This Cranberry Orange Relish is a Thanksgiving Tradition

     This is a recipe that has been in my family for as long as I can remember.  As a kid I was not very fond of this Thanksgiving tradition and refused to eat it for years.  But as the years have passed my taste buds have grown to enjoy this treat.   It is a staple part of our Thanksgiving table spread, along with the turkey, oyster stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole. This recipe is made with fresh cranberries. Cranberries are a great berry for a healthy urinary tract (helps to fight off bacterial infections in the bladder). They are also an anti-oxidant that is linked to cancer prevention.

     Although cranberries can typically be found in cranberry sauce in the form of a jelly, and many times served in the shape of a can. Although I will confess that I do enjoy cranberries this way at times. I prefer fresh cranberry relish made with all fresh ingredients.

Ingredients are:

How to Make Magic Reindeer Food

It’s that time of year again. We are all busy with office parties and special holiday events and last minute shopping for Christmas presents. Everyone remembers to make cookies and leave the milk for Santa Claus, but many forget his reindeer. The reindeer must fly all around the world in one night and will need their energy as well. Here is a great recipe for Santa’s reindeer that will help them find your house during the night.

What You Need:

½ cup oatmeal
Glitter
Small plastic bag
Construction paper
Markers
Ribbon

Steps:
1. Mix the oatmeal and the glitter until well mixed and add to the plastic bag.
2. Cut the construction paper 2 ½ X 4 ½ inches.
3. On the construction paper write this poem:
Sprinkle this magic reindeer food outside tonight.
The moonlight will make it sparkle bright.
As the reindeer fly and roam.
This magic dust will guide them to your home.

4. Attach the construction paper to the plastic bag. Make a bow out of the ribbon and attach to the bag with the construction paper.
5. On Christmas Eve scatter the magic reindeer food in your yard. The magic in the glitter will help to lead the reindeer to your house.


Photo by: Anthere at fr.wikipedia (photo by fr:Utilisateur:Anthere) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

How to Make Homemade Pound Cake from Scratch

    Pound Cake is a great dessert for the holidays, not only can you add any kind of topping you like but it is easy to make and to store until the big day.  Serve this dessert along with pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving or with the ham on Christmas.
    This is an easy dessert that most people have all of the ingredients on hand. Pound cake can be eaten plain or served with any number of sauces like lemon sauce. It is fun to make with young children who love to help in the kitchen. Historically pound cake was so named because there was approximately a pound of each ingredient that was added (butter, sugar, eggs, and flour). It is obvious that this recipe isn't in the truest sense a pound cake (only 1/2 pound of butter). If this recipe was doubled it would more closely resemble the pound cake of earlier times).


Things You'll Need:

* 1/2 lb of butter (bring to room temperature)
* 1 3/4 c. sugar
* 5 eggs
* 2 c. flour, sifted
* 1 t. vanilla
* pinch of salt


Step 1 - Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare loaf pan by greasing.

Step 2 - Cream the butter and sugar thoroughly (about 10 minutes).

Step 3 - Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each egg.

Step 4 - Add salt, then flour gradually while beating.

Step 5 - Add vanilla and mix well.

Step 6 - Pour the pound cake mixture into your prepared loaf pan and bake at 325 degrees for 55 minutes or until cake pulls away from the side of the pan.  You can test the pound cake by inserting a paring knife into the top center of the pound cake if it comes out clean it is done, if it has uncooked batter you need to cook longer.


Pound cake is great served plain, or with fruit sauce drizzled over top. There are many varieties of pound cake (lemon, poppy seed, chocolate marble, etc...). I like it plain with a lemon sauce over top.


The first time I made this pound cake, I forgot to remove the pizza stone out of the oven before cooking and it was a flop. I've made it sense with good results.

Easy Egg Salad Sandwich

Here is a simple recipe I use for egg salad sandwiches. I also give some alternatives to the typical egg salad. Personally, I make it a bit different each time I make it. Sometimes using Coleman's mustard,other times just using my favorite prepared mustard. I have been know to add pickle relish, bread & butter chips, Indian curry spice mix, and so on. The egg salad sandwich takes on my mood of the day; that is what is so great about egg salad sandwiches, you can have fun with it. By adding lettuce, bacon,or tomato, the egg salad sandwich is really quite attractive.

Cut off the bread crust and cut into small triangles and egg salad sandwiches make a great finger food for the baby shower, bridal shower, or other gatherings. The cost is minimal and the taste "well", the taste is great.

