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Thursday, June 17, 2010

Apple Muffins

Making your own Muffins for your beloved family can be enjoyable cause it's an easy muffins recipe and needs plenty of time only.
Try this soft and fruity Apple Muffins and enjoy them during an afternoon tea or coffee break.



Apple Muffins Recipe

(Makes 12 muffins)


Ingredients
:

Melted butter or margarine (optional), for greasing

300g (2 cups) plain flour

1 tbs baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

150g (3/4 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar

2 medium (about 375g) Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, chopped

125g (3/4 cup) seedless raisins

125g butter or margarine, melted, coole
2 eggs, lightly whisked
185mls (3/4 cup) milk


Cooking Direction :


Preheat oven to 180°C.

B
rush the muffin pans with the melted butter or margarine to lightly grease. or line the pans with paper muffin cases.

Mix the plain flour, baking powder and cinnamon together into a large bowl. stir
Stir in the brown sugar, apples and raisins till well combined.


Whisk together the butter or margarine, eggs and milk till well combined.
( Blending the wet ingredients before adding them to the flour mixture makes it easier to evenly combine the two )


Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a large metal spoon until just combined.
( don't over-mixed, cause it'll make the cooked muffins have a tough texture )


Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin pans.

Bake the muffins in preheated oven for 20 minutes or till golden and cooked through.
( insert a skewer into the centre of one - if it comes out clean, it is cooked )


When cooked, remove from oven and stand for about 3 minutes before turning onto a wire rack
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 day.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Why do we consume so much corn???

Lately, I have been noticing that Americans are like cattle. I have asked hubby a number of times to watch a fast food line. We are pushed into a line just like cattle is moved into stalls. 
The biggest similarity to cows is the large amount of corn the average America is taking in. Did you know, corn, soy or wheat products is in 45,000 items at the grocery store??? That is about 1/3 of the grocery store. 
Americans consume too much corn, soy and wheat. 
Do you see the problems? 
The sad thing is that many Americans may not even know exactly how much corn they are actually consuming. And did you know that corn is the WORST grain to consume??? Corn is everywhere. From high fructose corn syrup, to cornstarch, corn flour, corn bran, to the meat that was raised on corn—and much less obvious, leavenings and lecithin, mono-, di-, and triglycerides, the golden coloring, and even citric acid can all be derived from corn.
Because of this, the American diet is MESSED up. We are now trapped in our own backyard feedlots, and have become obese, sick with chronic disease, and apathetic about the source and nutritional quality of our food—simply because, “It tastes good.”  This dysfunctional eating habits has found super sized appetites and food additions despite the affects on ones health. 
Did you know Gatorade, Twinkies, Bleech and Hamburger all start with the same ingredient? CORN. Corn is the main ingredient in both edible and non edible products. Disposable diapers, trash bags, toothpaste, charcoal briquettes, matches, batteries, and even the shine on the covers of magazines all contain corn. 
Thank goodness my family does not consume a lot of corn, anymore.  Our diet consumes of grass-fed beef, pastured chickens, pastured eggs, vegetables (organic and local when possible), fruits (organic if dirty dozen), seeds and nuts (raw). Our health is important to us and should be to you, as well! 
I wish the healthy choice picture included meats and good fats (nuts and oil). You get the point! :)
Here are some changes we as a family have decided to make.
1. STOP buying the junk. Shop the outer aisles of the store. There are a few exceptions. Nuts, Coconut milk, shredded coconut, etc are inside aisles. Dairy is outside aisle - WALK AWAY! 
2. If you are going to consume dairy, make better choices. Mark at Mark's Daily Apple suggests
Raw, fermented, full-fat dairy is probably best.
Tons of traditional, fairly disease-free groups lived with dairy (just as tons of traditional, fairly disease-free groups lived without it), and they all included some form of fermented or cultured product. Cultured butter, yogurt, kefir, clotted milk, cheese – these are traditional ways of increasing shelf life, improving digestibility, and incorporating beneficial probiotics into the gut. Fermentation takes care of most of the lactose, and some posit that it may even positively alter the structure, function, and safety of casein.
Raw, high-fat dairy is next.
Raw butter and cream are minimally processed sources of good saturated fat. They’re free of most lactose and casein, and let’s face it: butter and cream just make everything taste better. If it’s essentially just pure, raw animal fat from grass-fed animals, without offensive levels of milk proteins and sugars, what’s not to enjoy? Ghee is another good choice, and though it technically isn’t raw, it is pure animal fat without a trace of lactose or casein.
Then raw milk.
I don’t advise regular consumption of raw milk, mind you, but if you can tolerate it (no stomach upset, no bloating, no gas, no intestinal issues) an occasional glass is probably OK as a sensible vice. Some farms will even supplement their raw milk with colostrum (the extra rich, “first run” milk that provides even more vitamins and nutrients), resulting in a lower-carb, higher-fat, higher-protein product. Look for that stuff if you’re thinking of buying raw milk.
Organic, hormone and antibiotic-free dairy (full fat, of course).
Bottom line: don’t consume non-organic dairy if you can help it. Avoid homogenized milk if you can, and try not to purchase pasteurized milk (organic or not) on a regular basis. If you’re out getting coffee or something, the regular half and half or heavy cream are fine, and Kerrygold makes a great pastured, pasteurized butter that’s available nationwide.

Pretzels

Pretzels is one most favourite snack in the world .
Pretzels are believed to be the world's oldest snack and were created in 16 A.D. in South France. Monks baked thin strips of dough into the shape of a child's arms folded in prayer, added salt and the pretzel industry was born!


Home Made Pretzels ? Why not ? With this Best Pretzel recipe you'll be able to served your own making Pretzels for your family snacks .

Find this recipe pretzels easy recipe for even beginner . It's a baked pretzel recipes which quick prepare for daily cooking .



Pretzels Recipe


Ingredients :

1 package active dry yeast

1/2 Cup warm water

1 egg, separate the yolk and white

1/4 Cup honey

1/4 Cup margarine, softened

1 Cup milk

1 teaspoonful salt

5 Cup flour

2 Teaspoonful coarse salt



Cooking Drection :

Dissolve yeast in warm water in bowl.
Mix in egg yolk, honey, margarine and milk.
Add salt and enough flour to make stiff dough.


Knead on floured surface for 5 minutes.
Place in greased bowl, turning to grease surface.
Let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.


Roll out on floured surface.
Cut into 1-inch-wide strips.
Fold strips in half.
Roll into ropes. Shape into pretzels.


Place on baking sheet.
Brush with a mixture of egg white and 1 tablespoonful water.
Sprinkle with coarse salt.


Bake at 425°F. for 15 to 20 minutes or till golden brown.

Serve with mustard.