INGREDIENTS:

A small piece of ham fat

1/2 onion

piece of celery

parsley

a small piece of carrot

2 or 3 mushrooms

2 tablespoons tomato paste

5 tablespoons hot water

1/2 lb macaroni

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon butter

bread crumbs

PREPARATION:

1. Chop up fine together a small piece of ham fat, one-half of onion, piece of celery, small piece of carrot and parsley. Fry in a saucepan.
2. Chop fine two or three mushrooms. When the vegetables are fried add chopped mushrooms. Fry for five more minutes.
3. Thin two tablespoons of tomato paste with five tablespoons of hot water (or take equal quantity of tomato sauce without water) and add to the vegetables. Cook until vegetables are cooked through.
4. When the sauce is finished, take out the mushrooms and put them on one side.
5. Boil one-half pound of macaroni in salted water for fifteen minutes. Drain, and combine with the sauce described above.
6. Add two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese, and one tablespoon of butter.
7. Butter well a mold. Cover the bottom and sides of it with a thin layer of bread crumbs.
8. Pour into the mold one-half the macaroni. Place on it a layer of mushrooms. Then add the other half of the macaroni, followed by another thin layer of bread crumbs.
9. Place the mold into the oven without turning it over. Bake in a slow oven until well browned. Turn out and serve.

For variety, you can add to this timbale any kind of cold meat cut up fine. Also, one hard-boiled egg cut into four pieces may be added to the sauce. Add the egg, and meat which you have taken out from the sauce, to the timbale in the same way that you added the mushrooms.

In Italy, timbales were traditionally the highlight of the meal. They were dome or beehive shaped pastries filled with a custardlike mixture of pasta, sauce, meat and vegetables. In some cases timbales can be made of all sorts of things like lasagna sheets, shortcrust pastry and even risotto. A lot of them have a layered filling instead of a casserole-type filling.

LINGUINE IN FRESH TOMATO SAUCE
10-oz linguine noodles
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup fresh basil, chopped (reserve 1 tablespoon)
1 pint small tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp sugar (or Splenda granular for diabetics)
1/2 cup halved, pitted kalamata olives, optional
Grated Parmesan cheese

Cook linguine according to the package directions; drain and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, basil, and tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes; add the sugar and chicken broth. Cook 3 to 4 more minutes to soften the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Stir in the linguine and olives, if using. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese and the reserved tablespoon of fresh basil.

Yield: 4 servings

CREAMY SPAGHETTI WITH TURKEY SAUSAGE

6 oz uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
3/4 pound Italian turkey sausage links, remove casings
2 tsp olive oil
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil, thinly sliced
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
Parmesan cheese

Cook spaghetti according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil and add the sausage. Cook for 5 minutes. Add onion and cook an additional 10 minutes or until the sausage is no longer pink and the onion is tender. Add the tomatoes and basil, heat through. Add cream and bring the mixture to a boil. Drain the spaghetti and toss with the sausage mixture. Garnish with the Parmesan cheese.

CHEESY TORTELLINI

7-oz pkg cheese filled tortellini
1/2 lb pasteurized process cheese spread, cubed
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled, optional

Cook tortellini according to the package directions and drain.

In a saucepan, over low heat, combine the milk, nutmeg, and the cubed cheese. Cook the mixture until the cheese spread is melted. Toss the tortellini with the cheese mixture and sprinkle with crumbled bacon, if desired.

The truth is, not all energy drinks are the same. While many of the ingredients are common among them, each drink has its own little twist to it. And reading the labels of these drinks isn’t going to help the average consumer much if they don’t know what to look for.

The problem with many of these energy drinks is not what you know is in them but what you don’t know or aren’t familiar with. While one of the most common ingredients in these drinks is caffeine, this is only the tip of the iceberg as far as problems go. And yes, caffeine, especially in large quantities, is dangerous as it raises your blood pressure to begin with, not to mention other problems associated with the use of caffeine.

But what about the other common ingredients in energy drinks, the ones you probably never heard of? We are just beginning to learn of the problems associated with some of these ingredients, especially when mixed with other things, such as drugs.

To give you an example of what I am talking about, guarana, which is a very popular ingredient in many energy drinks, is a central nervous system stimulant. What you don’t know is that consuming these drinks and then mixing them with drinks containing ephedrine or diet pills can be very dangerous.

