Sunday, November 28, 2010

Make Restaurant Recipes at Home

If you are like me you love going out to eat. I can think of 50 restaurants of the top of my head, which I love. And better yet, as soon as I am there, I know exactly what I am going to order, and my mouth waters just thinking of how good it is going to taste. Of course these are my luxuries on the rare occasions my husband and I can find a babysitter and get out of the house.

See there are a few problems when it comes to eating out.
1) Waiting for a table,
2) The price and
3) Trying to keep my kids entertained while we wait for our food so that I can actually enjoy it when it comes.

None of the above is an easy task.

So what is a person to do, when you love the food but don't have the means to go out and get it? I love "Olive Gardens" Fettuccine Alfredo; I have tried hundreds of recipes and never found one that even came close. "Red Lobster", of course the seafood is good, but what about those cheddar biscuits they serve with every meal, have you ever tasted a better biscuit? I know I haven't. My husband is a huge fan of "Hooters" wings, but the one's you buy in the freezer department just don't compare. Have you been to "Starbucks" lately, great coffee, huge prices! I could go on and on about the top restaurant chains and how great their food is, but then, we go right back to my top three issues, time, money and kids, and I am right back where I started from.

So I started doing some research on restaurant dishes and recipes on how to make them, people have ton's of opinion but I couldn't find any that compare, but then I found "Copy Cat" recipe book and "Official Secret Recipes" what a god sent, I enjoy my favorite food now for the fraction of the cost and in the relaxed atmosphere of my own dining room table. Here is a sample from Copy Cat Cook book on "Red Lobster" Cheddar Bay Biscuits enjoy:

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

2 C. Bisquick

1/2 C. cold water

3/4 C. grated, sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 C. butter

1 tsp. parsley flakes

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix together baking mix, cold water, and grated cheese. Roll out biscuits in a floured surface. Biscuits should be approximately one inch thick. Cut biscuits with a cutter, and place onto an un-greased baking dish. Melt butter and seasonings together. Brush with the butter and spices and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

7 Rules to Making Perfect Biscuits From Scratch Every Time - Plus 1 Great Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe

Making biscuits is not an exact science, but it does require some basic tips and techniques to get the job done right. Take any any biscuit recipe you have (see below), apply these 7 simple rules to that recipe, and you will be making perfect homemade scratch biscuits every time.

1) Use a good low-gluten, soft-wheat flour.

2) Sift the flour one time by itself, then sift it again with the other dry ingredients in the recipe. This will create the perfect lightness for your biscuits.

3) The flakiest, best-textured biscuits are made when using lard as the fat in the biscuit recipe. If you do not feel good about using all lard for your biscuits, try using half lard and half vegetable shortening. But never use any vegetable oils in any biscuit recipe.

4) Chill the bowl and the fat used, and work quickly to keep the fat from melting. Every grain of flour needs to be covered in fat in order to prevent the flour's gluten from being activated by the water. If you activate the gluten, you will end up with a hard, heavy biscuit.

5) Buy a good biscuit cutter that makes a nice, sharp cut. It should also allow air to escape (an open top), which gives biscuits the chance to rise properly.

6) Pat the biscuit dough out only one time. Re-rolling dough will cause the gluten in the biscuit recipe to toughen the dough, making very heavy and dense biscuits.

7) To bake evenly, turn the baking sheet around one time during the baking. If baking more than one cookie sheet full of biscuits at a time, switch the positions of the pans once during cooking.

Before baking powder was ever invented, cooks always used buttermilk in biscuits. This would help them rise. Although it still works today, people go more for the flavor buttermilk provides than for its ability to rise the biscuit dough.

Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups good soft-wheat flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons lard, well chilled
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled
1 cup chilled buttermilk

Directions:

Position the oven rack in the middle, and preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a baking sheet.

Sift the flour, then sift together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. With a large fork or pastry blender, blend in the lard and vegetable shortening until a course meal is formed.

Pour in the buttermilk, and stir together ingredients until a sticky dough is formed.

Flour your hands and a pastry board or counter top. Turn out the dough and knead it gently, just 4 to 6 times. Pat out the dough until it is about 1/2 inch thick.

Cut the dough with a 2 to 3-inch round biscuit cutter, or a round cookie cutter.

