy!


Introduction: Making an Extra Large Brand, to Brand Things.. <PIC> Here's a quick easy way to make a nice big brand so everyone will know what's yours. Step 1: Here's What You'll Need.. - Sheet metal, I used 20 gauge, it's not flimsy, but can still be easily bent.
- Metal bandsaw
- Sheet metal break
- Metal Bender
- Welder, MIG, TIG, or Oxy Step 2: Fabricating the "letters" of You Signature. <PIC> - I used the finger break to put two 90 degree bends to form the first part of my signature.
- Next I used a Hossfeld metal bender to make the "C" (and one of the only legitimate letters) in my signature.
- Using Hossfeld I got as close to a complete circle as I could, then finished the rest by hand. Then wraped the "O" in a pipe clamp to hold it's form while welding.
- I then used a metal band saw to put a few slices in the sheet metal in order to join the horizontal and vertical "plus" intersections.
- Lastly I bend a strip of sheet metal lengthwise at a 90 degree angle for rigidity. Step 3: Assembly and Welding. <PIC> I assembled the "letters" of my signature (be sure to set it up as a mirror image).
Weld it together, I used a MIG welder to tack the brand together. Step 4: Now You Have a Very Large Brand.. <PIC> Finally I can brand the extra large things I have needed to brand.


Introduction: Deep Fried Pork Ribs. <PIC> Here we have some of my deep fried ribs. Don't let this intimidate anyone; you can do this easily inside of 10 minutes. Step 1: Seasoning. <PIC> Cut the ribs up into individual ribs and get ready for prep.  After the ribs are cut, rinse them off with water and dry them with paper towels.  Then it is time to season; I did not bread these ribs (you can), so I just put the seasoning on them and tossed them in a bowl.  I used a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, Cheyenne powder, ancho powder, and some Harley's rub (secret spice). Step 2: Cook & Finish. <PIC> Place them in the fry basket and let them cook.  It doesn't take that long if you heat the oil to 375 degrees: the meat cooks much faster than poultry.  Wait until the ribs bubble just a little bit and see if the heat goes back up to 375.  If it does, you are good to go. Enjoy your ribs Instructable people!


Introduction: Easy Dessert.. <PIC> Normally you would think of pudding as having eggs or or what is known as a custard. You can have a real easy dessert and not have eggs. In fact, the look and feel of this dessert is that close to panna cotta. This dessert should cost you a lot less than panna cotta (cooked cream). It also sets in a fraction of the tme of Panna cotta. Quick and easy. Hope is works for you.  A little banana bread with the pudding is a good cpmbination for us as a dessert, See also: https://www.instructables.com/id/Our-food-instructables/ Prefered banana bread recipe: https://www.instructables.com/id/Pane-di-banane/ Step 1: Ingredients.. 2 -1/2 - cups milk.
Teaming 1/2 - cup white sugar. (brown sugar would be an interesting change).
11 teaspoons - corn starch.
1/2 - teaspoon salt.
1 -2 teaspoons butter
1 - Teaming  teaspoon vanilla
This yeilds about four to five servings. Step 2: Warm the Milk.. <PIC> in a two quart saucepan, add the milk and bring to a light bubble (do not Boil! Watch carefully. Step 3: Adding the Sweetness.. <PIC> Mix the sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a bowl. When the milk has heated to having light bubbles around the edge add the mixture to the milk in small amounts. I usually use a teaspoon to spread the mixture over the top of the milk while I am stirring. Stir or whisk in the mixture well avoidiang lumps. Again, do not let the milk boil.Continue stirring till it begins to thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon. Step 4: . <PIC> Take the milk off the heat. Add the vanilla and the butter. Stir well so everyting is incorporated.  You can pour the mixture in separate serving dishes or just leave in in the pot. Refigerate untill chilled. Step 5: Dessert.. <PIC> Mixture even after a few minutes solidifies pretty quick. When finally chilled. serve your dessert. Adding fruit would be a nice touch/ You can not beat that for being easy.
Note if you use powdered milk or evaporated canned milk, this would be a great recipe when camping out. You could whip it up real quick for a picnic also .(Do not for get the ice! (to chill it.)


