Introduction: Tools for Better Bread. <PIC> I love bread baking. I have done a lot of different types from pretzels to cinnamon rolls to great big sourdough loves you just tear off hunks and eat! While all of these I dearly love they are way too much for a online tutorial, and way to varied. But there are a few things that they all have in common; and, that is some concrete baking techniques I have learned to use over the years. The goal of this tutorial is not to teach you have to make bread... it is assuming you have some level of knowledge in that already. My goal is to take the average American baker, and given them some tool that can take their average American bread baking, and bring it up to world class standards. Yes, it will require a lot more learning and how to than this one little tutorial can give you, but after this it is my hope that you can go into any bread class and at least have a working knowledge of everything that is going on and being talked about.Lets get started! Step 1: Scales. <PIC> Americans have been using cups and teaspoons for generations. They are much  easier to transport and use for every day baking than scales. I assume it go started when people traveled and had to carry everything they owned or something. They are  also vastly inferior!If  you get 10 bakers and have them measure out one cup of flour you can  get vastly different amounts of flour. In fact depending on how it is  measured you can get twice as much flour using one method vs another!  With bread a few grams can make a big difference in the outcome of your  bread. So  go spend $30-$40 on a decent set of scales. By far and away this will  make the biggest difference in your bread. I am all about getting it so  that it feels right, and knowing your recipe well enough to just be able  to known it by feel.... but with baking bread you really need the  precision that can only come with scales. The MyWeight  KD7000 or KD8000 are both great sets of scales. They are cheap, and you can  get them from any number of sources, but OldWillKnottScales usually has  good prices (so does a certain very large online book store named after a  river in South America, but you can get anything from them, and I would  rather support the little guy if the price is close). There are plenty  of options out there, but you want to make sure they can weigh in grams,  and have a tare function.I will say that once you have gone to weight based cooking it is hard to go back. I convert all of my recipes to weight based, even my chocolate chip cookies! It is just so much easier to do, to scale, and get right.Important Points:Get scales, any scales! Just get them! Grams Tare function Step 2: Excel. <PIC> Excel, yes, the spreadsheet program by Microsoft. The first thing I do before I  ever bake any loaf of bread is sit down with my laptop and excel. I  have multiple sheets that I have made for various reasons, but by far  and away the most common use is to determine how much flour, water, and salt are going to go  into my bread. Let me give you an example of how to make a loaf of bread. And this loaf is basically how I start 90% of the bread I make. My  bread has only 3 ingredients: flour, water, and salt (I make sourdough,  so if you don't have sourdough starter you will also need yeast).The water needs to weigh 61% the weight of the flour, and the salt needs to weigh 2% of the flour.So let's look at it in an actual recipe:1000g flour 610g water (61% the weight of the flour) 20g salt (2% the weight of the flour) (Yeast if you aren't using sourdough starter)This  will make a great bread. But it makes a 1612g of dough. That's a fairly  good size loaf, I generally like my loaves to weight about 1000g of  dough or less (more crust to crumb ratio, and the crust is where the flavor is).  Excel makes this conversion easy. What if I want to make 4  loaves that are 1000? Maybe 8 loaves that are 800g? Excel makes all of  this very easy. So  make a few excel files, and it will make you baking so much easier. If  not a gold old fashioned calculator will work. It just takes more time.  If this does not make sense go on to the next step, more on the math there!Important Points:There is a lot of math involved, and a program like Excel makes it much easier.  Step 3: Bakers Percentage, AKA How to Drive a Math Teacher Crazy!. <PIC> Bakers percentage? Isn't that kinda like any other percentage? Weeellllllll.  No. Your average math teacher would go nuts on this one; but, once you  get the concept it really makes sense, and is very helpful. The  bakers percentage basis everything on the percentage of an ingredients weight compared to the flour. Why the flour? Because that is the rule.  Yea you could have chosen any ingredient, but with the bakers  percentage you use flour. So any ingredient you use is compared to the amount of flour.  For example in our recipe the water weight is 61% of the weight of the flour.Lets look at a few specifics examples on our normal loaf of bread.HydrationThe most important number you are going to be using with the bakers  percentage is the hydration. The ideal (OK, it is more of a good starting point) "bakers percentage" hydration is 61%.  In the recipe we are referencing is a 61% hydration  dough. You can experiment with all different hydrations, but 61% is  what I have found is pretty well the middle of the road hydration.  SaltAnother bakers  percentage we will need is the salt. Salt is very important for flavor,  slowing down the yeast, and helping with the structure of the dough.  While there can be some variation in the amount of salt it is usually  more consistent at around 2%. So if you have 100g of flour you will have 2g  of salt.The numbersOne  important point to note with the bakers percentage is that it will  always be well over 100%. In our example the flour is 100%, water is 61%,  and salt is 2%. So right there you have a dough that adds up to 162%?!?  But don't look at it that way. There is not a total percentage that matters. It  is all just a reference to the amount of flour. So  with all these weird numbers, percentages why in the world would anyone  use this bakers percentage!?! The reason is scalability. I can give you  a recipe, but what if you want a larger or smaller loaf? If you know  the bakers percentage of all the ingredients you just scale up and down  easy. Just change the amount of flour, and the percentage stays the  same!  It  also works well with any other ingredient you may want to use. If you  have raisins in your bread you can use the same bakers percentage to  make sure if you are making one loaf or a dozen, they all have the same  amount of raisins. So  it may take a bit to wrap your brain around, but once you get it down  the bakers percentage makes things much easier. And add this with an  excel file and it is easy to calculate no matter how many Or of what  size loaf you want to make!Important Points:Everything is in relationship to the flourThe total percentage points mean nothingHydration is the amount of water, usually about 61% the weight of the flourThe salt is usually about 2% the weight of the flour Step 4: Steam It Up Baby!. <PIC> Steam is very important to the formation of the crust. You want to have a lot of steam for the first 5 min or so of the baking process, and then no more steam so that crust can set. Basically what happens is that when you put the dough in the oven it will start to rise. The dry air of the oven will bake the outer edge of the dough. This will form a hard crust that will not allow the dough to full rise. The outer crust will form a shell that will not allow the dough to rise as full as fully as it could. The steam will keep the outer crust from setting and forming the restrictive shell. This will allow the dough to rise further. Large commercial oven have steam injectors that you can turn on during the first part of a bake; but, as we all likely have home ovens we need another strategy. I place a disposable aluminum pie pan and put water into it with a wine bottle a few minutes before I put the dough in the oven. I will also spray the dough with a spray bottle. And if I am using a dutch oven I will just dump some water on the top of the dough just before I put the lid on the dutch oven. Either way you want to get the oven as steamy as you can for the first few minutes of the baking. A dutch oven also works great to hold in all that steam. Just dump some water in there before you put the lid on, and take the lid off after 5-10 min. Just make sure the entire thing (don't forget the handle at the top) can handle 500ºF!Important Points:Steam helps  Only steam the first few min A disposable pie pan, old wine bottle, and spray bottle go a long way. Step 5: Slasher!. <PIC> While the oven will dry the outer crust to form a crust this is something that has already happened during the last rise. The drying of the air will for a crust which can also form a shell and not allow the fullest extent of the rise. Using a sharp knife, scissors, or razor blade to slash the top of the loaf will allow the dough to expand through these cuts. It is best if you make the cuts on a very acute angle (not strait into the dough, but at an angle). This way the edge will curl up and form a most crusty edge. You can have all kinda of fun experimenting with different ways of slashing your bread.Important Points:Make cuts in the top to allow it to riseGet creative with your cuts, it's fun. Step 6: Get Radiant! . <PIC> The modern oven lacks the radiant heat that a traditional brick oven has. The bricks absorb the heat, and retain it very well. That way when you set the dough on the floor the floor does not cool down very much, and continues to impart heat into the dough. Modern ovens do not have anything like this, so we have to do something to help simulate this. The most common thing used it a pizza stone; but, there are steel sheets that you can use.  There are even whole inserts that you can place a whole stone insert, complete with lid.I have lined the entire shelf of my oven rack with unglazed quarry tiles I bought from Home Depot. I bought a case of 8" and a case of 6" and they have done my oven, my parents, and few friends.  They are an easy and cheap way to get a lot of baking surface in your oven.  While none of these things are perfect, they go a long way to improve the bread coming out of a regular oven. Important Points:Some kind of stone surface helpsLarge metal slaps also workI use unglazed quarry tiles to line my whole oven. Step 7: You Can't Burn It!. <PIC> Raymond Calvel, professor of baking at ENSMIC in Paris, France, once said "you can't burn bread". While you can burn bread, he does have a point. It is said that up to 80% of the flavor of the bread is in the crust. And the more you bake it the more flavor is going to be in the crust. Now you don't want to burn it for real, but I am willing to bet that if you will bake a loaf an extra 5 min it will do nothing but help the flavor. Try it next time.Important Points:Bake it another 5 minutes. I bed you won't be disappointed.  Step 8: Fun Tools. <PIC> There are a few other "toys" that I use when making my bread.LameThis is nothing but a razor blade you use to slash the top of the bread with. A sharp knife, or even scissors work, but there is more you can do with a razor blade.Super PealI love this thing. It is what I use to put the dough in the oven. There is just nothing quite like it, and I love it!Large SpatulaI use a large grilling spatula that I bought a long time ago. I wish I could find another one of these things, I would so buy a few more! It is just big enough to lift any loaf, but small enough to get in where I need it. The only good thing is that I bought my dad one, so if I break it I know where I can find another. Spray bottleAs stated earlier steam and keeping the top of the dough wet is important. Just before I put the dough in the oven I will spray it down very heavy with the squirt bottle. If I open the oven in the first few min (like to add more dough) I will give all the loaves in the oven a few more squirts.BrotformThis is a basket that you use to rise the bread in. I have used everything from cheap $1 Dollar Tree baskets with a non-terry cloth towel, to real rattan proofing baskets (which really make things easier). But this is nothing except  a basket to rise the dough in. Disposable pie pan and Wine BottleThis may seam like a silly addition, but it is very important to the steaming of the bread. The disposable pie pan is important because I have very hard water, and after just a few batches the pie pan is crusted in lime scale. When it gets too bad you can just throw it out and use a new one. The wine bottle is the perfect thing to add the water to the pie pan. It isn't going to melt, and the long neck lets you reach it without smiling too much.  I truly do use these things with every loaf I make. StencilingThis is just a stencil that you make. It can be the shape of anything you want. Your initials, your logo, the person you are giving it to... whatever. Just before you bake the bread you sprinkle either flour or coco power on the dough with the stencil. It adds a really neat personal touch to your bread.French Rolling PinWhile I still love my American Rolling pin, it is just better for delicate items in my opinion. I have found the French pin works very well for breads when you really need to put some weight behind it. Important Points:There are all kinds of tools that can make things easier, better, or just more fun.  Step 9: Vocabulary Says What?!?!. <PIC> Prefermentschef, levain, sponge, madre bianca, mother, biga, and poolish. Basically all of these are "preferments". Basically what you do is add a small a little yeast to part of the flour and (most) of the water and let it sit for a few hours to a day. This allows the yeast to add some flavor to the flour, and also allows the baker to not have to buy as much yeast! There are all kinds of differences, but the biga and poolish are the most common.SourdoughReally this is not a style of bread like most Americans think of it. It is a type of levin, or yeast. You can have clean tasting "sourdough" breads that have absolutely zero "sour" flavor, or that have a lot. Just remember, it is not a style of bread, it is a type of levin.LameThis is nothing but a razor blade you use to  slash the top of the bread with. Peal The big flat wood or metal thing you get put the bread in the oven or get it out with.BrotformThis is the basket you rise your dough in.AutolyseMixing flour and water without anything else in it and allowed to sit for 30 min to 12 hours or so. BatardA loaf of bread that is oval or oblong in shape.BouleA round loaf of breadBulk fermentationJust letting a lot of dough rise together before you make it into loaves. CrumbThe inside portion of your bread (not the crust)CrustThe outside portion of your bread (not the crumb) Step 10: Well, That's a Start. <PIC> OK, this sure isn't going to win any awards, but I hope this helps. It is for sure not a complete "how to" but I hope it will answer some questions, and help you go from someone who can bake a loaf of bread, to someone who can truly master the art of baking. It's a lot of fun, and I hope you get into it even more!Important Points:Just go bake some bread!And taking a class will sure help too!