Another popular ingredient in these drinks is taurine, which is actually something that we naturally get from foods that contain vitamin B6. We normally get more than enough taurine in out diet and the extra amount that we get from these drinks, depending on how much we consume, can become toxic in our systems.

But even worse than what we know about the ingredients in these energy drinks that can be harmful, especially if mixed with other items, is what we don’t know. The FDA has all but admitted that many of the ingredients in most popular energy drinks have not been fully tested as to their degree of “safeness.” This is not to say that these ingredients are good or bad, simply that we don’t know. When you combine these factors with what we do know, that caffeine and some ingredients in these drinks can be harmful, it is almost like playing Russian Roulette with a fully loaded revolver to your head, especially if you’re like most people who consume energy drinks. It is common knowledge that most energy drink consumers are not casual users and consume large quantities of these drinks. This fact just makes the consumption of these drinks that much more dangerous.

For what it’s worth, there have been deaths reported, though not many, because of caffeine overdose from these drinks. At the very least, this should at least get energy drink consumers to drink in moderation until the FDA has had time to fully study the effects of these drinks and the ingredients in them.

We all have special occasions that need a fast easy dessert. Whether it is for a birthday, the holidays or to celebrate something special like your child learning to ride a bike, sometimes you just need to be able to throw together a special dessert on short notice. Serving a dessert for various accomplishments makes your family feel special and makes the day memorable, especially if dessert is not a daily event at your house.

Easy desserts should consist of ingredients you have readily at hand. By having a few mixes and fresh ingredients on hand, it will be easy to pull together a nice dessert for any special occasion. Cake mixes, jello, instant pudding and other ingredients that keep well are a good place to start. By keeping a few in your pantry, you will be ready for any occasion.

Easy Parfaits

There is nothing more elegant or simple than a parfait. Served in a wine glass, everyone will ooh and ahh when you set them out on the table. You can make a simple parfait out of Jello cubes. Choose your favorite flavor, and let your Jello chill in a shallow pan. Once it has set, slice it into small cubes. Mix up a box of vanilla or banana pudding. Alternate layers of Jello cubes and pudding and top it off with whipped cream. Add a cherry, a couple berries, or some sprinkles on top for a finishing touch. You could also substitute fresh fruit for the Jello cubes for layers in the parfait.

If you prefer creamy desserts, you can make a wonderful parfait with chocolate pudding and whipped topping by alternating layers of each ingredient in a wine glass. Top it with more whipped topping and add a few shaves of chocolate. The shavings will make your parfait look like it came from an expensive restaurant. Everyone will be amazed at how much time you spent (but you didn’t!) preparing such an elegant dessert.

Easy Baked Desserts

If you prefer something baked, a simple gingerbread can easily be put together using a mix. It can even be baking during dinner, as hot gingerbread makes a lovely, easy dessert. Hot gingerbread is a wonderful easy dessert served plain, with sprinkle powdered sugar on top, or served with hot lemon pudding poured over it. If the gingerbread has time to cool first, you can serve it with whipped topping and a sprinkle of cinnamon for an elegant touch. Cold gingerbread is also very good with hot lemon pudding poured over it.

If your family prefers chocolate, you can easily bake a chocolate cake and serve it simply with either whipped topping and chocolate curls on top or with powdered sugar sprinkled over the top. To make it appear even more elegant, add a couple fresh strawberry slices beside the cake, set into a small dollop of whipped topping.

These easy desserts can make any meal special, and they take very little time to make. Your family will be astounded at the care you have shown by making their accomplishment even more special by celebrating with dessert.

Holidays and special occasions often call for an easy dessert. Find one that fits your menu at JelloRecipes.net that will be suitable for any occasion. Whether you are looking for that traditional recipe, you remember from your childhood or a contemporary recipe to fit special dietary needs, this site will serve up something special.

Those of us who cook know that using artificial sweeteners changes the recipe, drastically. Things like saccharin have less “bulk” than straight sugar. So, trying to bake a sugar-free cake can be very difficult.

But, even sugar free cakes are not low carb desserts. Flour is also a carbohydrate. Eggs, milk and cheese are allowed on your low-carb diet. But, sugar and flour are not. So, what should you do?

How about cheesecake?