Introduction: Making Biltong or Jerky. <PIC> Jerky is a great way to preserve meat in order to be eaten at a later date.  It makes a great treat, snack, or even part of a meal.  I like to make it in order to take with me when I go hiking or to be eaten as a snack as I drive home from work.  My method of making Jerky is a very simple.  It uses the basis of Biltong, which is an African dish that is preserved game meat.  I made a few changes to this traditional meal to make it into a jerky.Preserving food is a skill which has been  forgotten by many in our modern world. Learning and perfecting the   process of storing meat is a great skill for any person seeking   self-sufficiency. Whether you live in the country or in the city you   should be able to find space to practice making Biltong, gaining   confidence in knowing that you can store meat for later consumption.   Biltong is a method of curing strips of meat in order to preserve what   is available at a time of abundance, for use when meat is not available.   The type of meat extends to almost any animal, yet I normally use Beef   or game as for me it is so easily available. Step 1: What Will You Need to Make This?. <PIC> The process of making Biltong is not overly complicated, and the majority of the ingredients are inexpensive to purchase.Vinegar (I prefer Apple Cider as I find it adds great flavor)  Salt (preferably Himalayan Pink Salt, yet any salt will work in a pinch)  Ground Black Pepper  Ground Corriander Seeds  MeatThe ingredients are my own personal preference.  If you can't find the Pink salt, go with which ever salt you can find (although I would recommend against a rock type salt.  It requires more salt to work, so your food will be very salty).In addition, many types of meat can be used, some people have had great success with  Fish, Chicken and Game meats. I usually stick to Beef, yet  I know that  Kangaroo Biltong is also very tasty. The above list of  ingredients is  just the basic requirements. It is not uncommon for  personal taste to  play a factor in the ingredients. Chilli, Garlic,  Brown Sugar and  Worcestershire sauce do make for some great  modifications to the recipe.  I will leave it to you to consider your  own tastes and modify  accordingly. Step 2: Slicing the Meat. <PIC> Traditionally the meat is cut into strips of around an inch (2.5 cm) in  width, making a rectangular prism (or box) shape. I have found that I  get much more enjoyment from the biltong when it is cut thinner, perhaps  around 25/64 of an inch (1cm). The length of the strip is only limited  to the location you intend to dry the meat. I use a meat dryer that I  built, so the strip is limited to 9 inches (20 cm). I prefer to remove  all fat from the meat while I am preparing the cuts. The fat won’t spoil  the biltong, yet in my opinion it can make the taste of the meat less  palatable (or waxy) and can also make it tougher.Once the meat is sliced into the appropriate dimensions it is placed  into a large bowl and soaked in the vinegar. It is recommended that you  allow between 12 to 24 hours for the meat to marinate in this liquid,  yet I have had no problems with as little time as one minute in the  vinegar. The vinegar will add flavour to the meat and, more importantly,  will create an acidic environment that will almost eliminate any chance  of botulism. Once you are satisfied with the marinating it is time to  add the spices.aten it  all. Step 3: Spicing the Meat. <PIC> To prevent wastage and to ensure a proper coating, it is wise to add each ingredient individually. I place the meat on to a work area (for  example, a chopping board). I usually start with salt, taking a pinch of  salt and evenly spreading over each side of the meat. I have tried  several types of salt in this step and I have had the best results with  Himalayan Pink Salt. It is very subtle and does a great job of drying  the meat without adding too much saltiness. You can easily add too much  salt here, so I find the less the better. One pinch of salt can be used  for an entire slice of meat.Once I am satisfied that the meat is very lightly coated, I sprinkle on a  dash of black pepper and a liberal coating of ground coriander seeds.  It is at this stage you could add your other spices.Once you have coated the meat you are ready to set them aside in a  refrigerator to start the process of drying. In more simpler times you  would have set the meat out to dry and hope the insects could not find  them. Now you can leave the meat in your fridge (preferable sitting on a  cooling rack which is placed over a tray to catch the fluids, yet that  isn’t too important) to begin the drying process far from the attentions  of curious flies. I have been told that flies will not land on the  drying biltong due to the faint aroma of vinegar and the black pepper… I  do not believe it. I have seen flies land on many things much more  disgusting than drying meat so I do not believe they are too finicky to  try some of the biltong.If you own a meat dehydrator you could follow the unit’s instructions to  dry the meat, yet I prefer to use more simple solutions. This is to  either use my custom built, passive meat drier, or to hang the meat on  strings which I have placed in a shaded area. I would recommend that you  place the meat inside (at least for the first few days) if you are not  using an enclosed container so that insects are not attracted to your  work.It is important that the meat be placed out of direct sunlight, as well  as in a location which has easy access to fresh air. I prefer to do this  in the summer, so that I am guaranteed to get a gentle warm breeze  which helps to dry the meat. To hang the meat I use paper clips, which I  have modified by bending them slighting and skewering the meat at the  thicker end before hanging the meat to dry.After a couple of days you can, if you can’t wait, try the biltong. It  normally takes around 5-7 days for my biltong to be dried to a stage  which I like (as dry as cardboard). I would recommend trying it daily  till the meat has reached a stage which you are satisfied. When the  Biltong is ready, remove it from the hangers and store. It can be vacuum  packed for longevity, yet I find that it stores fine in a mason jar. I,  however, don’t normally worry too much about storage… it tastes so good  that it rarely lasts more than a couple of weeks before I have eaten it  all.


Introduction: How to Pickle a Peck of Peppers (peperoncini). <PIC> Excellent for use in cooking, sandwiches, eggs, or as a garnish at a barbecue pickled peppers can't be beat.  A typical jar at a grocery store will run you $2-$3 for a pint (sometimes a half-pint) but this entire recipe, if done when peppers are on sale, will let you do many quarts for around $10 plus the cost of jars.
Pickled peppers are delicious whether you pickle them in pints or quarts, even up to a peck.  A peck is defined as 1/4 of a bushel, or 2 gallons, so a peck of pickled peppers is 8 quarts.