Introduction: Caramel Banana Chocolate Cake. <PIC> This cake is a super chocolaty, caramel, banana masterpiece. It's rich, and creamy, and is great for any group event, family gathering, or whatever other excuse you can find to make it. The base is 3 layers of rich chocolate cake, with banana slices in each layer - coated with a caramel frosting, and then coated again with a fudge frosting. Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> There are 3 recipes to this Instructable. They are all delicious combined - but they also work well on their own, for other applications. Chocolate Banana Cake: 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour 3 c. white sugar  1 1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder  1 tbsp baking soda  1 1/2 tsp baking powder  1 1/2 tsp salt  3 eggs  1 1/2 c. strong brewed coffee (can be substituted for water)1 1/2 c. buttermilk  3/4 c. vegetable oilBananas (I used about 6 large bananas! - - I forgot to include the bananas in the picture) **** You will also need parchment paper to line your pans, and oil to grease themCaramel Frosting: 2 1/4 c. light brown sugar1 c. heavy whipping cream1/2 tsp baking soda1/2 c. butter1 tsp vanillaConfectioners sugar as neededChocolate Fudge Frosting:2 1/2 - 3 c. confectioners sugar1/2 c. butter, softened1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder1 tsp vanilla extract1/4 c. milk - only use as needed Step 2: Caramel Frosting: Part 1. <PIC> The most time efficient order for this cake, is to make the caramel frosting first! For this caramel frosting, you have to first make the caramel. Then it's going to have to cool, untouched for at least an hour. Cut your butter into pieces, and have your baking soda on hand. Everything happens kind of quickly in this recipe. In a medium-large pot, combine the brown sugar and cream. This mixture bubbles and expands quite a bit, so make sure your pot can hold it. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium high heat. Boil for 1 minute.Add the baking soda, and boil for 1 more minute.Remove from the heat, and drop in the pieces of butter. Do not stir this! Just add the butter and leave it alone! Set it to the side, or stick it in the fridge if it's warm in your kitchen.  Step 3: Making the Cake. <PIC> Mix your dry ingredients together.Separately, mix your wet ingredients together. Slowly add the wet to the dry, until batter is consistently mixed. This will be a thin batter.  Step 4: Banana-fana-fo-fana. <PIC> Prep your cake pans! Line the bottom of with parchment paper circles and oil the entire thing.Slice the bananas into roughly 1/4 of an inch thick slices Spoon some batter into the bottom of each pan to coat the bottoms. This will help the bananas not glue to the bottom of the pan and burn. The bananas will still sink during the baking process. Now, create your banana layers. I tried to make mine as neat as possible, but by the third pan I was definitely tempted to just dump the remaining slices in. But resist! Evenly distribute the rest of the cake batter into your pans. Gently pour it in, or it will move your bananas all around.Baking Instructions Bake your cakes at 350°F for 35-45 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean) - Baking may take more time depending on your oven, your pans, or how you position the 3 cake pans.Once the cake layer are baked - let them cool in their pans for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the cake layers and place them on cooling racks. These will need to cool completely before you can move on to applying frosting.  Step 5: Caramel Frosting: Part 2. <PIC> Once your caramel is cooled, it should be fairly hard, and the butter should be solidified. If it's still soft or runny, it needs to cool longer. If your caramel isn't completely cool, your frosting will not set. Scoop your caramel mixture out of the pot and into a bowl. Mix it until it starts to become light brown and creamy. Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Continue mixing.Slowly add powdered sugar to the mixture as needed, to thicken your frosting and make it the consistency you want. I think I used about 1 c. If your frosting ever gets too thick, you can add a small amount of cream or milk to even it out. Step 6: Constructing the Cake. <PIC> All layers should be placed bottom-side up. Place 1 cake layer on your serving plate and cover the top with caramel frosting. Add another layer, add more frosting, and finally - top if with the third layer. Add the rest of your caramel frosting, and spread it evenly over the entire cake. Set this in the fridge to set.  Step 7: Chocolate Fudge Frosting. <PIC> Mix your butter until creamy. Add your vanilla. Add your cocoa powder and mix well. Slowly add in your powdered sugar, also adding milk as needed to help make it creamy. Once your chocolate frosting is creamy, add it in an even layer over the caramel frosting.  Step 8: Decorating (optional). <PIC> To decorate, I just melted some chocolate and poured it into a zip lock bag. Snip the corner, and you can drizzle it over your cake! Just make sure the chocolate isn't too hot or it will melt through your bag. Of course, you can do whatever you want!Some other things I considered were chocolate cookie crumbs, caramel sauce, and/or chocolate shavings. This cake is best served at room temperature and can be stored that way too.


Introduction: Pineapple-Almond Upside Down... Cookies!. <PIC> The moist, delicious yumminess of classic Pineapple Upside Down Cake has been captured ...  in a Cookie!
They're like a little taste of Springtime to brighten the Winter blues.
Happy New Year... Enjoy! Step 1: Ingredients, Tools and Prep Work. <PIC> This recipe makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Butter-softened
3/4 cup White Sugar
2 Eggs
1/3 cup Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons reserved Pineapple Juice
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Sliced Almonds
Maraschino Cherries
1 - 28 oz can of Pineapple rings- drained- juice reserved.
1/4 C Brown Sugar- packed
1 teaspoon Light Corn SyrupTools:
Electric Mixer
Nonstick Baking mat (Silpat) or parchment paper
Whisk
Mixing BowlsPrep work:
Remove the pineapple rings from the can. Place them on a paper towel and gently pat dry. (Save the canned juice.) Cut each ring into small wedges as pictured. Place in a bowl. Add brown sugar and Corn syrup. Toss to coat.
Drain maraschino cherries on a paper towel. Cut in half.  Place the cherries on the baking sheet, domed side-down. Space them about 4-5 inches apart.  Lay the almond slices in a circular, flower-fashion around the cherry. Follow suit with the pineapple wedges, using 5 per cookie.
These cookies do not spread very much but give yourself plenty of room on the first batch so you can better gauge the spacing.
Motorhome living requires me to bake in a Toaster Oven. I started with 4 cookies on a sheet and found I could fit 6 if I was careful.
Next Step---> Batter preparation---> Step 2: Mix and Bake. <PIC> Preheat Oven to 325 degrees
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.  Set aside.
In a larger, deeper bowl,  use a hand mixer (medium-high speed) to cream the butter first. Add the white sugar and whip until smooth.
One ingredient at a time, add eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Mix the batter  thoroughly as you add each ingredient and remember to scrape the sides of the bowl, too.
1/2 cup at a time, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter, mixing on low speed. Scrape the bowl after each addition. Mix well.
Spoon the batter into a pastry bag or ziplock baggie.  Snip off about 1/3" from the corner.
Begin at the cherry center and slowly pipe the batter outward  in a spiral. Leave about 1/4" of pineapple wedges uncovered to allow for spreading.
Bake for 20- 23 minutes or until golden brown. Note: If you undercook, they will not hold their shape very well.
Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes. Use a spatula to gently invert them upside down onto your cookie plate.
Serve at room temperature. Step 3: Serving Suggestions:. <PIC> On day 1, these cookies will hold their shape beautifully.
On day 2 they are softer and more difficult to hold in your fingers.
The delicious solution?
Plate your cookies, top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and eat them with a fork!


Introduction: Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake. <PIC> Are you going to a potluck or having some friends over and you need an easy dessert? Oh and you want it to taste fancy too? Well, here is a fun little twist on a classic dump cake recipe to help you out! Step 1: You Will Need:. <PIC> To make your very own super delicious and amazingly awesome dessert, you will need: 9x13 (or slightly larger) baking dish Oil or cooking spray At least 20 ounces (up to about 40) of cherry pie filling Vanilla extract 2 sticks butter Mini chocolate chips 1 box light colored cake mix (yellow, white, or lemon for sure work) Measuring spoons, butter knife, and large spoon for stirring Optional: Pecans or other nuts for topping (not shown in this 'ible) Step 2: Filling. <PIC> Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat the bottom and sides of your baking dish with cooking spray or oil. I actually was so excited to make this that I forgot to do it - it does make clean up a lot easier later. Dump in your cherry pie filling. I only used about 20 ounces of filling in this dump cake. It was tasty, and everyone liked it, but I thought it could have used a better filling-to-cake ratio. Add about 1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract, a little more or a little less to suit your taste. I wouldn't go too much less though. Finally, add 1/3 to 1/2 cup or so of mini chocolate chips. Add the larger amount if you use more than 20 ounces of cherry pie filling. Or if you just REALLY like chocolate :) Now stir it all up to get the vanilla and chocolate chips mixed in, and smooth it out along the bottom of your baking dish. Step 3: Topping. <PIC> Now for the dumping of the cake! Take your box of cake mix, and dump the whole thing on top of the cherry pie filling mix! w00 for cooking! Gently smooth the cake mix out over the entire dish, all the way to the sides, breaking up any big clumps as you go. Gently is important, you don't want to incorporate the cake mix with the pie filling mixture. Slice your two sticks of butter and place all along the top. You don't have to cover every bit of cake mix, but you do want to have even coverage without huge gaps. If you are going to add nuts for topping, add them at this point. Usually I've seen nice neat rows of pecans rather than a sprinkling of chopped nuts - but feel free to play with it a bit!  Step 4: Cooking. <PIC> Pop your baking dish, uncovered, in your preheated oven for 45 minutes to an hour. Start checking it at the 45 minute mark. This was my cake at 45 minutes. It is just starting to get golden, but it is still a little gooey looking. You want to see a nice, relatively even golden across the top. It should look slightly "crispy" rather than slightly "wet". My cake took about 52 minutes to be done. Your oven may vary. Step 5: Enjoy!. <PIC> When your cake looks nice and golden and ever so slightly crispy, take it out and let it cool a little bit. This is delicious warm, room temp, or straight from the fridge as leftovers! I hope you enjoy this easy, yummy twist on a classic dump cake! What other variations do you like?