Typically, New York style cheesecake is made with heavy cream, cream cheese, eggs and additional egg yolks to add richness and a smooth consistency. Lemons, strawberries or chocolate shavings may be added for flavor. None of those ingredients are carbs, but of course, most recipes call for sugar and lots of it.

Once you add the carbs from the graham cracker crust, you have about 25 grams of carbohydrates in a 3.5 ounce serving. That’s a pretty small slice. But, cheesecakes can be low carb desserts, if they are properly prepared, without the sugar and “sans” crust.

It’s difficult (next to impossible, really) to make this kind of cheesecake at home, because, as I mentioned, sugar substitutes change the recipe. If you do get it to set, you also get an unpleasant aftertaste. It’s hardly worth the effort.

But, you can still serve delicious low carb desserts at home, with very little effort on your part. You can simply order it on-line.

Our own line options for serving a gourmet meal are simply amazing, to me anyway. We can stick to our diets, eat healthy, cater a dinner party or have a private affair for two, right in the luxury of our own homes.

When you consider the time it takes to cook a meal, the shopping, the cost of ingredients and the likelihood that the recipe will “flop”, I think catered meals are a cost-effective option. I don’t know about you, but my time is money.

My health is very important to me, but temptations are not always easy to resist. So, I try to be sure that I always have “healthy temptations”.

If you work full time and commute to your office, by the time you get in your daily work-out and get ready for dinner, you might be tempted to settle for fast-food or whatever’s in the fridge. That’s what happens to a lot of people, so they end up with an unsuccessful and unhealthy diet.

There are a few really good companies that makes healthy delicious low carb desserts on the internet, suitable for a dinner party or an everyday treat. The taste is delicious and you can store them in the freezer, so that you’re prepared for those unexpected guests.

A “Dessert” is a meal course that usually comes after dinner. Most often Dessert foods are of sweet food but can also be of a strongly flavored food, such as cheese, like cheese cake. The world dessert comes from the Old French word “desservir”, which means ‘to clear the table’. Often times in the English language dessert is confused with the word desert(note only one “s”), which is a baren peice of land normally with sand as soil.

It wasn’t until after the 19th-century where the rise of the middle class, and the mechanization of the sugar industry, brought the privilege of sweets into the general public and unreserved it exclusively for the aristocracy, or as rare holiday treat. This was because sugar became cheaper and more readily available to the general public. As sugar was widely spread, so was the development and popularity of desserts.

In today’s culture dessert recipes [http://www.dessert-1.com] have become a popular item for discussion, as they are a winning way to win people over at the end of any meal. This is partly because if you serve a mediocre meal, with an excellent dessert, people will remember you for the dessert and forget about the meal.

Most cultures, have a seperate final distinction between the main course, and the sweet course. This is not true however in some cultures such as Chinese, who will mix in sweet and savoury dishes throughout the entire meal. Dessert is, often times seen as a separate meal or snack, rather than a course, and can be eaten some time after the meal by many individuals. Because of it’s wide spread popularity there are even some restaurants that specialize in desserts.

Some of the most common desserts are:

- Biscuits or cookies

- Ice creams

- Meringues

- Fruit

- Cakes

- Crumbles

- Custards

- Gelatin desserts

- Puddings

- Pastries

- Pies or tarts

We’ve all heard it before, avoiding exercise and eating lots of fats and sugar as well as being overweight can cause type 2 diabetes. The good news however is that if you act now you can prevent this form of diabetes from occurring, or reduce and even cure the condition if you’ve been recently diagnosed.

As type 2 diabetes is usually in direct relation to your lifestyle it’s important to make changes to the way you live your life to see improvements. Now this isn’t as bad as it sounds and in most cases you can continue eating the foods you like; you just need to be more selective.

One of the ways to follow a diabetic diet is to consume foods from all of the four food groups, as well as limiting your intake of alcohol, fat, and sugars. You can incorporate a wide variety of nutritious foods into a diabetic diet plan and combined with regular exercise will help you control your condition.

Now don’t think that desserts and snacks are out of the question. In most cases they’re not. If you’ve got a sweet tooth then check out these delicious diabetic desserts.