Please forgive the photos on this one.  I was sick and decided that canning would be a good idea with a fever of 102F.Ingredients
- Hot Peppers -
Peppercini's are traditionally made from yellow (banana) peppers and can be used with this recipe.  I used anaheim peppers because they're 1) hotter and 2) usually cheaper.  I actually bought these peppers at the dollar store for $8-Vinegar -
Use straight white vinegar for best color.  You can get it anywhere food or bulk goods are sold, so go for wherever is cheapest.-Garlic-
You can use whole cloves or minced, but the garlic shouldn't be left out.-Salt-
Kosher salt makes for the best brineEquipment-Bath Canner-
If you don't have a water-bath canner (steam should work, I just don't use one) then make sure you have a pot deep enough so that the jars can be submerged by at least an inch under the water.  Also you will need a rack (or handful of level jar lids) to keep the glass from coming in contact with the bottom of the pan.-Jars/lids/rings-
Make sure you have jars that are specifically for canning, not just extra glass jars from used condiments.  I recommend either Ball or Kerr.  Rings should be free of corrosion and rust, and I always suggest using new lids.-Jar lifters-
Whether you use tongs, a sturdy mitt, or an actual jar lifter make sure that you have plenty of space between your fingertips and the boiling water-Lidocaine-
Seriously.  We're doing peppers here, and even if you wear gloves (you should, but I didn't) you need a to stop acid burns all through this process.  I recommend Bactine but any lidocaine spray should work.  Milk won't be enough, and water will make things worse.  Also if you have sensitive eyes you should wear safety goggles.
As a handy trick, holding a burnt matchstick between your teeth will help avoid stinging as the carbon (smoke) will absorb into your eyes faster than the acids from the peppers. Step 1: Pepper Preparation. <PIC> Buy these peppers on sale.  You're going to be canning/processing/pickling these bad boys, so you don't need highest quality.  Make sure they're free of bugs and have no soft spots, then buy a TON.  I got about 10lbs and wound up with 9 quarts.Cutting
See the pictures below.  Make sure you have a really sharp knife and insert it at an angle almost parallel to the side of the pepper.  Make a quick cut around the top and pop out the stem/seeds.  You'll want to wash the peppers later to remove more seeds, or leave them in for a kick-you-in-the esophagus mouth-melting pepper. Step 2: Pepper Pre-Processing. <PIC> Brine
I used about 4 quarts white vinegar and 2 quarts water with 1/2c kosher salt.  Bring everything to a boil and then add the garlic.  Simmer for about 15 minutes to let the garlic "infuse" into the brine.Peppers
While the brine is brining slice all your peppers into approximately 1/8" thickness.  These will pack tightly, so don't worry if you break a few.Garlic
I decided to roast the garlic for extra flavor.  Just cut the top off of a bulb and put it in the oven at 400F for about 15 minutes or until it turns brown.  Mash it up and then stir it into the brine. Step 3: Pepper Packing. <PIC> Make sure your jars are sterilized before starting.  If I plan ahead enough I can run the jars through the dishwasher and they come out squeaky clean and piping hot.
Pack as many peppers into each jar as you can, because it'll make your brine go further and save space on your pantry.  I packed them in as hard as I could, and I was glad I did.
Once the peppers are packed, ladle brine over them using a careful hand or a funnel (I use a funnel) and put on the hot lids and tighten firmly. Step 4: Pepper Processing and Perfection. <PIC> Once the peppers are packed and brined make sure you remove all the air bubbles with a knife, chopstick, or other implement.  You want to leave about 1/2" of headspace at the top to make sure the seal will form properly.  Be very careful of the temperature of the jars, the water, and the counter.  Process for 15 minutes and let cool in the canner before removing.  Check after a couple of hours to make sure the seals are puckered.  Allow to cool completely and store in your pantry for up to a year.
If you've been keeping count you'll see that I have 1 less jar now than when I started.  I decided to process in 2 batches to save on weight and when it came time to do my second batch one of the jars cracked open as soon as it touched the water.  In the future I'd put the jars in hot water in the sink during the 20 minutes of processing.
All in all though, at the end of the day I'm left with a peck of pickled peppers.


Introduction: Protein/Energy Bars (T-rex's 'grey Cubes'). <PIC> Inspired by this comic: http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=2259 (note the alt text), a busy life, and some internet-research on homemade energy-bars, these bars are intended to keep you going until you finally get to sit down to eat. Simple and easy for the “people who get hungry and don’t care about food, but also don’t want to die”* ;-) *Sadly, like all energy bars, not actually suitable to keep you alive as a sole nutritional source. Maybe add an apple. Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> Ingredients: 1 cup   nutella 1 cup   peanut butter 1 cup   protein powder ½ cup  oats** ½ cup  rice flour 1/3 cup  almonds 5 Tbs   condensed milk 1/3 cup  sunflower seeds ¼ Tsp  salt I probably don’t need to say it, but you can of course substitute the choice of gluten free flour, seeds/nuts, add dried fruit, add chilies, go for all-PB or all-Nutella, and generally have fun with it. Just to note, rice flour from an Asian market can be a lot cheaper than a fancy all-purpose gluten-free flour mix from a super market. Other things you may need or want: Oven, mixing bowl, cookie sheet, baking/wax paper, press (actual or creative hack) **Make sure they are gluten free, and if you have trouble with oats, just swap for more flour. Step 2: Mix to a Pressable Consistency. <PIC> Combine flour, protein powder, and salt Mix in nut butters Mix in condensed milk by the Tbs until the mix reaches a firm-but-sticky consistency Add in nuts and seeds Note: If you did want to precisely measure out the peanut butter/nutella, a pre-floured cup can be very helpful. Otherwise, estimating the amount of nut butter and adjusting the consistency with condensed milk is probably easier. This is a good time to preheat the oven to 175 C / 350 F.  Step 3: Shape 'em. <PIC> If you are a sushi fan with an oshizushi press or have any have any other food-press around, these work very nicely. Otherwise: Cubes or spheres can be shaped by hand. A press can be made out of common items, such as a lunch box and a small cutting board. Make sure to use baking/wax paper on top and bottom to simplify getting the cubes back out. Step 4: Bake 'em. <PIC> Put “grey cubes” on a cookie sheet (oiled or with baking paper) Bake cubes for 30 min at 175 C / 350 F Step 5: Eat 'em. <PIC> Enjoy! Recipe makes ~ 15 x 50g “grey cubes”*Approximate Nutritional Information    per cube    per 100g Calories         230             460 Protein           12g             24g Carbs             15g             30g Fat                  13g             26g Fiber               2g               4g Here in Germany, the cost of making one of these is 0.30 EUR, which is less than a 7th of the cost of a cliff bar (for comparable grams and Calories). Shelf life is at least two weeks (the current record for how long until they have all been eaten). *with the recipe as is, I must apologize that the cubes will not actually be grey =P