Introduction: Easy Dip 3.. <PIC> This is a third in our series of easy dips. This time we will use green peas as the base. Step 1: Ingredients.. <PIC> Ingredients:
2 - cans green peas.
1/2 - diced onion.
1 - diced Roman tomato or a can of pre-sliced tomatoes.
1 - clove minced garlic.
2  - tablespoons or so or lemon and or lime juice
Spices:
Oregano.
Basil.
Salt.
Pepper.
Cilantro or Italian parsley.
Optional:
1/2 - diced bell pepper. Step 2: Get Dicey.. <PIC> Dice your tomato, onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
Be sure to drain the tomatoes well. Step 3: Mash It Up.. <PIC> Drain the liquid from the can of peas into the sink or other disposal means leaving the peas in the can.
Empty the peas into a bowl.
Using a potato masher pulverizer the peas to your favorite consistency.
Add the other ingredients and spices and then gently fold together.  Step 4: Serve.. <PIC> Add the chips and eat.


Introduction: Easy Food Dehydrator. <PIC> Please consider voting for this Instructable if you like it :-)My family and I are planning to go on a hike for a couple of days. I got an idea to make a food dehydrator out of recycled parts so we could make food that is lightweight and preserves well. Dehydrated food could also come in handy in a survival situation.For this project you will need: An ice cream box (prefrerably somewhat like mine). A fan (salvaged from an old printer). A power adapter. Spray paint (optional). Let's get started! Step 1: Cut. <PIC> Take your ice cream box and place the fan on top of it. Now start drawing a line around your fan. When you are done lift the fan off and start cutting. Make sure to cut inside of your line so the fan can sit on the edges. Step 2: Spray Paint (optional). <PIC> If you want your box uniform you might want to spray paint it (I chose light grey). Start by covering the hole with cardboard and tape it down. Next take your box outside and lay it on some newspapers. Now you can start spraying it. Do a few thin coats and let it dry a bit in between. Let dry in a ventilated area. Step 3: Hot Glue. <PIC> Once the paint has cured take the box inside, you're now ready to glue the fan on the lid. This one is pretty self explanatory, just put a line of hot glue all around the hole and place your fan in it. Important: make sure that the fan is facing the right way, so it blows air into the box when it's powered. I did that mistake and tried to just switch the polarity but then the fan would not spin. Step 4: Drill. <PIC> Along the bottom of the box mark out where you are going to drill out the holes. When you are done you may proceed to drilling. You will have to scrape out the excess plastic and clean up every hole. Step 5: All Done!. <PIC> Congratulations, you have finished making your very own dehydrator. To operate it place your food of choice inside on a wire rack, hook it up to the power adapter and put in a warm place (maybe on a radiator). Now you can start experimenting with different dried foods! I recommend trying beef jerky, apples, yogurt and soup. Feel free to vote if you liked ;-)Have fun!


Introduction: Sweet and Salty Popcorn. <PIC> All you need to make this is... 		Carmel corn 		Regular and/or cheddar popcorn 		Cinnamon and sugar (Mix separately before adding to popcorn)How to mix: 		First, pop the popcorn (If needed) 		Then add your two (Or more) packs of popcorn until they are equally balanced. 		Mix the cinnamon and sugar separately. 		Now, add as much cinnamon sugar as you feel necessary, to the popcorn mix. 		After this is completed, Enjoy!


Introduction: Extremely Dangerous Hot Dog Cooker. <PIC> Please be advised, building this could cost you your life.This is !!! EXTREMELY DANGEROUS !!!  You can get ELECTROCUTED.Although this will cook a hot dog to completion, I would strongly suggest if you are in that much of a hurry make a sandwich or use the microwave.That being said...Enjoy! Step 1: What You Will Need. <PIC> 1. A soldering iron.  I used a 25 watt iron.  It heats up quick and cools down just as fast and only costs about $102. Solder3. Two (2) 10 penny nails.4. 3' of lamp cord5. A lamp plug.  A self effecting plug works well and does not require any additional user input6. Hot Dog rolls - they do not have to come from Market Basket.  Stop and Shop brand works just as well7. Hot Dogs.  I like Ball Park Franks.  "They Plump When You Cook 'em"That's all you need to start enjoying a delicious electric hot dog.Before you continue.  Please be advised, this project comes with an ELECTROCUTION HAZARD Step 2: With a Kitchen Knife Cut 1/2" of Insulation Off of the Lamp Cord. <PIC> You can use your teeth to strip this size wire.  I would suggest however you grab a kitchen knife and strip a solid 1/2" of insulation from the cable.!!! WARNING !!!Please take care when using a knife.  Good practice would also suggest you twist the exposed conductor in a clock wise motion. Step 3: Tin the Exposed Wire. <PIC> When finished soldering this is what it should look like. Step 4: Tin the Underside of the Head of the Nail. <PIC> Next solder a small drop of solder to the underside of the nail head as shown Step 5: Solder the Lamp Cord to the Nails. <PIC> Twist the exposed wire around the recently soldered nail as depicted in the picture.  Standard practice suggests twisting in a clock wide motion. Step 6: Connect the Lamp Cord to the Lamp Cord Plug. <PIC> Follow the manufacturers instructions for connecting the lamp plug to the lamp cord. Step 7: Finished Product.  Not Without Risk!  !!! WARNING !!!. <PIC> This is what it should look like after the lamp plug and the nails have been connected to the lamp cord!!! WARNING !!!Before continuing consider what you have just created.You now have two metal nails connected to a lamp cord that can be plugged in to an electrical outlet.!!! YOU CAN BE ELECTROCUTED !!! Step 8: Insert the Nails Into Each Side of the Hot Dog. <PIC> !!! WARNING !!!This is where we have to take a moment to consider where we are.  If you have considered the fact that you now have two metal nails soldered to a lamp cord on one end and a plug on the other that can be plugged into an electrical outlet, and you have considered the fact that when you plug this device in you will have two exposed conductors capable of electrocuting you, after you have considered the fact that this has the potential to kill you, then you are ready to proceed.!!! WARNING !!!Before you plug this device in push the nails into each side of the hot dog and place the hot dog in the bun.    Step 9: With Hot Dog in the Bun Plug in the Lamp Cord. <PIC> !!! WARNING !!!!!! ELECTROCUTION HAZARD !!!With the hot dog secure in the bun and the two nails pushed into the hot dog, plug in the lamp cord Step 10: Add Your Favorite Condiment and Enjoy!. <PIC> !!! WARNING !!!!!! WARNING !!!!!! WARNING !!!BEFORE touching the nails unplug the lamp cord from the wall.If you have survived this far you deserve a well cooked hot dog.This device will cook a hot dog to completion in about 20 secondsAdd your favorite condiment and enjoy a delicious "Ball Park Frank with the added knowledge that you survived to eat again.


Introduction: Frozen Icicle Candy Cupcakes!. <PIC> Spend a snowy day making frozen Cupcakes! Okay, they aren't actually frozen...although you could freeze them. Perfect for a Frozen Princess Party--or just a yummy treat! With Blue Crystal Icicle Shards for added frostiness. Step 1: Cupcakes for Four!. <PIC> Here's a great recipe for Cupcakes for four! You know, those days where you can't justify making 24 cupcakes because you know you'll eat them all! Okay, so just 4. (except after eating them...I realized more than 4 would have been nice) 1 Egg 4 TBSP butter softened 4 TBSP sugar 2 tsp Vanilla 3 TBSP milk 1/2 cup Flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 2 pinches of salt Mix the wet ingredients, than add dry ingredients and mix! Get out 4 cupcake papers. Fill them 2/3's full. Should use all your batter! Bake 350* F for 15 minutes. Step 2: Make the Icicles!. <PIC> Now, while they are baking and cooling... make your frozen icicle shard candy! "Be careful, those icicles have been know to kill people" (name that movie) Okay, in a saucepan... add 1/4 cup sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons of corn syrup 2 tablespoons of water boil on high until it reaches 300* F or hard crack. Then add 1 drop of blue food coloring and 1/8 teaspoon of flavoring (optional) Pour it out on a silicone mat. I poured a large amount first, then little strings and strands of syrup to make the lacy frozen icicles. It will lift right up off the mat when cooled. The larger piece can be broken carefully to make crystals. Really though, be careful...hard candy can cut like glass. Step 3: Prep the Cupcakes!. <PIC> I used my Silhouette machine to cut out scallop cupcake wrappers out of damask acetate paper. Now just added a generous swirl of buttercream or your favorite white frosting and top with hard candy icicles and shards! Step 4: . <PIC> Remove the shards and icicles before giving to small children. My 5 year old was fine, but fyi. These were so fun to make and tasted great! Now I must have a Frozen Princess Party--next snow day! Check out my blog Doodlecraft for more fun!


Introduction: Old Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese. <PIC> Here is a delicious Old fashioned Mac and Cheese dish that my mom and I have been making for many years! It is the perfect dish for any event, Thanksgiving, definitely! Birthdays, Christmas.. etc. Anything! (:  Step 1: Supplies Needed. <PIC> - 6 to 7 ounces raw elbow macaroni (about 2 cups)- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (about 3/4 pounds)- 1 jar of alfredo (Ragu~classic alfredo)- Milk- Salt- Pepper- 2-quart casserole dish- Measuring cups- Stove top pans Step 2: Preheat Oven. <PIC> Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Step 3: Cook Noodles. <PIC> Boil the elbow noodles on a stove top as instructed on their package. Once they are done cooking place half of the amount of noodles into an ungreased 2-quart casserole dish. Step 4: Prepare Your White Sauce . <PIC> On the side start making your white sauce, put the one full jar of alfredo(Ragu) into the oven to pan, fill the empty alfredo jar up with milk and pour that into the pan also. Bring to a boil over medium temperature... stir frequently. Once the milk and alfredo sauce is boiling, remove from heat and pour half of the white sauce over the macaroni noodles in the casserole dish and then stir gently. Step 5: Add Cheese. <PIC> Sprinkle half the amount of shredded cheese onto the macaroni and sauce in the dish and stir gently. Step 6: Layering . <PIC> You will then sprinkle the remaining noodles, sauce and cheese onto the dish, on top of each other (in the same order as steps 3-4) creating a layered effect. Stir gently once again.  Step 7: Topping. <PIC> On top of everything sprinkle more cheese until it is all covered (like the picture). You can also season the dish with salt and pepper to your liking, if wanted. Step 8: Bake the Dish in the Oven . <PIC> Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then once baked for 30 minutes, uncover the dish and bake for another 15 minutes. Step 9: All Done!! Serve the Dish. <PIC> Once your delicious Old Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese is finished, you can serve it up. This dish serves 6 to 8 people.