Move the biscuits to the baking sheet, arranging them so they just barely tough each other. Bake the biscuits for about 10 minutes, or until raised and golden brown in color (Remember to turn the baking sheet at the halfway point).

Serve the biscuits hot and with butter.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Easy Homemade Dog Treat Recipes

Don't think you have the time to prepare homemade dog treats for your best friend? Well, think again. This pumpkin dog biscuit recipe is not only super easy to make it's healthy for your dog, too.

A healthy well-balanced diet is important for your dog's overall health and well-being. Even small amounts of food in the form of treats or snacks play an important role. So instead of grabbing the first bag of dog treats off the super market shelf or from your local pet store (that are probably loaded with chemicals and preservatives) take few moments to learn how easy and cost-effective it is to make your pooch their very own dog treats right from your kitchen.

Homemade Pumpkin Dog Treat Biscuits:

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree ( not pie filling)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients thoroughly
Roll out dough and cut out shapes
Place shapes on a lightly greased cookie sheet
Bake for 20 minutes
Allow to cool completely before treating your anxiously awaiting pup.

Your dog will love this pumpkin dog biscuit recipe and it's good for him too. Pumpkin is good source of vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin A (for healthy vision) and potassium (good for blood pressure). Also, the fiber content pumpkin provides your dog is great for maintaining healthy digestion. Cinnamon not only provides great flavor but also has anti-inflammatory properties to help ease joint pain and has been used to help regulate blood sugar levels, as well.

Note: Canned pumpkin is readily available during the fall, so you might want to stock up on some before the season's end. If you do run out, you can substitute sweet potatoes in the recipe. An easy way to do this is to buy sweet potato jars of baby food.

Remember: A healthy dog is a happy dog.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Calories in restaurant foods are higher than expected

The Americans get a third of daily calories, and spend half their food dollars to food, which can be a problem if one considers that the calories in restaurant food is often higher than expected. To search for and seek customers in continuation of this behavior, given the difficult economic situation, seem to offer more and more restaurants are loaded with portions of saturated fat, calories and salt food.

In fact, the typical restaurant appetizer, meal and desert about 1,000 calorieseach. More than you think, does not it?

And since it is almost unheard of for a restaurant nutrition information to distribute the order to get most of us more salt, fat and calories than we did, that to think about dinner.

To inform the guests, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has to come up with a list of the worst restaurant meals in the form of calories, fat and salt.

The group ESSEN 2009 Xtreme dishes that appear in the June issue of NutritionAction Health Letter include:

- Applebee's Quesadilla Burger and fries, bacon cheeseburger wrapped in a quesadilla that packs 1,820 calories, 46 grams of saturated fat and 4410 milligrams of sodium. You can add these sums by topping up your fries with chili and cheese anymore.

- Chili's Big Mouth Bites serves four mini (not all very small) over bacon cheeseburger, fries and onion strings with jalapeno ranch dip to 2350 calories, 38 grams saturatedFat, 3940 milligrams sodium.

- Chili's Original Baby Back Ribs half rack adds 490 calories, 12 grams of saturated fat and 2,050 milligrams of sodium non starter. Consider how the addition of a Quarter Pounder with cheese in your meal.

- Olive Garden Tour of Italy brings home the lasagna, chicken parmigiana and creamy fettuccine Alfredo lightly floured to create a trifecta of a meal with 1450 calories, 33 grams of saturated fat and 3,830 milligrams of sodium.

- Gambero Rosso Fondue Ultimate includes shrimp and crab in a lobster covered with cheese sauce in a warm, crunchy sourdough bread bowl to give you 1,490 calories, 40 grams of saturated fat, sodium, 3580 milligrams.

- The Cheesecake Factory Fried macaroni and cheese supplies four balls of fried cheese and marinara creamy white flour and supplies 1,570 calories, 69 grams of saturated fat (3 ½ days value) and AS1, 860 milligrams sodium.

- The Cheesecake Factory and chicken> Cookies is far from comfort food, even though the centers around a potentially healthy chicken breast. The problem comes from the mashed potatoes, shortbread biscuits, mushrooms, peas and carrots covered with rich gravy that carry a cumbersome 2,500 calories.