DIABETIC PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

1/3 c. plain flour

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

Pinch of salt

2 tbsp. shortening

2 tbsp. peanut butter

1 tsp. Sweet ‘n Low

1 egg, beaten

Mix and stir all ingredients in order (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, shortening, peanut butter and Sweet ‘n Low). Add beaten egg and mix well. Drop by large teaspoon on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

DIABETIC FUDGE

1 14 1/2 oz. evaporated milk

3 tbsp. cocoa

1/4 c. oleo

Liquid Sweetner to equal 1/2 c. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

1/4 c. nuts

Combine milk and cocoa in saucepan. Beat well. Add oleo, sweetner, salt. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining ingredients except 1/4 cup graham crackers. Cool about 15 minutes. Divide mixture into 32 balls. Roll in remaining cracker crumbs and chill.

These recipes look delicious don’t they? Believe me, they taste even better too. So by combining sensible eating with regular exercise you can control and even beat your type 2 diabetes for good. It just goes to show that with a little research you can still eat the delicious types of foods and snacks that you did before.

No meal is complete without desserts. A dessert is a type of food that gives the finishing touch to at the end of the meal to make it perfect. The origin of the term is really interesting. The term “desserts” has been derived from Old French term “desservir” which means cleaning the table. Normally the desserts are sweet food. Some desserts like types of cheese have different flavors. The trend to have desserts at the end of the meal is comparatively new in the western culture. If we look back in time, we can see there was always a custom to have nuts and fruits at the end of the meal. It gradually turned into desserts. But sweet dish was comparatively new addition in the list. Common types of deserts are custards, fruits, pudding, biscuits, cookies, cakes, pastries, ice creams, gelatin desserts, pies, sherbets, soufflés, meringues, petits fours and trifles and many more.

Before the development of the sugar industry in the 19th century, sweet used to be out of reach for the middle class. It was a rare holiday delicacy. A sweet dish in the meal was a note of aristocracy at that time. After the sugar industry was mechanized, sugar became cheaper. And, as a result, it gradually took a permanent place in the full course meal. In some cuisine, dessert is not used as a separate part at the end of the meal. In those cuisines, sweet dishes are eaten during the meal. In some cultures the dessert is not at all a part of the meal. They are especially reserved for some special occasions. Desserts are often eaten as separate meal sometime after the meal. But obviously it is done when the setting has a casual tone. In American concept, any sweet dish that follows a meal can be a dessert. Be it milkshake or other drinks, there are many restaurants that are specialized in the domain of desserts.

Several different types of cooking ingredients come from corn. Corn bread, stews and even fried catfish recipes call for some form of corn. If you are missing an ingredient knowing its equivalent or substitution can save grandma’s recipe from oblivion. If you know the use of an ingredient, it is easier to come up with a substitution. Today Mom explains corn starch, corn flour, cornmeal and that Johnny Cake.

Corn Starch: Made from the endosperm of the corn kernel. Cornstarch is used to thicken sauces, soups and stews. Substitutions for cornstarch are as follows: 1 tablespoon cornstarch = 2/3 tablespoon arrowroot OR 2 tablespoons all purpose flour OR 1 tablespoon potato starch OR 2 tablespoons quick-cooking (instant) tapioca.

Corn Flour: Made by grinding whole corn kernels into a fine powder. It is used in combination with other flours to make breads, or for breading items for frying. Corn flour contains less gluten than wheat flour. When baking, substituting corn flour instead of wheat flour will result in a heavier bread. If you just need corn flour for breading, you can use regular flour instead.

Corn Flour can also be used to thicken sauces. If you don’t have corn flour, substitute with corn meal ground to a powder in a food processor. You can also thicken sauces by substituting regular wheat flours in the same measurements.

Sauce Cooking Tip: Before adding any powdered thickener to a sauce it is a good idea to dissolve it first. Use a little liquid from your sauce, or some broth, juice or water (about 1/2 cup or less). When your thickener is dissolved in liquid, carefully stir it into your sauce with a fork or whisk. This helps cook up a smooth sauce with no lumps.

Cornmeal: Made from ground corn, usually without the corn skin or germ and has a coarse texture. Cornmeal doesn’t contain gluten so it is generally used to make quick breads or breads with a cake-like texture. If you don’t have one cup of cornmeal substitute one cup of grits or polenta.

Cornmeal is sometimes called for in bread recipes for dusting a greased pan. Dusting a pan helps keep the bread from sticking to the pan. It also gives the bread crust an extra little crunch and a hint of flavor. If you don’t have cornmeal you can substitute corn flour, regular wheat flour or any other flour to keep bread from sticking. If you still want that crunchy texture try pulverizing some corn flakes instead. Or try using another thinly ground grain like steel cut oats or cracked wheat.