Introduction: How to Make Sumac Verjuice. <PIC> Verjuice is a wonderful addition to any kitchen.  Used mainly in French and Middle Eastern cuisines, verjuice adds a refreshing tartness without the bitterness that can be found in citrus juice or vinegar.  It has a place in anyones kitchen.   Verjuice can even be used to make a thirst quenching drink.Verjuice is typically made from unripe grapes or crabapples.  We are going to use sumac berries, which will give a beautiful red juice that can be used wherever a touch of acid is needed, whether to make vinegrettes, or deglazing pans, you will find dozens of uses for your verjuice.In the interest of full disclosure, this is rougejuice. (verjuice translates to green juice, while rouge juice translates to red juice.   Step 1: Collect Sumac Berries and Soak Them. <PIC> Warning: Do not eat any wild edibles unless you are sure of their identity.Sumac is a fairly common plant thoughtout much of the eastern and midwestern U.S.  It is a shrubby tree and easily identifies by its red berries in clusters above the foliage.  These fruit clusters are what we are after to make our verjuice.  Don't be too worried about poison sumac, for while they share a name, poison sumac has white berries, not the red ones of staghorn or smooth sumac.  Always positively identify wild foods, but sumac is one of the easier ones to identify.  You want to collect the clusters after a long dry period, as rain can wash off the acid that we are after.  Collect several bunches, leaving the large stems behind.  A few small stems are not going to hurt anything.Place your berries in a pot of lukewarm water.  Water that is hot will absorb too much tannin which makes it astringent (like overbrewed tea), while cold water takes a lot longer to collect the acid off of the berries.Rub the berries between your fingers or stir vigorously.  Let them steep in the water for 10 or 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Strain them through a colander or sieve, and collect the water.   Step 2: Strain Your Berries Out. <PIC> Collect the red water that drains off, and you have your verjuice.  The lovely red color is all natural, and you will find it refreshingly tart. Refrigerate it if you are not going to use it immediately, or freeze it in an ice cube tray for longer storage.   Use this in any way that you would otherwise use vinegar or lemon juice.  A dash on fish is better than a squeeze of lemon.  Pour a little into a pan after sauteing chicken, and you can make a delicious quick sauce.Or add simple syrup and soda water, or sugar and regular water and you have a thirst quencher that is high in vitamin C.  So go wild, you have a brand new ingredient to play with. We will be posting new recipes to use the verjuice soon.Enjoy and live a hands on life.handsonlife.org


Introduction: Boneless Buffalo Wings . <PIC> Wings are one of my FAVORITE game time snacks! These Boneless Buffalo Wings are perfect to satisfy my game-day cravings. When I have to bring something to a party, I prep these guys up ahead of time and warm them when I get there! They are really simple to make! The best part is they are made with 100% chicken breast that's baked (not fried!) for a healthier way to enjoy this yummy dish. But don't worry, healthy doesn't mean lacking flavor! These little guys are finger licking amazing! Ingredients:·       3 medium chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)·       ½ cup flour·       2 eggs·       ¼ cup milk·       1 ¼ cup bread crumbs·       1 tsp salt·       ½ tsp black pepper·       1 tsp garlic powder·       1 tsp Italian seasoning·       ½ tsp cayenne powder·       Cooking spray·       Wing sauce Step 1: Cut the Chicken. <PIC> Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Step 2: Flour the Chicken. <PIC> Add the flour and diced chicken into a gallon sized plastic bag.  Shake the bag around to evenly coat the chicken. Step 3: Egg Wash. <PIC> In a large bowl beat the eggs and milk. Remove the chicken from the bag, shaking off the excess flour and reserve it in the bag for later. Mix the chicken in the eggs to evenly coat each piece. Step 4: Breading . <PIC> Add the bread crumbs and seasonings to the remaining flower and shake to mix. Add the chicken to the bag, draining off extra eggs. Close the bag with a large air bubble and shake the bag around to coat the pieces. Step 5: Bake and Saucify! . <PIC> Coat baking sheets with cooking spray and spread out the coated chicken. Spray the tops of the pieces with more cooking spray. Bake in a preheated 400˚F oven for 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through.Put the baked chicken into a large bowl. Drizzle with wing sauce and mix to evenly coat the wings. Add more sauce as desired. Serve with a side of blue cheese and carrots/celery.


Introduction: Edible Tim Hortons Coffee Cup . <PIC> Although Tim Hortons is no longer Canadian as it was purchased by an American company, I am still a big fan, especially for their Tim Bits (doughnut bites) !This edible coffee cup is made of chocolate fudge cake with vanilla frosting. All decorations are  edible, depicting baked goods that Tim Hortons offers. The coffee beans  are baking chips with cappuccino flavor. Step 1: Method. <PIC> To make this edible coffee cup you will need:Cake and buttercream of your choice FondantFood colorsEdible penCake decorating toolsA little chocolate ganacheTim Hortons coffee cup, empty and cleanCut your coffee cup into a couple of rings (at least 5 sizes of rings), this will be your templateUsing the coffee rings as template, cut your rectangular cake (when the cakes stacked, it will be the coffee cup size and shape, with a minimum carving).Stack cakes with a little ganache in between. Adjust cakes that it should be the shape of the cup. Chill a bit.Cover cake with thin ganache, chill again, then cover with buttercream (I use vanilla).Roll flat white fondant and cover the cake with it.With brown gel food color, brush/paint the side of the cup.Color a small piece of white fondant with black gel food. Roll flat and cover the top of the 'cup' as coffee. Trim with knife/scissor.Roll a small piece of white fondant into a rope, and attach to the cup as the cup rim.Start decorating!Make the Tim Hortons logo with fondant and edible food pen. Attach to the cake by wetting the back of the logo with a little water.Make Tim Bits by coloring your fondant and shaping them into small doughnut bites/doughnut holes.Shape a fondant into doughnut, color with food color and decorate with sprinkles.Color and shape fondant into croissant and sandwich or other pastries.


Introduction: Easy Cold Brewed Coffee. <PIC> Pouring hot brewed coffee over ice is a sure way to get nasty watered-down iced coffee. Refrigerating brewed coffee is hardly better. The best method to achieve a great tasting ice coffee is cold brewing. All you need is a french press, cold water, and time. I know some people say french presses are expensive, but I picked mine up for 15 bucks at Target, so go out and grab one.The best part about this coffee is that you don't need hot or ice cold water to make it, room temp water works perfectly.  Step 1: Making the Coffee. <PIC> For this I'm using a 1.1 quart French press, place 4 1/2 ounces coarsely ground coffee (Roughly 1 3/4 cup ) into the pitcher, pour a little over 3 cups of cold water to fill.Place top on (but don't press the plunger down) let steep at room temperature for at least 12 hours and up to 24. After the coffee grounds have steeped, gently press down on the plunger until the grounds reach the bottom of the pitcher.Now transfer the strained coffee into a sealed bottle(keep those funky refrigerator flavors out).Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 5 days. Step 2: . <PIC> For each cup of iced coffee, dilute the cold brew with an equal amount of creamer, half-and-half, milk or water. (whatever you prefer) Sweeten with sugar, equal, splenda, or any flavored syrup and top with ice.Sit back relax and enjoy smooth delicious cup of Cold brew iced coffee.Thanks for looking, If you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave them below.


Introduction: Mexican Chicken Alfredo. <PIC>
          I am not sure that the title is 100% accurate. And this recipe changes slightly everytime I make it but, I start with noodles, alfredo sauce and chicken, and add salsa, peppers and onions - hence I think its close enough earning the name I will just run with it.
No matter what the name is, I think it tastes great, and I like to make a big batch and eat it at lunch over the week.
The basic ingredients are:
		Noodles (I used my homemade pasta, and my tomato pasta in this particular attempt)
		Chicken breast (one pack - I think it was 2 pounds)
		Alfredo sauce (one can)
		Peppers (I used one green and one red because that's what was in the fridge)
		Onion (one large sweet onion)
		Cheese (as much as you have)
I also used some garlic salt, ground pepper, and some homemade melomel (honey wine with blackberry) - Now the wine is optional, but I use wine to deglace the pan after cooking the meat and peppers - I happen to have this handy since I just finished brewing some, and I hate having a bottle that is not either completely full or completely empty... Step 1: Prepare Ingredients. <PIC> Chop everything up to make it much easier and more fun when actually cooking Step 2: Cook Ingredients. <PIC>
		First I cooked the onions and peppers
		Once they were cooked, I added the chicken and spices
		Lastly, and while the pasta was boiling I added some wine to the bottom of the pan to break up the tasty bits form the bottom of my pan, and to mix into the food.
One tip when cooking with wine, don't use anything you would not drink. Step 3: Add Salsa. <PIC> To this mix, I added one can of spicy salsa Step 4: Add Sauce and Simmer. <PIC> As the pasta water begins to boil I add the can of sauce and let it simmer until the pasta is cooked. Step 5: Mix and Eat. <PIC> Once the pasta is cooked to your desired tenderness, drain, and immediately add the pasta sauce.
Toss, add cheese and eat.
I will tell you, it may not look like much, but it is a bowl full of awesome.


Introduction: MEXICAN GASHOUSE EGGS. <PIC> These are really simple to make and they add variety to your morning.   Step 1: Ingredients Needed. <PIC> Olive oil
1 tortilla, corn or flour
1 egg
Salt & pepper to taste
Salsa
Grated cheese
Skillet  Step 2: Step 2. <PIC> Turn on the broiler.
Heat a skillet on medium. Lightly brush the skillet with olive oil, also both sides of the tortilla. With a knife, cut a circle from the center of the tortilla. Drop the tortilla into the skillet (it should sizzle a bit), the cutout piece alongside.
Crack an egg into the center hole. Season with salt and pepper.  Step 3: . <PIC> Gently arrange tiny spoonsful of salsa around the egg, sprinkle the salsa with cheese. When the bottom of the tortilla is golden, transfer the skillet to the broiler to finish cooking the egg. Step 4: . <PIC> broil till done about 6-10 min depending on how done you want it.