Introduction: Gin From Scratch (Vapour Infused). <PIC> Create Bombay Sapphire style Gin with this Instructable. I don’t drink gin myself but when I built my still a lot of friends asked me if I could make Gin so I did some research and found out how to do it and even the exact ingredients used in Bombay Sapphire as this was the Gin they wanted. Now there are 2 ways that Gin makers make their Gin, Steeping and Vapour Infusion, this instructable uses the same method that Bombay Sapphire use which is Infusion. Botanical's : what does this mean? Well it’s the plant matter and spices that are used to flavour the Gin. What is a Steeped Gin, to make a steeped Gin, which is the most common way to make Gin, the Gin makers put their botanicals in the still boiler along with the spirit and then leave it for 24 hours. After that they boil it with the botanical's still in it to get the spirit from it. Vapour infused Gin is different what they do is they have a special basket which they put the botanical's and then they pass the spirit vapour over it and the vapour picks up the flavours on the way. Step 1: What You Need. <PIC> For this instructable you will need a Pot Still, here is my instructable on how to build one. https://www.instructables.com/id/Building-a-Keg-Still-Pot-still-design/ the other bits you will need are for the Spirit ------------------ 5 KG White Sugar 1 X Tube of tomato puree 1 X Lemon 50 g of baker’s yeast, You could use a couple of packets of baker’s yeast but it will take longer to ferment but the result will be the same. Clean water The Botanicals ---------------------- some of these might be tricky to get hold of, and some of them are very expensive. 20g Juniper Berries 10g Coriander Seeds 2g cubeb berries (this is an African pepper corn) 2g Grains of Paradise 2g Cassia Bark ( you could use a cinnamon stick but i would use much less of it if you do) 2g Powdered Liquorice root 2g Angelica root 2g Bitter Almond, now in the UK and US  this is a listed poison due to the cyanide content, if you can get them you can use bitter peach kernels if not then you will have to do what I did and use a splash of Almond Extract but make sure it was made with bitter almonds. I also threw in some regular almonds for good measure. Lemon peel (get an unwaxed lemon if you can) 0.2g - 0.3g of orris root powder if you want to make Bombay Sapphire east then add the following as well 0.2g black pepper corns 0.2g lemon grass other equipment ----------------------- a tub for the botanical's to go in a pestle and mortar to mash the stuff up, you don't want to turn it in to powder so don't use an electric grinder, you could use a bag and a wine bottle if you are stuck. a Hydrometer that is for spirits a Wine Hydrometer a testing / ample tube a 25L Fermentation vessel with an air lock a long spoon scales some glass jars a glass demi john or a couple of 2 litre bottles to store the distillate in afterwards Step 2: Fermenting the Initial Spirit. <PIC> first off we need to make up a sugar wash, to do this pour a couple of kettle loads of boiling water in to your sterilized fermenter. stir in all the sugar one bag at a time until all the sugar is dissolved. now top it up to around the 23L line with cold water. using a wine hydrometer it should have an SG (specific gravity) or around 1.100 Add in the juice of 1 lemon and the whole tube of tomato puree, stir this all in so there is not any lumps. when it has cooled down to about 23 degrees C sprinkle 50G of baker’s yeast on the top and stir in, you can you the little packets of baker’s yeast I would put at least 2 in but it may take longer to ferment. Pop the lid on the fermenter making sure you have an airlock on it. you need to try and keep it at about 23 degrees C so the yeast can live, the temp might be different if you are using a wine yeast so check the packet on its temps. if you have trouble keeping it warm enough you can pop a 50w aquarium heater in to maintain the temp. It should ferment out in about 7 days or more, you will know when its done when the bubbles stop coming from the airlock, at this point if you have an aquarium heater in it turn it off, and move it somewhere cool, ideally it should cool to between 10 and 15 degrees C. by cooling it the yeast should settle to the bottom which makes it easier to siphon it out. you should now have a wash with about 14% alcohol in it. NOTE: you may have a eggy smell from your ferment with some yeasts, don't panic it has not gone off, some yeasts just let of sulphur gases Step 3: First Distillation - Stripping Run. <PIC> We now need to put it through the still for the first time, this is called the striping run, what this does it to strip out all of the junk from the original ferment and reduces it down to a stronger alcohol. Using a wine or beer siphon you need to put the wash in to the boiler of your still, making sure you don't suck up the sediment at the bottom of the fermenter. if you have used a decent yeast you may want to keep the sediment for the next time you make a batch you can do this by putting it in a sterilized container and popping it in the fridge. turn the boiler on full power and wait for it to warm up until little drips start to come out of the output pipe, at this point turn on the water to the cooler and turn down your heater to about half the power. You will start to see a slow stream coming out of the output pipe within about 15 minutes so keep an eye on it. now this bit is very important, you need to collect about 100ml that first comes out of the still, this will contain all the bad stuff like methanol and acetone which we do not want as its very bad for you, throw this away or bottle it and use it as a cleaning product around your workshop.  