(Image: cafemama/Flickr)

When you cook, do you follow a recipe?

Now if you do, let me ask you this… Do you have any recipes memorized?

If so, how many?

I started to think about this little question after making my grandma’s banana bread… and that is just something I could actualy make with my eyes closed backwards.

Just one of those recipes that I have been making for so long it has become imbedded in my memory.  Now for other different recipes, a cookbook is need to be whipped out for a guideline.

So let me ask again, “Do you have any recipes memorized? and if so which ones?”

To tell you the honest truth I never understood the differences between dressing and stuffing.  To me these two words always came upon and questioned my thinking during Thanksgiving time.  I guess due to the oh so many fall recipes that are running around dressing and stuffing was bound to be right there on the top of the list.

If any of you are like me I am sure you have sat down at the table and asked friends and family what the big confusion was with dressing and stuffing.  As if you are discussing politics heated conversations arise and voices become louder trrying to get their point across.

Oh, well maybe that only happens in my loud family!

Well let me put that talk to rest this Thanksgiving for you… Dressing and Stuffing are the same thing.  There is absoultely no difference in ingredients.  They both can be made with the same things.

Huh! you ask yourself.

Allow me to continue with this little revelation.

The only difference is in the preparation.  For dressing, it is prepared right there on the hot piping stove and neatly placed on your beautiful china surrounding your succulent turkey leg, marshmallowy sweet potatoes, and crispy green beans.

Stuffing on the other hand, obviously deals with stuffing or shoving or cramming all the “stuffing ingredients” inside the beautiful bird’s cavity where it will cook and develop its own delectability.

Dressing is usually only talked and made during the holidays bringing a little sophistication to the table and meal.

I don’t know about any of you but whether it is stuffing or dressing, it is still scruptiliumptious on my Thanksgiving table and I cannot wait to dig in!

(Image: Velo Steve/Flickr)

It’s almost Thanksgivong time and you have some guests that are vegetarians… What do you do?!?

Don’t Panic!

One thing that is for sure try and have a few items plus a main course, like tofurky, that can accommodate to your turkey-free eating family and/or friends.  One thing always you cannot go wrong with are yummy delicious sides, especially with Thanksgiving there are so many you can make they won’t know what hit them.

For all you vegans out there… What’s your veggie-friendly Thanksgiving plan?

(Image: Bob Willoughby/Flickr)

As a child I rememebr my mom and teachers always telling me to eat a big breakfast before an exam.  That way I would be fueled and my brain functionality would kick in high gear.  As a mother I find myself telling my son and daughter the same thing and preparing a nice hearty breakfast before their exams as well.

So this line of questioning got me thinking if food can affect how you perform on tests and in school. well then can food affect your dreams at night while sleeping?

So you know me I satrted asking around and researching some answers… according to some eating before bed has the ability to trigger an increase in the body’s metabolism and brain activity, and is a potential stimulus for nightmares.

I know that the smell of food can affect dream content, a perfect example is one morning I was frying bacon downstairs and my uncle was visiting and he woke up from his sleep, where he was dreaming of eating bacon and eggs, and came down stairs saying the smell woke him up.

What do you think… Do you think food has the ability to affect your dreams?

Beautiful, Fall colors is always the way I go when I decorate my tables for Thanksgiving.

It’s something about combining golds, browns, yellows, oranges, and burgundy that put a smile on my face when I walk into my kitchen, especially when its all topped off with burning candles.

See I’m smiling!

Bring the beauty of the fall season indoors for your next thanksgiving celebration. If you are looking for different but creative and intimate ideas to decorate your tables for Thanksgiving then I hope these will help you.

One of my favorite is the picture above from Country Living where words are transformed into decorative motifs on linen and displayed for all to see.

Above you will find HGTV’s balance between the natural elements and sparkle of metallics that give this table an elegant and sophisticated look.  Incorporating natural elements definitely brings the outdoors indoors to your Thanksgiving table.

Adding a pinecone to the center of the place settings adds an organic subtle touch to your table, contrasting ceramic with glass, wood with gleaming metal and chocolate colors with white tableware..  This table is not only casual and warm but also modern at the same time.

Simply Beautiful!

How do you plan on decorating your Thanksgiving table this holiday?

(Image: jilbean3/Flickr)

With the holidays rolling in one after the other and celebrations are being planned the kitchen become a meeting ground for everything.  As I was in my kitchen this morning I was looking around my countertops and saw that it was clean.  No i am not saying I have a messy kitchen, I mean appliances were all put away and in their proper cupboards, dishes were put away, cutlery in drawers.

I don’t know if your like me but when there is clutter on my countertops it drives BONKERS!  I hate clutter.  I just don’t see the point to have all of your appliances, big or small, out on display.  The counters are supposed to be somewhere you can work on and display small litttle things.

SO that leaves me to the question at hand… What’s on your countertop?