- The Cheesecake Factory Philly Style Flat Iron steak with french fries add cheese to a large extent, grilled red meat and fries for 2320 includes calories, 47 grams of saturated fat (2 ½ daysvalue) and 5,340 milligrams of sodium (3 days worth).

- Uno Chicago Grill mega-sized Deep Dish Sundae dessert that starts with a monster chocolate chip cookies, add ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate sauce topped with a sweet with 2,800 calories and 72 grams of saturated fat to create.

Menu Education and Marking (Food) Act, a measure of menu labeling, only to Congress in May 2009 was introduced, has the strong support of the Center for Science in the public interest andChance, adopted in the near future.

The measure requires fast-food chains and restaurants (some with over 20 seats) for information on the nutrient-screen menu, and tags, which should include the number of calories show values of more trans fat saturated fat, carbohydrates and sodium.

The National Restaurant Association points that there are healthier options on menus than ever before. They also argue that the size of portions, rather than increases to be smaller,As a measure of economic slowdown.

While not opposed to the idea of nutritional information is facing, the organization of supporting a measure in calories, salt and fat in other places, such as a brochure or a poster would show.

help If you want to eat even better when consumed by a dinner, you can:

1. Check the nutrition information of menu items on-line before arriving at the restaurant.

2. Ask for healthy cookingAlternatives such as baked or broiled or, failing that, a vegetarian for a side dish, or choose one of the many decorations unhealthy Instead of all of them.

3. Cut the portion size in half by ordering a lunch-size or half-pint, reducing the impact of the calories in restaurant food, or take half of your meal from the pot before you start eating, and put it in a box "to go to store and play back later.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

The Five Best Healthy Dog Treats

Healthy dog biscuits are the best treat for dogs. They are tasty and very easy to make. Shapes could be anything, but I prefer bones, paws and chicken drumstick cutters. Treats should be stored in an airtight container, away from the sun for up to 1 week. Always remember to spray parchment paper with oil.

Paprika-Parsley Dog Treat:

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons bouillon (chicken, vegetable or beef)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon brewers yeast
1 tablespoon dried parsley (or use fresh, finely chopped)
1 cup of boiling water
1/3 cup of butter
1/2 cup of milk
1 egg

Blend oats until coarse. Cream water, butter, milk and egg. Add all dry ingredients and kneed until mixture forms a think dough. On lightly floured surface, spread dough into 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes, place on parchment paper and bake in preheated oven at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.

Double Chicken Dog Treat:

Ingredients:

2 cups Flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons fresh, chopped parsley
1 cup cooked chicken livers, chopped

Combine flour and cornmeal in a bowl. In a large bowl add egg, oil and broth - the add 1/3 of the flour mixture at a time, mixing well between additions. Add chicken livers until well incorporated into dough. Kneed dough on floured surface for about 1 minute, cut and place on parchment paper. Bake in preheated oven at 400°F for 15 minutes.

Many-Grain Healthy Dog Biscuits:

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup rye flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 cups cracked wheat (bulgur)
1/2 cup non-fat dry milk powder
4 tsp salt
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 oz active dry yeast (one package)
1 egg
1 Tbsp milk

In a bowl combine flours, cornmeal, milk powder and salt. In separate bowl dissolve yeast mixture in ¼ cup lukewarm water until it bubbles; add chicken stock. Mix in dry ingredients into stock and yeast, kneading on a floured surface. Roll out to a ¼ inch thickness, cut and place on parchment paper. Mix milk and egg to brush top of biscuits and put in preheated oven at 300° for 45minutes.

Cheesy Healthy Dog Biscuits:

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup margarine
1 cup Boiling water
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons chicken or beef flavored instant bouillon
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
2 - 3 cups whole wheat flour.

In bowl combine rolled oats, margarine and boiling water. Let it stand for ten minutes. Stir in corn sugar, bouillon, milk, cheese and egg. Mix well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off. Add flour one cup at a time, mixing between additions to combine properly. Once finished the dough will be stiff. On floured surface, kneed dough until it is no longer sticky, rather has a smooth texture. Roll dough out to ½ inch pieces, cut and place onto parchment paper. Bake in preheated oven at 325°F for 35-45 minutes.