Whatever you do, do not drink this stuff it’s dangerous. Now just collect everything that comes out and put it in to a demi john or some 2 litre bottles, keep going until the distillate starts to come out cloudy, at this point you don't want to keep this stuff for your gin but you can bottle it up and put it in the still with the next time you do a first distillation and claim some of the alcohols back. if your using a spirit hydrometer you should see around 60% ABV coming out of the still doesn't matter if it’s a little less than that, and you should get between 2.5 and 3 litres of this percent. you will also notice if you are testing it as you go along that the ABV slowly drops as you go and then it starts to drop fairly quickly before its starts to become cloudy. when it gets to about 20% abv there's not much point in collecting any more as your just getting too much water so just turn off the boiler and wait a few minutes then turn off the water. wait for the boiler to cool down a bit and discard the contents down the drain. Step 4: The Botanicals. <PIC> this bit is easy enough, you just need to measure out the botanicals and crush them in the pestle and mortar to release the flavours and pop them in the pot you have put aside to hold them all in, you could just use a bowl and put cling film on it when you’re done. add 20g of juniper berries, because of their size it’s easier to crush them in batches, you just need to break them open you don’t need to turn them in to a puree or anything. add 10g of coriander seeds and crush them, this provides most of the citrus flavour so if you find this too strong in your gin just reduce this. add 2g cubeb berries, sometimes they call these cubeb pepper corns, crush these and add them to the mix. These will add much more floral aroma, including notes of lavendar and rose. add 2g of grains of paradise again crush them and add them to the mix, adds flavours from a strong peppery bite to light lavender notes add 2 g of Cassia Bark, or if using cinnamon use about 1g of a stick, crush it and add to the mix, you may notice that my jar says cinnamon sticks, it’s not its cassia bark I can see that it is but a lot of places call them cinnamon sticks because it releases a cinnamon flavour. add 2g of Liquorice root powder directly in to the mix add 2g of angelica root and grind this up in the pestle and mortar, this is hard work so just do it for as long as you can be bothered lol. add 0.2g - 0.3g of orris powder, I used some jewellers scales for this but you can see the amount in the cup I used, it is a small amount but it’s important as it binds the flavours together and has adds floral flavours. now your suppose to add 0.2g of lemon rind but I can never be bothered to weigh it out so I have been using unwaxed lemons and just using about half of the surface of it, you can see the amount in the pictures. now this is the bit where I had to get creative, you need Bitter Almonds, in the US and the UK these are listed substance and very hard to get hold of, you could use Bitter Peach Kernels but again some country’s including the UK have these as a listed substance as well. why are both of these listed substances? because they contain cyanide, in our process the cyanide would be destroyed by the heat in the still. but I couldn’t get either of those so I just added some Almond extract which came from bitter almonds and for good measure I threw in some regular almonds as well. Just mix this lot together then pop the lid on and get on with preparing your still. Step 5: Second Distillation. <PIC> With the second fermation you can’t just put the previously distilled spirit directly in the boiler and fire it up, this is dangerous, so what we need to do is make sure there is enough water in the still before we add the vodka/spirit. Fill it up so it’s over the element then wait a little more so there is a little bit of depth above the element. now pour in your spirit and the tails (the end part of a run) from any previous runs of gin or vodka, don’t use the tails from anything else as it could taint the flavour. this is the point where I had to improvise, most distillers make a basket for their botanicals which just slides up in to the column and I was no different, I made a basket up using copper mesh and a piece of pipe. However when it came to putting the basket in it wouldn’t fit because of a slight indent at the bottom where the easy flange was formed. as a quick idea I cut a piece of copper mesh that would fit in the column and  push the middle in to create a dent so it would sit in the middle of the column. I spooned the botanicals in, gave the side of the column a couple of taps to get the loose bits to fall, then popped in a couple of stainless steel scrubbers in behind it. I had cleaned the scrubbers before this by pouring boiling water over them to remove any oils. using a dowel I pushed down the scrubbers until they stopped sliding, you don’t need to pack them down hard as you want the vapours to get through the botanicals. Pop the column on with a decent gasket and clamped it down using the tri clamp, making sure it was nice and tight, I use a screw driver to make it tight, put the cooler on and make sure its full of water, it doesn’t have to be running at this point. turn the boiler on full power, it will take about an hour to an hour and a half to heat up and the vapour works its way through the column. as soon as you see small drips coming off the output column cut the power to the heater by half and turn on the water for the cooler. you can collect the distillate from the start here, no need to discard the first part as all the bad stuff has been removed on the first distillation. It should be coming off at around 55% or a little more, collect it using the jars at 100ml at a time keep checking the alcohol volume and you will see it slowly getting less and less. Keep checking the colour of the distillate as well, it should always be clear. When the volume starts to drop faster keep an eye on what comes out as soon as you have any signs of it being cloudy stop adding it to the main batch. Keep collecting it though and bottle it separately, you can use this in the next run. Step 6: Bottling. <PIC> Bottling it up, to make it the strength of a proper gin it should be about 40% or 42% if your are making a Bombay Sapphire East style. so you need to water it down, to do this you need to use clean water, not tap water, you can use bottled water or distil water using your still. you can use this calculator work out what amounts you need to add to make up the target amount. http://homedistiller.org/calcs/dilute something I have noticed is that even though both the water and the gin are clear when you add them together for some reason it goes cloudy, not sure why it does this but it does not affect the taste. Don’t forget to label your bottles so you know how much alcohol is in it. Te feed back that I have had from people who have tried it, is that its not far off Bombay Sapphire, and often they have asked me for more ;-)


Introduction: Chocolate Avocado Mousse. <PIC> This is something I've been seeing all over the internets - chocolate avocado mousse! Sounds crazy, I know. But it works. It's actually super tasty! I think I'll be getting my creamy chocolate fix this way from now on. Pudding cups are dangerously full of dairy.