Introduction: Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Hearts - and Ways to Fix and Avoid Chocolate Problems.. <PIC> There's a story behind this instructable.  Well, isn't there always, I suppose.See, I had a plan.  A best laid plan.  Which was slightly foiled by the realities of dealing with that cantankerous substance known as chocolate.  So even though these didn't exactly come out the way I envisioned them at the start, they came out even better and more chocolatey in the end, so it all works out.My original plan was was inspired by the molded crayon stub instructable - those looked like they should be edible, so let's make an edible version. And punch it up by adding dots, stripes, and layers in the mold, too.  So I'm including how to do that in this instructable.  However, I had a slight issue -- not thinking I stuck the molds in the freezer, and ended up with chocolate bloom (that dusty looking layer that you find on chocolate when the cocoa butter separates and rises to the surface).  So they really were not that attractive - though still tasty.  Chocolate is just tricky to work with. So this became the Instructable on chocolate dipped chocolate hearts!  And now they are very pretty and even chocolatey-er than before!So experiment on your own, and don't be afraid of chocolate!And if you like this, don't forget to vote for it!  DotDabbled.org Step 1: Materials. <PIC> Mold for chocolates - I used hearts.  Silicon molds are nice.Double boiler (or Metal bowl & Saucepan that can work like a double boiler), or microwave and pyrexChocolatesI tried white, semisweet, and dark in both chip and block form. I also used unwrapped hershey's dark chocolate kisses (raspberry flavor) for a contrasting flavor in the outside coating.Sprinkles or sugar decoration if desired. Step 2: Melt Your Chocolate.. <PIC> Microwave.Basically you nuke your chocolate for about 30 seconds, stir, 30 more seconds, stir*, and as soon as the chip are beginning to melt, you pull it out and just keep stirring with a silicon spatula or similar until they are melted-they will melt with just the residual heat..  It is VERY easy to over cook your chips, particularly in the microwave.  *depending on the amount of chocolate, keep repeating the 20-30 second zaps until the chocolate starts to meltStove.Put a little water in the bottom pot of your double boiler.  bring to a simmer.  Place your chocolate in the top bowl.  When the chocolate starts melting, remove from heat and stir until melted.  DO NOT let steam or water get in your chocolate!  Personally, I think the stove top method is better and easier, as long as you ensure no water gets in the bowl, but I've done both.Tips:Chocolate is 'tempered' when you buy it.  If you don't get it too hot in the melting, then it will remain tempered.   Otherwise it will not come out as pretty unless you temper it again, and that's a pain to do.  It should look smooth as it melts (see picture of metal bowl).  If it looks fudgey (that glob in the plastic container), it's probably seized up and is no good to you for this purpose.  Do small batches.  That way if you mess up, you haven't ruined a whole batch.  Believe me :)Do not get any water in your chocolate or it will seize up, and you'll have to start over.To thin your chocolate, add a little oil or shortening. Step 3: Put Into Molds. <PIC> You have several options here.  I melted several different kinds of chocolate so I could play around with decorations.  I did some layered, some with dots of different colored chocolate, some with squiggles. Or you can just do plain.For adding dots and squiggles, you could of course use a pastry bag, but a quick and dirty way of doing it is to use a medicine dispenser syringe, just suck up your chocolate and dot it back out again.  I found that White chocolate dots on regular chocolate worked pretty well, but dark chocolate embedded in white chocolate did not 'stick' as well.  I suspect that it would work best if you used different colors of tinted white chocolate, so you wouldn't have the issue of different consistencies.Just pipe your dots, etc into the mold, let set briefly, then pour/spoon over another color.For layers, just pour or spoon in a small amount, let set, then spoon over a second layer, let set, then a third.For a 'hidden' center, fill the bottom with color A, spoon a dollop of color B in the center, then completely cover with color A. Step 4: Let Set Until Solid.  Unmold.. <PIC> Don't rush this step, and avoid temperature changes.It will take several hours depending on the thickness, or you could just let set overnight to be sure.When solid, remove from mold.As you can see, mine just weren't as pretty as I envisioned.  I think heated the chocolate too much when I melted it and it lost temper, or chilled it too fast. Step 5: Double Chocolate Coating. <PIC> If you like the effect of your molded chocolately, and you haven't had any bloom issues, you can stop here.But if you want even more chocolatey goodness, you can coat them in an additional layer of chocolate.Follow the melting instructions from before.  You'll likely need to thin it out a little bit.Dip your hearts in the melted chocolate using small tongs, spreading around the chocolate with your spatula if its pretty thick.  When you have it thoroughly coated, place in a small dish filled with candy sprinkles (or optionally, directly on wax paper).    Sprinkle candy sprinkles on top.  Let set briefly, then remove to wax paper.  Careful, it will take a while to solidify, so don't touch!One nice thing about adding the candy sprinkles, is that they hide a multitude of sins if you have any chocolate issues in the outer coating! Step 6: Give or Enjoy!. <PIC> After they are fully dry, store in an airtight container, or package up for gifts!Mmmmm... eat chocolate!


Introduction: How to Make Simple Scallion Pancakes!. <PIC> So I had some pancake batter leftover from my last instructable Fried Squash Blossoms.  Instead of throwing it away I decided to make some tasty treats for my kids to go with their Fried Squash blossoms that morning. They absolutely loved them.  So hopefully you can make these delicious treats and take part in all the enjoyment my kids were able to have.  Step 1: Gather Ingredients. <PIC> This instructable is super simple.  The two main ingredient are scallions and pancake batter. Scallions: I had these in my garden and they are simple to grow if you are interested in growing or adding a new herb to your already amazing garden. They also should be availible in your local market, if you cant find in a local market see if you can find an asian market .Pancake batter: I used ready mix pancake batter, just add water. Any pancake mix will do and pancake from scratch might be to much work for me but will taste amazing.Seasoning: a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Step 2: Preparations. <PIC> All I had to do is add water to pancake mix.  Now that the batter is ready you can slice up the scallions into small rings.  Place Scallions into pancake mix.  A dash of salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Now we can get on with the next step of cooking. Step 3: Cooking . <PIC> In a medium sauce pan heat up some oil. I used canola oil but you can use butter or any oil of your choice. Next Get pan hot over a medium fire.  Using a spoon add pancake batter to the pan.  I made cookie sized pancakes.  You can make them smaller or bigger to your liking.You'll see them bubble up just like cooking regular pancakes, and it's time for flipping.  I cooked them till golden brown on both sides and not gooey inside. Step 4: Enjoy!. <PIC> Usually there is a dipping sauce that goes with this dish but my kids enjoyed just that way it was served. I hope you enjoy.


Introduction: Sauerkraut. <PIC> Spicy sauerkraut with curry, pickled by lactic acid fermentation.Sauerkraut has many health benefits:It is a source of vitamins C, B, and K; the fermentation process increases the bioavailability of nutrients rendering sauerkraut even more nutritious than the original cabbage. It is also low in calories and high in calcium and magnesium, and it is a very good source of dietary fiber, folate, iron, potassium, copper and manganese. Step 1: Ingredients:. <PIC> 1 kg white cabbage (2.2 lbs)  1 shallot / cultivated onion  4 garlic cloves  1 carrot  2 cm of ginger (0.8 inches)  1 tablespoon curry  1 pinch curcuma (tumeric)1 dash fresh pepper  20 g salt (3/4 oz)  brine of 2% Step 2: Equipment:. <PIC> Mandolin slicer Bowl Mason Jar 1 Liter MuddlerAdditional Equipment:Disposable gloves Cutting board Knife Porcelain ginger grater Garlic dicer Lids or other weights Clean towels Step 3: Preparation:. <PIC> Sterilisation:Lay the mason jar and eligible equipment for 5 minutes in boiling water and let them dry top down on a clean dishcloth. Alternatively put them into a stove for 15 minutes at 130°C / 270°F. Let them cool down before use.Hygiene:Cut your finger nails and wash your hands thoroughly. Not a simple lavabo circling your palms, but up until your wrists, between your fingers and rub your finger tips in your palms. Step 4: Instructions:. <PIC> Discard the outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage into quarters but do not remove the stalk. Slice it very thin crosswise with the mandoline until only the stalk is left. Step 5: . <PIC> Cut the onion and the garlic cloves. Remove any green parts and make sure the tender skin is removed completely. Clean the carrot and slice it with the mandoline. Peel the ginger and grate it. Add all ingredients into the bowl..Alternatively, instead of these ingredients you can use a tablespoon of caraway seeds. Step 6: . <PIC> Add the salt and all spices.1 tablespoon curry 1 pinch curcuma 1 dash fresh pepper 20 g salt (3/4 oz) Step 7: . <PIC> Do not add any water! Knead the ingredients in the bowl and squeeze them until cabbage juice covers the sauerkraut (use the disposable gloves). Put some sauerkraut into the mason jar and use the muddler to press it down. While you fill the jar gradually up to 80%, make sure there are no bubbles stuck under the slices. Twist the muddler while pushing down to give any visible bubbles the chance to evade any barriers and move to the surface. Use the remaining brine from the bowl to cover the sauerkraut in the jar if needed and press it down with clean weights or lids. Before you close the jar, leave some empty head space between the level of brine and the top of the jar, otherwise the fermentation will produce too much foam at the lid or even spill. Any sauerkraut that is not submerged under brine will create mold and ruin the taste or even the edibility of the content. Step 8: Storage:. <PIC> Label the jar with content and date. Store the glass in a dark room (or covered) at 20°C for 3 days and then for another 6 weeks at 16-18°C. After that below 15°C for optimal taste.To open the jar pull the rubber band to equalize pressure. Add it raw to a dinner or salad and keep any remains in a fridge while the sauerkraut covered under brine.Enjoy your meal!


Introduction: How to Make Sea World Cupcake Toppers. <PIC> In this tutorial you will see how to make these adorable edible cupcake toppers. These can also be used for sea world themed cakes.Enjoy our simple tutorials:www.happyfoodstube.com/sea-world-cupcake-toppers Step 1: List of Tools Used in This Tutorial:. Rolling pinPaint brush + waterBall toolShell toolScallop toolBlade tool (or a knife)Edible black markerSharp point tool (or a tooth pick)4.5cm fluted shaped round cutterPiping tip+ dark blue, light blue, white & red fondant Step 2: Tools Used for Each Fondant Topper:. Star fishPaint brush + water, light blue fondant, white fondant, red  fondant (for the tongue)-optional, Ball tool (or the other end of your  paint brush), edible black marker or black fondant To make one star fish (2.5 – 3.5cm) you  will need 10 grams of light blue (or any other colour) fondant + only a  tiny bit of white & red fondant.Long shellPaint brush + water, light blue fondant, ball tool & blade tool (or a knife).To make one shell (4 cm long) you will need 5 grams of light blue fondant.Oyster shellRolling pin, paint brush + water, light blue & white fondant, shell tool and a piping tip.To make one oyster shell you will need about 3 grams of light blue fondant + some white fondant for the pearl.OctopusPaint brush & water, light blue fondant, white fondant, black edible marker, ball tool & scallop (smile) tool.To make one octopus topper you will need about 12 grams of light blue fondant and a tiny piece of white fondant. Step 3: Watch the Video for This Tutorial:. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktXJlnQ-Q44 Step 4: Visit Our Website and Youtube Channel for Easy Tutorials & Recipes:. www.happyfoodstube.comwww.youtube.com/happyfoodstube


Introduction: Make Layered Ice-creams With Liquid Nitrogen. <PIC> Ice-cream made with liquid nitrogen (LN2) is the smoothest you'll ever taste, because it freezes so fast there is no time for large ice crystals to form. Here's a simple way of making layered ice-creams using LN2.Warning: LN2 is ridiculously cold (it is at its boiling point of 77 K, or nearly 200 degrees Celsius below zero) and hence is inherently dangerous. Do not try to ingest it. Make sure anyone around LN2 understands its perils (Material Safety Data Sheet). Drunks should be kept well away. Do not attempt to confine it. I strongly recommend using a thick-walled polystyrene container to hold it in while making the ice creams; definitely do NOT use a cheap glass-walled vacuum flask: there is an appreciable probability of it cracking and imploding, which trust me, is utterly indistinguishable from exploding.  Step 1: You Will Need.... <PIC> - some sort of sweet treat that can be embedded on a stick. We mostly used mini Mars bars, but jumbo marshmallows and brownies worked well too - popsicle sticks - sugar - eggs - half-and-half cream - vanilla flavoring (or whatever you happen to like) - food coloring - a few liters of liquid nitrogen (obtainable from a supplier like Praxair or Airgas, if you have a suitable container to hold it in) Step 2: Make Ice Cream Mix. <PIC> This recipe comes from a Nigella Lawson cookbook, but I don't think there is anything especially unusual about it; it's just a custard-style ice cream. It's pretty good, even after we simplified it. Whisk 5 egg yolks with 125 g of sugar until thick and creamy. Add to a large saucepan with 500 ml of half-and-half milk/cream, and stir over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and whisk again. Add flavoring (we used a teaspoon of vanilla essence) and coloring and put in refrigerator until ready to serve. We made 2 batches of this and divided it into three jars (red, blue and uncolored cream). Step 3: Make Your Layered Ice Cream. <PIC> Push your mini Mars bar (or marshmallow, or brownie, or cake) onto a popsicle stick. and dunk into liquid nitrogen for a few seconds. Remove, and dunk the cold bar into one of the containers of liquid ice cream mix. Remove, dunk back into liquid nitrogen, and repeat as many times as you have patience for. Make funky patterns and shapes. Don't overdo the LN2 - you just need to set the ice cream, not turn it into a rock. Don't try eating it if it's fuming - it's too cold. Approach it cautiously - you don't want to break a tooth or swallow a deep-frozen piece of ice cream. Once the ice cream is soft, enjoy - it's fantastically smooth.