Tuna Healthy Dog Biscuits

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon flax seed, ground
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 small can tuna or salmon
1/3 cup water (or as needed)

Grind flax seed, oats - set aside. Smooth tuna in food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients until pulse food processor until it forms a ball. If it's too dry, add water - one teaspoon at a time. Turn out onto lightly floured dough surface, kneed until soft: approximately 1 minute. Cut, place on parchment paper and bake in preheated oven at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Ceramic Cookie Jars

Cookie jars are used for keeping biscuits inside. If the jars are made of ceramic material, then it is called as "Ceramic Cookie Jars". In early days, the cookie jars were made of glass with lids. You can screw or unscrew the lid of the jar. Nowadays the jars are made of ceramic materials, which would make the appearance of the jars more appealing.

Ceramic jars are used to store any of the following items.


Cookie
Biscuits
Candy
Once you keep the biscuits or cookies inside, you have to screw the jar and lock it so that it gets air tightened. This is safe for keeping the cookies or biscuits inside. As it is air tight, the eatables will be crispier inside for more days.

Why Ceramic Products?

Ceramic materials are used to prepare more decorative materials. So with the use of ceramic materials, it is easy to prepare ceramic jars more attractive. If you use glass, you cannot make it more decorative as you can make using ceramic materials. Most of the ceramic products are manufactured from china. The products made from china looks good and it can be bought online.

How to buy the jars?

You can buy any ceramic jars either online or by visiting the shop. Nowadays a lot of online stores are available which makes more easy purchase of the ceramic jars. You can visit a lot of trusted sites to buy ceramic products.

Next Step: You can buy ceramic products online by visiting any of the websites.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Recipe For Red Lobster Biscuits - Why Should You Add Cheddar to Red Lobster Biscuits?

Do you love red lobster biscuits? Do you think they are perfect as they are, or are you willing to experiment a little to see if they can be made even better? I love my basic recipe for red lobster biscuits, but once in a while I get the urge for something a little bit different. At times like these, the simplest thing I can do is to add cheddar cheese to my biscuits. Here are 3 reasons why I love adding cheddar, and why you should try it too:

1) I love cheddar in my red lobster restaurant biscuits because cheese is always a welcome addition to almost any food.

Why not try it out for yourself? Vary the amount of cheddar cheese you add to change the "cheesiness" of the taste. Test out different amounts of cheese to find just the right balance for you. I like just a small amount for a more subtle flavoring, as well as moderate amounts for a balance between the original red lobster taste and the cheesy taste. I rarely go for the recipes which add so much cheese that it overpowers the original scent of the red lobster.

2) I love cheddar cheese with red lobster biscuits because of its moderate strength.

There are so many different types of cheese you can add to your lobster biscuits, it makes your head spin. But I prefer cheddar for mine. Why? Because of its moderate taste.

I find that Edam and Gouda cheeses are too mild-tasting to contribute anything to my recipe for red lobster biscuits. However, from time to time, I do enjoy eating plain red lobster biscuits with these mild-tasting cheese.

Swiss cheese and blue cheese are both too strong for me, overwhelming the taste of lobster in my biscuits. In any case, I rarely buy them. However, if you like these stronger-tasting cheeses, it may be worth trying them with your favorite red lobster biscuit recipes. Who knows, it may work well for you.

When testing different types of cheese with my biscuits, I normally eat plain red lobster biscuits with the cheese. Sometimes I use the cheese as a dip. If I like the new taste, I'll experiment adding that type of cheese into my recipe.

3) I love cheddar cheese for its low lactose content.

Cheese is made from milk, a good source of many important nutrients like calcium. However, I am lactose-intolerant. Since cheddar only contains 5% of the lactose in whole milk, I find it an ideal source of natural calcium and phosphorus. If you are completely lactose-intolerant, try hard cheeses like Swiss cheese, aged cheeses like Brie or Camembert, or soy cheeses. If you are allergic to cow's milk, but not lactose-intolerant, try cheese made from goat's milk.

To add cheese to your recipe for red lobster biscuits, simply shred or grate the cheese before adding it to the biscuit mix. Stir the cheese so that it is evenly distributed throughout the mix. After this, just cook it in the oven the same way as any normal recipe mixture. For me, three ounces of cheddar works well (with most normal recipes). Your mileage may vary. The best way is to try different amounts of cheddar in YOUR recipes.