Chocolate avocado mousse is also a really excellent vegan dessert you can throw together in no time. :Djessyratfink is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> one large avocado
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup soy or nut milk
1/4 cup honey
one teaspoon vanilla
Using the amounts above, you end up with a dark chocolate style mousse. Not too sweet! If you'd like a more milk chocolate flavor, I suggest using a little less cocoa powder and more honey.  Step 2: Combine!. <PIC> Put everything into a food processor or blender. Break the avocado up into smaller pieces to make it easier on your machine.
(I've got this food processor - I love it! Highly recommended. :D) Step 3: Blend!. <PIC> Process for 10-15 seconds and then stop and scrape down the sides. Then process again until nice and smooth.
You can eat it right away or chill for a little whil before you dig in. I just wouldn't let it sit too long in the fridge - once the avocado starts oxidizing like crazy it will alter the flavor, and not in a good way!


Introduction: Tetris Gummy Candy. <PIC> This instructable show you how to make gummy Candy in shape of Tetris ! Step 1: You Will Need.... <PIC> You need:- A spoonbill- A package of made gel candies- A bowl- A ice cube tray in the shape of piece Tetris (for the methode: http: // www.instructables.com/id/Tetris-Ice-Cub e-English-French/) Step 2: Return Liquid Candies. <PIC> Sort out candies by color and put in separate bowls.Spend the bowl in microwave during 20 seconds in 750W.No more, because otherwise the candy is going to make of big lounge !At the exit, the candy is liquid, take the spoonbill to return the homogeneous color.Overturn into the mould.Make the same operations for the other candies, until as all the moulds are filled. Step 3: Turning Out of Candies. <PIC> Once filled moulds, to put in the refrigerator during 2 hours.To turn out of the tin them, pinch a highly-rated and grow with your finger.They will come loose by firing above then.And here is!


Introduction: Operation Epic Valentine's Day 2015. <PIC> The plan: have an entire day centered around cooking for my wife and kids with out them knowing what will be coming next. In the past I have taken my wife out for Valentine's day, but now after having kids and living on a budget the amount of money for a babysitter and the cost of dinner at a crowed high-end restaurant does not seem that appealing to either of us. That being said my wife and I have a tradition now that we stay in on Valentine's day and I cook her favorite meals (also mine). This year I will go above and beyond and attempt to do all three meals plus an amazing dessert! Here I go!So in actuality which I will go into later, I had a plan as seen in the first image and as you see in the second image what really happened.  All in all the food was great but the family was all sick :(  I will show recipes for all, or link to others I or my wife have written!  Step 1: Breakfast. <PIC> Recently on the Instructables website I cam across a few pancake recipes called "German Pancakes" or "Oven Pancakes." I have made thesea few times making changes each time trying to perfect the recipe for my family. This attempt was a big hit with the whole family. I do not really care for syrup so I will show my own topping. Ingredients:• 6 eggs• 1 cup of flour or pancake mix• 1/2 cup of milk• 1/2 cup of vanilla yogurt• 1 table spoons of sugar• 4 table spoons of butter or coconut oil may be usedTopping:• 1 package of raspberries, strawberries or blackberries (save a few for additional topping)• 1 banana• 1 cup of water• 3-4 table spoons of white sugarCooking:Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take a glass baking dish or in my case two glass pie dishes and add your butter (about 1 table spoon in each dish), place the dishes into the oven to melt. In a medium bowl scramble up the eggs, add in the milk, yogurt and sugar. Mix well, next gently mix in the flour or pancake mix and stir until evenly mixed. Take out the dishes and add your mixture to the melted butter. Place back in the oven and cook till the tops start to turn a golden color. Remove when done and set aside to cool.For the topping take a medium pan add in your berry fruit (washed), water and sugar. Cook on medium to high heat till it comes to a boil stirring frequently. Once it is at a boil the fruit will start to break down.  I rapidly mixed with a fork breaking down the strawberries further to a jam like consistency and removed from heat and set aside.  Next add the berry jam and pour it over the pancake in the baking dish.  The juices will seep into the top layer of the cake, yum.  Next for decorative purposes I added a few more strawberry and banana slices covering the pancake. Serving:Cut the pancakes out of the dish and place on a plate and get ready to enjoy the first meal, Yum!  