Introduction: Minced Meat and Bean Sprouts Dinner. <PIC> Hi everybody,I thought i would share this very quick, but great tasting, satisfying and not-wholly-unhealthy dish with you. It's great for when you really don 't feel like cooking or simply don't have the time. Step 1: The Ingredients. <PIC> For 2 persons, you need:- 250 gr. minced meat (beef, pork or 50/50) - 200 gr. bean sprouts- 2 or 3 tbsp. soy sauce - 2 tbsp. peanut butter (chunky, smooth, whatever you like)- 1 tsp. sambal - brown castor sugar, if you like - 2 tbsp butter. - sliced bread (2 or 3 slices for each) Step 2: Preparation. <PIC> Heat the butter in a skillet and brown the minced meat. keep stirring so the meat falls apart in crumbs.Then, add the peanut butter, the soy sauce and the sambal. Taste and see if it's to your liking. You can also add some sugar if you like.When the taste is good, add the bean sprouts and keep stirring fot 2 - 3 minutes. The sprouts shouldn't be raw anymore but stuill have a bite. Step 3: You're All Done!. <PIC> Put your sliced bread and the pan on the table and let everyone help themselves! Enjoy!(P.S. I entered this in the Dorm food contest. If you like it please consider voting for me.)


Introduction: BAKE CHIFFON CAKE. <PIC> Bake your own chiffon cake. VIDEO TUTORIAL: https://youtu.be/yGMLE01EFVIIngridients: 1. 2 1/2 cup CAKE FLOUR2. 1 cup REFINED SUGAR3. 1 teaspoon SALT4. 1 teaspoon CREAM OF TARTAR5. 1/2 cup VEGETABLE OIL6. 8 EGG YOLKS7. 3/4 cup EVAPORATED MILK8. 1 teaspoon VANILLA EXTRACT SECOND BOWL: 1. 8 EGG WHITES2. 1/2 teaspoon CREAM OF TARTAR3. 1/2 cup REFINED SUGARICING BOWL: 1. 1 cup POWDERED SUGAR2. 1/2 teaspoon CREAM OF TARTAR3. 1 EGG WHITE4. FOOD COLORING Step 1: 1st BOWL: . <PIC> PROCEDURE: (Read intro for ingridients) 1. ADD ALL DRY INGRIDIENTS2. MIX WELL3. CREATE SPACE AT THE CENTER4. ADD ALL OTHER INGRIDIENTS FOR THE FIRST BOWL. 5. MIX WELL WITH WOODEN SPOON UNTIL CREAMY(check photo)6. SET ASIDE THE MIXTURE THEN CONTINUE TO THE SECOND BOWL.  Step 2: 2nd BOWL: . <PIC> PROCEDURE:1. ADD EGG WHITES, CREAM OF TARTAR. 2. BEAT FAST, UNTIL FOAMY. 3. THEN ADD REFINED SUGAR WHILE STILL BEATING. 4. CONTINUE BEATING WHILE IT REACHES PEAK(foam stands when you pull out the mixer) Step 3: COMBINE THE 2 MIXTURES. <PIC> PROCEDURE: 1. POUR THE FLOUR MIXTURE TO THE FOAM SLOWLY BY SLOWLY 2. DO FOLDING WHILE FLOUR MIXTURE IS BEING POURED.  Step 4: ADD TO BAKING PAN AND BAKE:. <PIC> PROCEDURE: 1. ADD TO BAKING PAN w/ WAX PAPER2. BAKE IT FOR 1 HOUR AT 350 DEGREES Step 5: BRING OUT THE CAKE. <PIC> BY NOW YOU WILL SEE YOUR  BABY. AINT THAT A BEAUTY. 1. SET ASIDE AND LET IT COOL DOWN. 2. THEN CREATE THE ICING MIXTURE Step 6: ICING MIXTURE:. <PIC> PROCEDURE:1. ADD REFINED SUGAR AND CREAM OF TARTAR. 2. CREATE SPACE AT CENTER3. ADD EGG WHITE4. BEAT UNTIL VERY CREAMY 5. ADD 1-2 DROPS OF FOOD COLOR OF YOUR CHOICE.  Step 7: TRIMMING THE CAKE. <PIC> PROCEDURE: 1. TAKE THE CAKE OUT OF THE BAKING PAN. 2. REMOVE THE WAX PAPER3. FLIP IT OVER 4. TRIM OFF THE CAKE TO MAKE IT BALANCED.  Step 8: ADD ICING TO CAKE. <PIC> PROCEDURE: 1. USE A KNIFE, ADD ICING TO CAKE AND DESIGN IT.  Step 9: FINISHED! . <PIC> ADD ALL INGRIDIENTS YOU WANT AND YOU HAVE YOUR OWN SWEET CHIFFON CAKEVIDEO TUTORIAL: https://youtu.be/yGMLE01EFVIPLEASE LIKE AND SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE. IT WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED.


Introduction: Oh My Spaghetti Pie (an Old Chicago Copycat). <PIC> Oh my is the perfect description of this dish, because from the very first bite, you'll be saying "Oh my" until the last bite is gone! This pie is for my middle sister, she eats it at a favorite Denver restaurant, Old Chicago. We were talking about spaghetti pie a couple months ago and she sent me a picture of this and said she'd be thrilled if I could re-create the recipe for her. Looking at her picture I realized this was no "normal" spaghetti pie, this was MAGIC! Why magic? Because they make an ALFREDO spaghetti pie, and serve it on a bed of marinara sauce. Genius! I've loved Alfredo since I was a kid, buttery, creamy, cheesy, what's not to love? Calories, schmalories, sometimes you need to treat yourself! My dad loves a shrimp pasta dish where they mix marinara with Alfredo, so I knew he'd enjoy this too. My mom loved it as well, and I'm certain my vegetarian oldest sister will request it when she visits. The next time my sister and brother-in-law come home, I hope they can attest to its deliciousness, AFTER they help me make it! They definitely approved of the pictures, and my former-chef bro-in-law gave me some great advice on how to make it like they do in the restaurant. I searched other copycat versions, but those use jarred Alfredo, I'm OK with a lot of food in jars, Alfredo sauce is not one of them. A truly authentic Alfredo is butter and Parmesan, the version many make adds heavy cream. With salt and pepper that's 5 ingredients, not one jar of Alfredo sauce I looked at contains only 5 ingredients, so I'll go ahead and make my own, it's very easy, I promise. Even the Old Chicago menu reads: This Old Chicago exclusive starts with spaghetti tossed in Alfredo sauce made from scratch daily with Parmesan, mozzarella, Romano and provolone cheeses, topped with even more cheeses and slow-baked to toasty perfection. Served by the slice over our house marinara.  There are a few steps to this recipe, but they can all be done around, or at the same time, with a little multi-tasking. I will say you can use a good-quality jarred marinara, but the recipe I use, from Cook's Illustrated, can be made in less than an hour, and tastes as if it's been cooking all day.  I made a roux-based Alfredo, thick enough to coat the pasta and not separate when baked. Reserving a bit for a creamy top, made slightly gooey with a top layer of cheese. Some of the edges of the spaghetti get slightly crunchy (my favorite bits). With each bite you get rich creamy spaghetti Alfredo brightened up with the marinara. Some garlic bread and a side salad are all you need for a perfect meal.   My dad and I really love Arrabbiata, or zesty marinara, sauce, I believe you could use that as a base for some nice heat if you love spicy foods too.   Please enjoy this spaghetti pie as soon as possible so you can have an "Oh my" eating experience too!    Serves 8  Marinara recipe from Cook's Illustrated, March 2006 Step 1: Gather Ingredients. <PIC> You'll need: One 9 1/2- to 10-inch deep dish pie plate, sprayed with non-stick spray For the Alfredo pie: 1/4 cup unsalted butter 1/4 cup all purpose flour 2 cups whole milk 1 cup heavy cream Pinch ground nutmeg 2 cups Italian Five Cheese blend shredded cheese (I used Kraft Italian), divided 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided   Salt and pepper, to taste 12 oz. spaghetti For the marinara: 2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes, packed in juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup) 2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons) 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (since I forgot the basil, I used 1 teaspoon pasta seasoning mix instead of just oregano) 1/3 cup dry red wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot would also work) 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (I unfortunately forgot to buy this)  1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Salt and ground black pepper 1 - 2 teaspoons sugar, as needed  Step 2: Make Alfredo Sauce. <PIC> Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (I also preheat a baking sheet on the rack, as I bake all my pies on baking sheets to contain any spills.)  Remove 1/2 cup shredded Italian five cheese from the bag, and add to a small bowl mixing it with 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan, set aside for topping the partially baked pie. You'll use the remaining 1 1/2 cups plus 1/2 cup Parmesan for the Alfredo sauce.  Combine heavy cream and milk in one measuring cup. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming, whisk in flour until combined, continue whisking until mixture is smooth and slightly golden, about 1 minute. Gradually add milk and heavy cream, increase heat to medium-high and whisk constantly to combine into a smooth sauce. Bring mixture just to a boil, turn heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a pinch of nutmeg during this time.  Once sauce is thickened, start adding the cheese, a handful at a time, stirring after each addition waiting until the cheese is melted before adding more. Continue adding, and stirring, until the 2 cups of cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed, you may only need some pepper since the cheese is somewhat salty.  Turn heat off but leave pan on burner, cover, and keep warm until ready to toss with spaghetti.  Step 3: Make Marinara Sauce. <PIC> Cook pasta and begin baking pie while marinara cooks. Note: I actually halved this recipe, that was a mistake because it tasted so good with the pie, and garlic bread, we wished there was more.  Pour tomatoes and juice into strainer set over large bowl. Open tomatoes with hands and remove and discard fibrous cores; let tomatoes drain excess liquid, about 5 minutes. Remove 3/4 cup tomatoes from strainer and set aside. Reserve 2 1/2 cups tomato juice and discard remainder. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden around edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes from strainer and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring every minute, until liquid has evaporated and tomatoes begin to stick to bottom of pan and brown fond forms around pan edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Add wine and cook until thick and syrupy, about 1 minute. Add reserved tomato juice and bring to simmer; reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally and loosening browned bits, until sauce is thick, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer sauce to food processor (or transfer to saucepan and insert immersion blender; and add reserved tomatoes; process until slightly chunky, about eight 2-second pulses (you can make it as thick or as smooth as you like). Return sauce to skillet and add basil and extra-virgin olive oil and salt, pepper, and sugar (I added 1 tsp.) to taste. Step 4: Cook Pasta, Assemble, and Bake Spaghetti Pie. <PIC> As you start making the marinara, bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt then spaghetti, stirring occasionally to separate the strands. Cook until al dente (even slightly firmer than al dente since it will soften more as it bakes). I reserved 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water just in case I needed to thin the alfredo sauce (in the end I didn't, but save the water just in case). Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Stir the Alfredo sauce again to make sure it's smooth, then add all but 1 cup to the spaghetti and toss to combine. Return the cover to the Alfredo and keep it warm (my oven has a warming burner, if you don't, warm it gently over low heat before topping the partially baked pie with it.) If you feel the sauce is too thick and not coating all of the pasta easily you can add some of the pasta cooking water, a little at a time, until the sauce is thoroughly mixed with the pasta. Transfer the spaghetti to the pie dish and pat down the top to make an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes.  Step 5: Finish the Pie, Let Cool Slightly, and Serve With Marinara Sauce. <PIC> After 20 minutes, remove the pie from the oven. Re-stir the Alfredo sauce so it's once again smooth, top the pie with the remaining Alfredo using a spatula to spread over the entire pie.  Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup cheese on top of the Alfredo sauce, return to oven for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and light golden brown. Rotate your baking sheet front to back halfway through baking. Remove from oven and let pie rest 10 minutes. Spread a layer of marinara sauce on each serving plate, or shallow bowl, cut pie into pieces and serve on top of marinara. (If I had some fresh basil I would've loved to sprinkle some finely chopped over the top of each dish.) Serve, garlic bread on the side is wonderful for scooping up excess sauce, enjoy!  Leftovers can be stored, covered, keeping the marinara separate, for 3 days. The pie itself reheats well in a toaster oven. I microwaved the marinara sauce while warming the pie. (I'm not sure if reheating the entire dish in the microwave would work well, the pasta might get too dry, but you could try it if you have leftovers and no toaster oven.)