Johnny Cake: Johnny Cake or Journey Cake is a simple quick bread made with corn and water plus sugar. Hoecake technically, is a corn cake cooked over the fire on the back of a hoe (or shovel). The method still works – but don’t forget to grease your shovel first, or the hoecake will stick! Over the years we have added salt and leavening agents to our corn cake recipes for variations on the same corny theme. Here’s a great old-fashioned recipe for Corn Cake using molasses as a sweetener.

Molasses Corn Cake

1 cup corn meal

3⁄4 cup flour

3 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 cup molasses

3⁄4 cup milk

1 egg

1 tablespoon melted butter (or margarine)

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add milk with molasses, egg well beaten, and butter. Bake in shallow buttered pan (roughly 9×9 or 8×8) in 425 degree oven for twenty minutes.

Healthy cooking doesn’t have to be hard and some of the best cooking comes from the best healthy cooking tips. These are the seven best tips you can find around for cooking healthy meals, losing weight and most importantly, enjoying it!

1. Cooking Begins with Shopping

With every great adventure, the first step is always to actually take that first step. That is, part of learning to cook healthy is shopping smart. For that, it is important to know that there are a few key rules to follow: (1) low fat versions of milk, cheese, yogurt and salad dressing, (2) leaner meat cuts – if you’re not sure, check for a tick from the Heart Foundation and (3) skinless versions of chicken breasts. While shopping, it is also a good idea to look at the ingredients and health information provided on the product to figure out how much sodium, fats (both trans- and saturated) and even sugar are in the products. Finally, a good of thumb is to walk around the walls of the grocery store as most healthy products are found there while the bad food is situated in the middle part of the store.

2. Healthy Cooking Tips

Nutrients are essential and there are many healthy cooking tips that can be found. Here, we have four that would provide a great step towards smart cooking: First, scrubbing vegetables instead of peeling them will retain many nutrients that vegetable held as most are found in the skin. Steaming vegetable or using the microwave will also retain a lot of valuable nutrients. If you want to boil your vegetables, then do it in a small amount of water and not over boil them. Lastly, incorporating stir fry recipes into a healthy diet can also allow many vegetables to be cooked quickly while retaining nutrients that they harbour.

3. Everyday Repetition

A great healthy cooking tip would be adding vegetables to all aspects of eating throughout the day. That could mean using carrots chopped up as a substitute for chips, broccoli and cheese whiz or even celery with peanut butter and raisin. In regards to main meals, a great healthy cooking tip would be to add peppers to stews or chow mein. Also adding other colourful vegetables to any dish also helps meet a recommended daily servings. Fruit chutneys and vegetable salads are also great substitutions for heavy gravies and sauces.

4. Fight Fatty Favourites

Low fat food products do exist. They are available as low fat cheese, low fat salad dressing and even evaporated skim milk. A great healthy cooking tip for people who love eggs is to invest in low cholesterol egg products. Even using the whites of the eggs in exchange for a whole egg also reduces the fat and cholesterol of baked goods.

5. Grease Trapping

There are a few great healthy cooking tips that would help considerably with removing fats. For one, using olive or canola oils are a great ways to start. During cooking, draining fats as you go helps and then dabbing pan fried food onto paper towels will also trap more visible fats. For soups, chilling soup and then skimming it off the top is also a way to reduce fat intake.

6. Methodology of a Healthy Cooker

There are a few ways to improve healthy and smart cooking; one great healthy cooking tip would be to try roasting, poaching or even stir-frying all the meals of the day. Open flame grilling should be minimal since it may produce cancer-promoting compounds. Also, microwaving – in in short range cooking times – reduce the elimination of nutrients and adds no water or fat to the cooking.

7. Talk About It:

Finally, talk about the healthy cooking tips! When beginning on a new endeavour, it becomes easier and more fun when learning with someone or teaching a younger person comes into the picture. Learning to cook healthy is always better with others – doing it with friends or family can help take the healthy cooking tips presented and implement it with more earnest attempts. Communication the desire to eat healthier and talking about how it can be done always helps to not only remind yourself but get ideas from others. Overall, learning to cook healthy can and should be fun. You are not alone – and the amount of interest may surprise you if you ask if anyone wants to cook with you.