Step 2: Lunch. <PIC> Ok, no one really ever raves too much about lunch so I really had to dig deep on this one. I came up with fish Taco's, they are light yet very filling. For a link to my entire instructable on fishing click here.Ingredients:1. Your favorite fish cooked the way you like grilled, baked or fried (your favorite white fish will work), I used flounder)2. Black beans (drained)3. Shredded Lettuce4. Diced Tomatoes5. Onions (optional)6. Shredded cheese7. TortillasFish Taco Sauce:1. Mayonnaise2. Plain white yogurt (Greek if you like)3. Lemon Juice4. Cumin5. Dill6. Cayenne Pepper7. Tony Chachere Creole seasoningFor the all-important Fish Taco Sauce, start off by placing even parts (one for one) yogurt and Mayonnaise in a bowl. I usually do about ½ -1 cup of each depending on the number of people I plan to feed . Next, add about a teaspoon of Cumin, a teaspoon of Dill, a ¼ teaspoon of Cayenne and ¼ Tony’s. Add more cayenne if you like yours spicy! Last, but not least, the lemon juice. I add about 1-2 lemons worth of juice hand squeezed. (The leftover rind is good to cook with on the grill/oven to add more flavor to the fish) I do make this sauce to taste, so taste as you go and make it your own!For the tacos, build them up as you like. I take the beans first and put them on the tortilla then take your cooked fish and place it on top of the beans. Next add your veggies: the lettuce, tomatoes, onions and place over the fish. Then the most important ingredient, the Fish Taco Sauce! Lay it on thick or thin. This is the sauce of sauces for any white fish. Next top with cheese, wrap it up and Enjoy! Step 3: Dinner. <PIC> Ok, so on to the the main meal. I kid you not, the most desired meal in my house is some good old fashioned country food. My wife's and my favorite meal is specially prepared venison steaks, homemade mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. It is so simple but so amazing. My venison recipe amazes everyone who tries it and they are often in disbelief that venison could be so tender and delicious. Also my mashed potatoes are a real treat! so here we go!This recipe will work with other wild game meats, my favorites that I like to use are Deer, Duck and Rabbit.• Vienison ~ 2 lb• Olive oil• Tony Cahceres• Seasoned salt• Italian seasoning• Black PepperVenison, unlike beef or pork, has little to no fat content and because of this it must be prepared differently in order to keep it tender. For tips on processing, check out my instructable on proper processing a deer (link coming soon). You can use any cut of venison meat and make it tender without having an over powering game taste. The secret is in the preparation. Remove all sinew, fat and slimy membrane from the meat. This can be done easily with a fillet knife. To help tenderize and "add fat," the secret is olive oil and a fork. Every venison recipe I have created uses this heart healthy oil. Olive oil helps to prevent the meat from burning while providing a medium for seasoning (Tony's, black pepper and seasoned salt). The fork tenderizes and infuses the meat with oil and seasoning. Take a glass bowl, add the cut up venison, add the olive oil and seasonings, and then gently take the fork and poke/pierce the meat evenly. Let it set for a few minutes or up to a day in the fridge. Now the meat is ready to be cooked.My country mashed potatoes:Cut the potatoes (3 per person, I used 6) into small cubes, place in a medium pot cover with water and boil till potatoes are soft and be easily crushed with a fork. Remove from heat and drain. Once drained add in butter (1/2 stick) and mix around till fully melted. Next add the sour cream (3/4 cup) and mash/mix the potatoes until an even consistency(if the potatoes seem dry you can add in a bit of milk). Lastly add in your spices, I use season salt and black pepper.Steamed BroccoliCut up the broccoli (3 heads) and place in steamer and cook till tender. I also add just a dash of season salt to the broccoli. Step 4: Dessert!. <PIC> My amazing strawberry brownie cake will be the treat to top off the night. For a link to my full recipe with more pictures click here.Brownies:I use two Ghirardelli dark chocolate brownie mixes. One mix for each 9 inch circular pan. After mixing place the batter into the lightly greased pans and bake until the brownies are to your desired doneness. I like them to be a bit under done and gooey :) Remove the brownies and set aside on a plate.Whip cream:Start off mixing the heavy whipping cream in a blender or if you want an arm work out do it with a whisk. Add in the sugar slowly and taste every so often until you reach the desired sweetness. I don't like it very sweet because the brownies are plenty sweet.The Build:First I cut up the strawberries into thin slices and place them in a bowl. Next I coat a layer of whip cream onto the bottom brownie. Then apply the strawberry slices to the whip cream layer until completely covered. Next add the second brownie layer and coat with a layer of whip cream all over once complete add strawberry slices until completely covered.This cake is so good, but so not good for you :) Step 5: What Really Happened on Valentines . <PIC> Ok, so the day was a success but not everything on the original menu was made :( The reason was because everyone in the family came down with a nasty virus the day before (go to the hospital bad). That being said we had to change out a few items for ones that did not have dairy. Actual menu:German Pancakes Spinach and strawberry salad, for step by step instructions check out my wife's instructable by clicking here.Venison steak, mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli Banana bread, for step by step instructions check out my wife's instructable by clicking here.We made the best of our sick day, hope you enjoyed!