Introduction: Love Carrots. <PIC> This is a super healthy snack that gets even picky kids asking for more, and thanking you for serving them vegetables. Plus, it's a way to show love through craftiness.  Step 1: Supplies You Will Need. <PIC> Gather:1) At least one carrot, but you'll get asked for more, anyway, so you might as well get several carrots out.2) A carrot peeler 3) A sharp knife. This is my favorite carrot knife. It's a great shape for chopping, and it's long enough to handle a whole carrot.4) A cutting board5) Optional: a small container or ziplock bag, so you can save the bits you cut off for stir fry or soup. Step 2: Prepare the Carrot. <PIC> Peel the carrot. If the carrot is crooked, cut it into mostly straight sections Step 3: Cut the Bottom Point. <PIC> 1) With your knife parallel to the carrot, cut off about one quarter of the carrot. If you look at your carrot from the end, you should see it has a flat side.2) Turn the carrot around so the flat edge is on the bottom, and cut off about a quarter of the carrot again, angling the knife into the cutting board.  If you look at your carrot from the end, you should see a point. Step 4: Rough Cut the Top of the Heart. <PIC> 1) With one flat side of the carrot on the cutting board, and the other flat side on your left, push knife about halfway into carrot. Your knife should be roughly parallel to the flat side on your left.2) Flip the carrot around so the other flat side us on the cutting board. There should still be a flat side on your left.3) Finesse your cuts until you can remove a wedge of carrot. Step 5: Round Out the Heart.. <PIC> 1) With the carrot standing on its end, shave off the points at the top.2) Similarly, shave off the angles on the sides of the carrot.If you look at the carrot from the end, you should see a nice heart. Step 6: Cut the Carrot. <PIC> Slice the carrot as thick or thin as you want. Think chunks make a great snack, thin shaves make a great garnish. Enjoy!


Introduction: Halloween Crack Recipe. <PIC> http://www.savynaturalista.com/2013/09/26/halloween-crack-candy-corn-crack/Halloween Crack Recipe: 1 sleeve of saltines (depending on baking sheet you may need more) 1 cup unsalted butter 1 cup dark brown sugar 1-2 cups candy corn 3/4-1 cup peanut butter candies Recipe Directions: Preheat oven to 400° F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil; once done line the pan with layer of saltine crackers. In a saucepan, combine the butter and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high and boil for about 3 minutes until the ingredients are dissolved. Immediately pour over saltines to cover crackers completely. Bake for 3-5 minutes. Remove from oven and turn the oven off.  Sprinkle candy corn and peanut butter candies on toffee; place back in the oven. The oven does not need to be turned back on for this process or you will have melted gooey candy corn. Allow the candy corn and peanut butter candies to stick to the toffee in the warm oven .  About 3-6 minutes once done take out the oven let cool completely and break into pieces.


Introduction: Rejuvinating Goji Berry Tonic. <PIC> Goji has been dubbed a superfood and people go nuts for the stuff. I like them in this refreshing drink that is accompanied by other red berries and petals. It is a nice tart beverage to enjoy in the morning after coffee or whenever really! I feel like it is a nice Spring/Summer drink and I hope you try and enjoy it.  Step 1: Gather Your Goods. <PIC> For this recipe I used:4 cups of fresh water1/2 cup goji berries1/8 cup hibiscus petal1/8 cup rose petal1 tsp schisandra berries1 tbsp. honeylemon, for garnish and a splash of juice to add some acidityFor the tools I used: various measuring cups and spoonsa pota strainera funnelan empty, clean, and sterilized glass bottle Step 2: Some Notes on the Ingredients. Disclaimer: Skip this step if you just want a tasty beverage and not be put to sleep due to boredom. Oh and I am not doctor and this is just what I have read on the subject of the ingredients. It is not advisable to consume this beverage if you are pregnant or nursing, I've read. The main ingredient here is the Goji berry. It is believed that goji helps your kidneys and liver function by tonifying the blood. They contain antioxidants, like beta-carotene and zeaxanthin, and long chain sugars called Lycium barbarum polysaccharides. These supposedly aid the immune system by increasing production of superoxide dismutase, or SOD. Great...what does that mean?Free radicals such as superoxide, O2(-), and Hydrxyl, OH(-), can cause cell damage and trust me, you don't want that. So the SOD turns the O2(-) into regular oxygen, O2,  which is good, and/or hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, which is more easily removable from the body. Schisandra is a berry that in Chinese medicine is said to help skin and aid in beautification. It also is believed to aid in fatigue and circulation. Additionally, it is believed to help cleanse the liver. Hibiscus/Rose petals will reinforce that deep red color of the beverage and add nice floral notes.  Step 3: Let's Make. <PIC> Bring your water to a boilRemove from the heatAdd all ingredients except the honey Let sit for 1 hourStrain and discard solidsYou really do not want to push on the solids because the schisandra may be a bit tanic. So unless you like bitterness, avoid pressing to get as much liquid as you can. (strain through a filter if you don't want any floaties)Add honey and stirServe as is or refrigerate until cool, add some ice and lemon and enjoyYou could even add some champagne for a little kick!


Introduction: Swedish Cinnamon Rolls (KanelBullar). <PIC> ENJOY A COFFEE BREAK EATING CINNAMON ROLLS!As a student, early 2000's, I have spent some time in Sweden. I was living in the beautiful city of Gothenburg, studying at the University of Chalmers.I really enjoyed that time, discovering the Swedish culture. What amazed me there is the food since I didn't know that Sweden has such a culinary culture. The best among all the new meals I have tested, incl. the long lasting memory Surströmming (fermented Baltic Sea herring), was the KanelBulle.Together with a cup of Coffee, KanelBullar are the best companions of your Sunday afternoons, reading a good book at the Fire side or sharing a coffee break with your colleagues, talking about all or nothing.Baking KanelBullar is fairly easy but do it in advance as you need some resting time (not you, the dough)Let's bake it!Have a look at my other recipes Step 1: Let's Bake Cinnamon Rolls. <PIC> What you need:for the cake:700g of flour, 300g of milk (about 30 dl), 120g of sugar, 100g of melted butter 1 (fresh) egg 30g of fresh baking yeast salt cardamom (powder)for the filing:50g of melted butter (I rather have it not melted but really soft) sugar (at your taste) cinnamon (powder) Step 2: Backing Cinnamon Rolls. <PIC> Let's go:Take the yeast and mix it in a bit  of tempered milk.Once done, pour the rest of the milk, the melted  butter and all other ingredients. Mix it slowly and best, use a bread  machine. Knead 15 min (10 in a machine) and let it rest for about 30 min. This is an important step. Do a real 15 min and a real 30 min ;-) Protect it with a cloth.Roll out the pastry: about 4mm height, 30 cm wide. Try to make a square instead of a traditional round shape, you will obtain better reasult later on.Put the soft butter on it and then sugar and cinnamon. I suggest to mix sugar and cinnamon in a bowl in order to have a better mix and thus a better taste.Roll the whole thing, not too tight. Cut  the rolls and put it on a baking plate (I use baking paper). Let the  pastries rest for an hour (Yes, I know, you wanted to bake now and  eat them but we have to wait, first because we need the yeast to make  its job, then because waiting make the rolls even tastier). Break an egg and paint your bullar with the yellow part to make a shinning finish.  Step 3: . <PIC> Brew your coffe.6 to 8 min in oven, 240°C (th.8)Wait .... Wait.... Wait....Take care, it's hot!!!Enjoy your KanelBullar!