I guess the first step to de-clutter your countertops are deciding on which appliances are used everyday.  I know for me my kettle is used for my coffee so its always on my stovetop.  I have a standing container for my utensils and my toaster oven.  After you decide on what is used everyday then look at weight of appliances that are going to be moved.  If they are too heavy to move then put it somewhere it can be out of the way but maybe still useful for other things.

Now if you see that your appliaces are multiplying in numbers right before your eyes then you have a peroblemo.  Let’s try and fix it.

(Image: methTICALman/Flickr)

Caramelization occurs when sugars are heated so much that their molecules break down.  These molecules will in turn react to brown the sugar and create hundreds of new and varied flavors.

Any type of sugar can caramelize, but glucose and fructose are “reducing sugars,” which means they react more easily to form new flavors.

Caramelized sugar can have a number of different tastes ranging from fruity to buttery, sweet, roaster or even flowery.  In the end no matter what when the sugar is caramelized it loses its initial sweet flavor and takes on  a bitter taste.  Due to this you must be careful caramelizing pure sugar or other foods so that they don’t become unpleasant.

(Image: Chez Pim/Flickr)

Story takes place at 8:30AM, Wednesday morning….

Customer: Oh My!  That smells wonderful…

Me: Well of course it does, come get a fresh, healthy made right in front of you delicious crepe!

Customer: Do you have any sweet breakfast crêpes?

Me: We have a wide assortment of crepes, what’s your guilty pleasure?

Customer: OH MY! You have Dulce de Leche on your crêpes?

Me: Well, of course, you can get that with bananas and/or strawberries, powdered sugar, and fresh whipped cream.

Customer: Oooooooooo! and you have Nutella…. I think I’m in heaven.

Me: Wait till you try it and you’ll feel like you’ve died and gone to heaven…

Customer: Ok you’ve won… One Triple Threat with Nutella and Dulce de Leche… STAT!

This completes the story time section of this post…

Dulce de Leche or confiture de lait…. can’t really explain how delicious this creamy milk-based sauce really is.  It is found as both a syrup and a caramel candy, it is prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk to create a product that is vaguely similar in taste to caramel.  This deliughtful dessert can be found in an assortment of classic desserts in the Argentine, Paraguayan, Chilean, Peruvian and Uruguayan cuisine.

The most basic recipe demands for slowly simmering milk and sugar, stirring almost constantly, although other ingredients may be included. As most of the water in the milk evaporates the mix will begin to thicken; resulting in the fabulous dulce de leche.  The transformation that occurs in preparation is often called caramelization.

These are just sublime inside crêpes… Hint! Hint!

Absolutely delish!

Hardo Bread or Hard Dough Bread is absolutely positively DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!

If you have never had hardo bread then, YES you are deprived… (Just kidding)

But seriously… you need to try some STAT!

Hardo bread is a staple food item that can be found in EVERY Jamaican household, whether in another state or country.  Hardo bread consists of flour, water, sugar, yeast, and salt.  Hard dough bread loaves are usually rectangular shaped and can be bought already sliced or unsliced.  The inner part of the bread is white, moist and so soft… the taste is sweet as can be. The outer layer of the bread is light brown and called the crust.

Just imagine coming home from school and the smell of fresh hardo bread wafting the air…. there is absolutely nothing better.

You can find hardo bread at most Jamaican or Caribbean stores… I know in certain Publix’s in Miami you can find them.  I always try and buy some at the Publix by my parents house.

A perfect snack during the day is hardo bread and guava jelly spread on top…. or as a side with some pan Jerk chicken….. OH MY GOODNESS……… Sooooooo GOOD!

If your brave enough and would love to try and make this Jamaican staple please do.

But just make sure to let me know how it comes out below…

Hardough Bread

(From Jamaicans.com)

NGREDIENTS :

• 6 cups bread f lour
• 1 pack yeast (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pt warm water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 ozs shortening
• Milk or egg white for glazing

METHOD:

1. Pour flour in warm bowl.
2. Add shortening to flour & cut in with knife.
3. Add yeast, sugar, and salt
4. Add warm water
5. Knead until soft and roll out
6. Put in a warm place to rise approx. twice in size.
7. Glaze with milk or egg white.
8. Bake at 350F until done.

(Image: Tim Waters/Flickr)

I think that we are all creatures of habit, and the main thing that we all go by is “We eat with our eyes!”  I know that I am victim of this, in order for something to be consumed I know that it must have a nice looking presentation and be appealing to my eyes at first.

I think that people already have a partial perception of what colors affect their senses.  No matter what we as people first without even smelling our food, which is important on its own, but look to see how food is presented to us at first before even taking a bite, and with that then do we determine if it is worthy of even eating.

For more…

Because colors and presentation are so important many restaurants and food manufacturers add colors and dyes to their food for more visual appeal.  People have been conditioned to apply taste to certain colors and many experiments altering colors show that your expectations of the food you’re trying changes the perceived flavor of the food.