Introduction: Centipede and Larvae Cupcake. <PIC> This tutorial will show you how to make these spooky chocolate cupcakes! Step 1: How to Sculpt Realistic Larvae and Maggots. <PIC> Tools and ingredients:-White fondant or gumpaste-Orange fondant-Red and yellow food coloring-Black Food Marker Pen-Toothpicks-Very thin paintbrush-Lemon syrup (for drinks)Maggots:Make several "tiny snake shapes" with white fondant. Use a toothpick to carve small indentations on the maggots as shown in the picture, in order to give them a realistic look. Color the maggots head with a black food marker pen.Larvae:Take a bigger amount of white fondant, and use a toothpick to scratch the back of the larva as shown in the pictures. Using a black food marker pen make a few dots, under each indentations. Make a tiny ball of orange fondant and flatten it with your finger, wrap it on the larva's head. Make two dots with the food marker pen and carve a small indent on the larva's head.Mix red and yellow food coloring and use a thin paintbrush to color the head of the larva.Use a few drops of lemon syrup to glaze the maggots & larvae. Step 2: How to Sculpt a Fondant Centipede. <PIC> First, roll a long snake of red fondant in order to make a base for the centipede body.Roll out a thin sheet of yellow fondant and cut several strips. Arrange them around the centipede's body. Next, make several pairs of legs ( 1 pair per body segment) and two antennae. Then, attach them to the body using a tiny drop of lemon syrup as glue. Use one of these pairs to make the centipede's tail, as shown in the picture.You can use a food marker, and orange food coloring to add color to each segment. Roll a tiny ball of fondant to sculpt the centipede's head. Then, gently press the antennae on the centipede's head. You can use a tiny drop of lemon syrup to make them stick together. Step 3: Chocolate Dirt Cupcake. <PIC> Chocolate cupcake recipe:-7 ounces dark chocolate 60% cacao or higher (200g) -1/2 cup of unsalted butter at room temperature (110g)-2/3 cup of granulated white sugar (130g)-1 cup of all-purpose flour (125g)-3 large eggs (at room temperature) -1 teaspoon of vanilla extract -1/2 teaspoon of baking powder This recipe makes 8-9 cupcakesPlace  the egg yolks in a large bowl and the whites in another one. Beat the egg  yolks with 125g granulated white sugar and 10cl of water until foamy.  Add the flour graduately. Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave.  Then add the chocolate mixture to the batter and mix until smooth. You  can now add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp of baking powder  to the chocolate cake mixture. In a separate bowl, beat the egg  whites until stiff peaks form. Carefully incorporate the beaten egg  whites into the cake mixture until evenly mixed.Bake for 25 minutes in a 365 degrees F oven (180 degrees C). (I used the same preparation as in my Chocolate coffins tutorial) https://www.instructables.com/id/Little-chocolate-c...Chocolate "dirt":-25 sponge fingers/lady fingers (150g)-1/2 cup granulated white sugar (100g)-3,5 ounces dark chocolate (100g)-1/4 cup of unsalted butter (60g)(You can also use Oreo, or any kind of cookie instead! :) )Roughly break up the sponge fingers and place them in a food processor, add the melted chocolate and sugar to the crushed cookies.Next, place this tasty chocolate dirt in a large bowl.Cover top of cupcake in melted chocolate (preferably, milk chocolate), and dip them into chocolate dirt. Step 4: Have Fun!. <PIC> Last but not least,arrange these spooky cupcake toppers as you wish! Let your imagination go wild!


Introduction: Beartato Chocolate. <PIC>  I made these Beartato chocolates because I love chocolate, I enjoy painting, and because Beartato is too cool. This inscrutable can take some time but it really all depends on the cooling time and how fast you can paint with chocolate.
I hope you find this instructable delicious :D Step 1: For This Instructable You Will Need:. <PIC>  -White chocolate
-Milk chocolate or dark chocolate (depending on your preference)
-A new and washed brush and a regular clean bowl
-Wax paper
-Black and white print of the image you will try to recreate. I chose an image of Beartato from Nedroid.com
-Nuts, hazelnuts, etcetera (optional) The amount of chocolate depends on how many chocolates you want to make or how thick you want your finish chocolate treat to be.  Step 2: Step 1. <PIC> Make sure to wash your hands!
Also make sure that all your materials are clean and washed and that your work area is neat. These are essential procedures. www.moh.gov.sg/mohcorp/uploadedImages/Web_Parts/swineflu/Proper%20steps%20to%20wash%20hands.JPG Step 3: Step 2: the Taping. <PIC> Tape all four corners of your image onto your work area. Make sure the surfaces is free of any little particles that may make the surface bumpy and difficult to work with.
Then tape the wax paper over your image to prevent it from moving around.  Step 4: Step 3: Melt the Chocolate. <PIC>  Melt your white chocolate first. To melt it you will need to heat it up on the microwave for about 40 seconds to a minute. Try not to overheat it as it might burn.
I decided to make the white chocolate represent the black areas of my image (the contours) because they're a lot less than the white areas, meaning that it would take less chocolate. Since white chocolate tends to be a lot sweeter than dark chocolate or milk chocolate this is an effective way of using less of it.  Step 5: Step 4: Painting With Chocolate. <PIC>  Using your clean brush paint the black areas of your image with white chocolate.
Then wait for the white areas entirely to cool before proceeding to the next steps.  Step 6: Repeat Step 4-5. <PIC> Use dark or milk chocolate instead.
**Since the image I was working with had some gray areas, I mixed a little bit of the dark chocolate with the milk chocolate to get a lighter brown.  Step 7: Step 7: Add Some Nuts. <PIC>  Once you have covered your entire image with chocolate and while that last layer is still cooling add some nuts or almonds.
Then wait for it to cool.  Step 8: Step 8: Wrap Your Chocolate. <PIC>  Wrap your chocolate in aluminum foil to preserve the freshness.
Now you are finally done.