Introduction: Raw Chocolate Goji Berry Banana Smoothy. <PIC> These Raw, Vegan & Gluten-Free Raw chocolate covered goji berries are out of this world! When I first tasted dried goji berries, I didn’t like them much. They are very sour. They are an acquired taste, I believe! Then, gradually I added them to my smoothies & sometimes to my oat porridges. Now, I love them. :) There is 100 gr in this smaller package but it costs a lot of money. It is 6.95€. I buy mine in a local organic shop. It is made by Choco Delic. This is a Dutch firm located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Here is their website:  http://www.chocodelic.nl The ingredients in this raw chocolate covered dried goji berries are all natural & organic: contain: 65% raw chocolate, ( cacao content 60%, cacao butter, coconut blossom sugar ) & goji berries! That is all! Yum yum,…What is not to love here, right?  Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients!. Recipe: for about 650-700 ml/ this is 1 large breakfast smoothy! Ingredients: 1 cup + 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk ( 625 ml) 1 large ripe banana, peeled & broken into 3 pieces 1/4 cup raw chocolate covered goji berries ( 45 gr )  Step 2: Blend Away With Your Vitamix!. Method:1. Take your beloved Vitamix & place your ingredients in this order in it. Place fitted tamper in your lid. Blend on full-speed & on high for about 15 to 30 seconds, by using your tamper to push ingredients into the running blades. Your smoothy will look like a carrot smoothy but the flavor is way better, I promise you that! Pour into a larger smoothy glass & enjoy instantly with a big smile on your face! :)You taste the raw chocolate first, then the banana & hint of almond. Enjoy!You can find it also on my blog here: http://sophiesfoodiefiles.wordpress.com/2015/02/11/raw-chocolate-goji-berry-banana-smoothy-raw-vegan-gluten-free/


Introduction: Dutch Holiday Gingerbread Butter. <PIC> We dutchies love our holiday breads. They are called 'stollen', which I can't properly translate. It's bread filled with raisins, almondpaste and different kinds of nuts. We put whole-cream butter on it and voila, there's a tasty holiday breakfast. Yum! But, it gets kind of boring. I wanted to spice up the holiday breakfast. We dutchies also love our 'speculaas', or gingerbread, so why not make butter out of it? Here's my recipe for delicious gingerbread butter. Made from scratch! Step 1: What You Need. <PIC> Gingerbread spices30 grams/1.05 oz Cinnamon5 grams/0.18 oz Ginger (dried, powder)5 grams/0,18 oz Cardamom10 grams/0,35 oz Clove5 grams/0,18 oz Cilantro (dried)5 grams/0,18 oz White pepper10 grams/0,35 oz NutmegButter250 grams/8,81 oz whole-cream butter1 table spoon SugarToolsIf you don't use ground spices you'll need a mortar and pestle. You also need a jar big enough to fit the spices and butter. A spoon to scoop it in is also handy!  Step 2: Spice It Up!. <PIC> Ground all the spices in a mortar and pestle. If you don't have patience, just use ground spices and mix those up. Put it in one of the jars, because you'll have slightly more spices than you need for the butter. You could make gingerbread later on! Step 3: Butter Up!. <PIC> Make sure the butter is about 10 minutes out of the fridge, so it's softened nicely. Now mix the spices in there. I used a fork and a little patience, but I guess you could use a hand mixer. Stir a table spoon of sugar in there and put the mixture in a jar. Put it in the fridge and let it rest for at least a day, so the flavours can settle in the butter. The longer it sits, the better is gets! Now slice up some bread and enjoy your gingerbread butter. I know I do! :)


Introduction: Grilling Area Project. <PIC> This is my recent project in our backyard. We have extended our patio and added an area for cooking, grilling and smoking - now we have an outdoor kitchen. I always wanted an outdoor cooking area because I love the idea of cooking in out in the open air. Most of the plans for an outdoor kitchen area I was able to find online were made up of wood and steel, and I wanted to try something new. First we drew the plan (as seen in the pictures). We then started with digging the marked area and then poured concrete in there. We then used concrete cinder blocks to build the walls. This was ultimately followed by tiling and grouting. All in all, it took about 3 weeks to finish, considering that we were only able to give this a few hours every day. Items needed: Sand Cement blocks (total number depends on how many and how high do you want the walls) Cement/concrete mix Tiles Mortar Grout A small counter grill, a large gas grill and a smoker Specifics: The digging was followed by mixing the concrete bags - we had to use about 35 of the 80lb bags. We waited for a few days to let the area completely dry. We then put concrete blocks according to the counter space we needed, and to make sure that the smoker and the gas grill fit as well. We also left some space between our back wall and the grill for safety reasons. We then filled up most of the blocks and spaces with cement. After it had dried well, we mixed up the mortar followed by tiling. Finally, we grouted the tiles, and left it for two days. Last thing was to add some style - we added some pebbles and gravel, and some decorations on top.


Introduction: Homemade Apple Hand Pies. <PIC> Here is a fun enjoyable dessert that the whole family canpitch in and enjoy. Please follow the instructions step by step to enjoy this tasteful dessert. Enjoy!         Ingredients:1.  2 green apples (Granny Smith)2. 1 egg3. 4 tablespoons of butter 4. ¼ cup of light brown5. 1 teaspoon of cinnamon6. 1 piecrust (sit out until room temperature)7.  1 ¼ cup of powdered sugar8. 2 tablespoons of milk Step 1: . <PIC> Pre heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit Step 2: . <PIC> Wash, peel and dice Granny Smith apples Step 3: . Melt butter in a pot on medium heat Step 4: . Add Granny Smith Apples to pot with butter and cook for 10 minutes Step 5: .  Reduce heat of pot to low, add cinnamon and brown sugar Step 6: . <PIC> Cook apples for 7 more minutes Step 7: . <PIC> Flatten pie crust Step 8: . <PIC> Cut round circles from pie crust Step 9: . <PIC> Add tablespoon of apples to pie circles Step 10: . Fold over and pinch ends to seal with a fork Step 11: . <PIC> Beat egg yolk and brush pie’s Step 12: . Bake Pies for 15 minutes (golden brown) Step 13: . Combine powdered sugar and milk in a separate bowl for glaze Step 14: . Let pies cool Between 5-10 minutes Step 15: . <PIC> Finally glaze pies with the powdered sugar/milk glaze


Introduction: Super Mario Vegan Salad . <PIC> I grew up with Super Mario. I’m confident to say that I spent more time with Mario than my actual friends when I was in the elementary school back in Japan. You might find that depressing, but I have an universe level of imagination, meaning, I never felt lonely when I was alone. In fact, this imagination of mine eventually led me to create this recipe today!Please visit Yukitchen.com for more details :) Super healthy vegan salad is now available with Super Mario! No meat, no oil, no food coloring! Using only healthy natural ingredients with a bit of cuteness.INGREDIENTSFor the salad: • Half cup quinoa• 2 tbsp flaxseeds• 2~3 tbsp chopped ginger• 2~3 slices green lettuce• 1~2 tbsp chopped thyme• 1 lime• 1 corn• Salt and pepperFor the Mario • 1 cup brown rice• Half of red paprika• A bit of tofu• 4~5 tbsp tomato puree• 1~2 big sheets dried sea weed (nori)For the Star • 1 starfruit (if you can find it!)• A bif of dried sea weedFor the Goomba • A bit of Tofu• A bit of fried sea weed (nori)• Soy sauceFor the blocks and magic box • 1 pack Tofu• 4 tbsp soy sauce• 1 tbsp miso paste• 1 tsp tomato puree• A bit of dried sea weed (nori)• 2 tbsp curry powder Step 1: Prepare the Grain.. <PIC> Put half a cup quinoa, 2 tbsp. flaxseeds and one cup water into a small pot and cook until they become soft. It usually takes about 20-30 minutes.At the same time, start cooking one cup brown rice in either a rice cooker or another pot. Step 2: Make a Mario Face.. <PIC> After rice is cooked, it’t time for the Mario making! Separate rice in two bowls, and put 4~5 tbsp tomato puree in one of them. We’ll use the brown rice to make his face, nose and ears and the red rice for the hat. Step 3: Work on the Details.. <PIC> Tofu: make his eyes, logo on a hat, and the question marks on the magic boxes.Paprika: Make his “M” logo on the hat.Dried seaweed: Make his mustache and hair. Step 4:  Make the Magic Boxes, Blocks and Goomba.. <PIC> Blocks: Cut tofu into small cubes and fly them in a heated pan together with soy sauce, miso paste and a bit of water, until they turn brown.Goomba: Do the same, but cut the tofu rounder so it will look like a Goomba instead.Magic boxes: Cut the tofu into cubes and fry them in the pan, but this time instead add 2 tbsp curry powder and a bit of water. Fry them until they turn yellow.Put what you’ve made so far to the side and get ready for the next part! Step 5: Prepare the Grain Salad.. <PIC> Cut ginger, thyme and lettuce into pieces. Boil corn and edamame in different pots until they are ready then put it all together in a big bowl.Then squeeze the lime! Citrus flavor is a huge part of this salad, so squeeze it like you mean it! Step 6: Mix! . <PIC> Then mix well. It would look something like this and it’s so beautiful… <3 Step 7: Assemble Them Together!. <PIC> Put the grain salad on a plate. Make sure the plate is flat. This will make it easier to create beautiful Mario art! *wink!*Place the Tofu boxes like in the picture. Step 8: Time for Some Details:. <PIC> First the blocks. Take the brown tofu and wrap thinly cut dried seaweed around it so it looks like blocks.As for the magic boxes, place question mark-shaped tofu cuts on top of the yellow tofu cubes. Then use a toothpick to put tiny dots of tomato puree on all for corners. Step 9: Stars Are Made Of… Starfruits, Literally.. <PIC> Have you had star fruits? Honestly, this tropical little thing was actually the reason why I wanted to make Mario-salad to begin with. It has a beautiful shape and the taste is so interesting. I am a huge fan of starfruits!Just slice the fruits and it will give you a perfect shape of star. The power of nature…. Truly an amazing thing.For Star’s faces, use cut dried seaweed on top of the cut starfruits. It should be easy! Step 10: Don’t Forget the Goomba.. <PIC> Place the Goomba’s face on the salad, then add the body using cut tofu. I made his face by cutting dried seaweed and just two tiny dots of tofu, as you can see in the picture. I know it’s not my best work, but hey! It’s still cute! Step 11: Set Them All Together. <PIC> There you go, a vegan version of Mario Salad. Just looking at this makes me realize two things: One, “Wow, veganism is so underrated. It’s actually fun and delicious!”, and two, “Wow, I can’t believe how much I miss playing Super Mario!”. Step 12: Eat the Masterpiece. . <PIC> It takes a little bit of effort, but it’s all worth it. I hope you try it and when you do, make sure you take pics and send it my way, or post it under hashtag #yukitchenPlease visit Yukitchen.com for more details :)Follow me on facebook and instagram!


Introduction: Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream. <PIC> I was looking for a dessert that was the basic,cake, pie or anything like that. I went to my grandma and she has spoken. She gave me this recipe for chocolate ice cream and I switched out a couple of ingredients to make the pumpkin spice ice cream. It was easy to make and the ingredients are non expensive.  It tasted really good and I hope you can enjoy it too. Step 1: Materials and Ingredients. <PIC> Ingredients:4 cups half and half 2 cups heavy whipping cream 4 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup white sugar 1/4 cup light brown sugar7 .5 oz canned pumpkin1/2 tsp. nutmeg1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground ginger 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 1 tsp pumpkin spiceMaterials:Saucepan Large bowlMeasuring cups and spoons2 mixing spoonsPlastic wrapFreezer and a stove Step 2: In the Making. <PIC> DirectionsMix together half and half, heavy cream, white and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.Make sure all sugar is dissolved before removing heat.In a bowl mix together the pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and pumpkin spice. Make sure to mix so all the ingredients are well combined. After the sugar melted in the sauce pan, combine the pumpkin mix with the sugar mix. Make sure everything is well mixed together and smooth.When everything is smooth and with little to no lumps, cover the cream with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer over night. Step 3: Vuala!. <PIC> The sun has risen and the has night fallen, you now may serve your ice cream. Enjoy it while it lasts and I hope you enjoyed it ;)