Ingredients for Egg Salad

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
1/4 – 1/2 C. mayonnaise
1 t Coleman’s mustard powder (or 1 teaspoon of your favorite mustard)
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 stalk of celery finely chopped
2 T green onion finely diced
Dash of lemon juice
Mrs. Dash
Lettuce
Bread (toasted)

To Boil Eggs - Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by at least a 1/2-inch. Bring the water to a gentle boil and turn off the heat but leave the pan on the burner; cover the pan and let the eggs sit for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, place the eggs into a big bowl of ice water bath for about three minutes to stop the eggs from cooking.

1. Peel each egg and place in a bowl. Mash the eggs using a pastry blender or a fork until finely chopped.

2. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Adjust mayonnaise, lemon juice, and mustard to your taste. (It is better to start with less mayonnaise and mustard and add more to your liking).

3. Add the celery and green onion and mix.

4. Season with salt, pepper and Mrs. Dash to your taste.

5. Toast your favorite type of bread and place a leaf of lettuce on the bread. Spoon the egg salad over the lettuce.
This recipe should make two generous portioned egg salad sandwiches.

Other Serving Suggestions:
• Add curry powder to egg salad mix for a more exotic taste.
• Add lettuce and thinly sliced or diced tomato.
• Cook Bacon and add bacon chips into the egg salad mix. Or just serve slices of bacon on the bread with the egg salad.
• Add a couple Tablespoons of sweet pickle relish or dices bread and butter pickles.
• Garnish with sliced olives.
• Mix in 1 – 2 teaspoons of capers.

Making Fresh Tahini Paste from Roasted Sesame Seeds

Tahini paste is a very versatile food and is used in a variety of dishes including hummus, used as sandwich spreads and in many soups. It is commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking. It is commonly served in sauces in Middle Eastern restaurants. To buy tahini in the grocery store can be quite expensive. Making your own tahini can be very cost effective. Sesame seeds can be bought in bulk in many grocery chains, Middle Eastern stores, Indian Stores, or online. You can check out my article on making Hummus.

By making your own tahini, you can control the freshness of the tahini. You can also reduce the roasting time to change the bitterness of the tahini (get it just the way you like it). Tahini can be made with white or black sesame seeds. You can make as much or little as you need, since the tahini will store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.


What you need:
3-4 cups of sesame seeds
¼ -1/2 cup of olive oil
Baking sheets

If your sesame seeds are not already roasted, spread the sesame seeds out on a baking pan (for 4 cups of sesame seeds – two – 8 by 11 inch cake pans will work). Preheat oven to 350°F, place pans in oven for 10 minutes to lightly roast the sesame seed. Stir the seeds once at about 5 minutes and stir again when removed from the oven.

Pour the toasted sesame seeds into a high speed blender, pour in the ¼ cup olive oil and blend on high. Do not try this with your average blender. I use a Blendtec, but any very powerful blender should work. You might have to adjust the amount of olive oil.

• Can be spread on bread like peanut butter (although it doesn’t taste like peanut butter).
• Also great on vegetarian sandwiches as well as your cold cut sandwiches.
• Used in soups as a soup base
• Even used in sweet desserts
• Is becoming more common in European cuisine and found more often in American restaurants as well.

Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

I am revisiting some of my old favorites.  If you would like to try something a little different than your usual mayonnaise on sandwiches then try this tangy sandwich spread on your sandwich and turn it into a gourmet sandwich. The creamy blue cheese dressing is a smooth dressing with crumbled blue cheese throughout. It is great on BLTs, Bacon Lettuce and Avocado sandwiches and makes a great blue cheese dressing for hamburgers. Serve it on a hamburger with lettuce and tomato and your guests will be asking for more or at least for your recipe. I personally like to serve it on toasted rye bread spread generously with the blue cheese dressing and then add lettuce, 2 slices of bacon and sliced avocado on top – I then drizzle the sauce over top. It is not only delicious but is a very attractive sandwich. If avocados are not in season, or are too expensive, than you can substitute them with sliced tomatoes.

¼ cup buttermilk
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped onion
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled – about ½ cup

Mix first 5 ingredients plus half of the blue cheese in a blender or food processor and blend on high until smooth. Then add the remaining half of the blue cheese to the mix and fold in. Spread on bread or toast.

I sometimes add cayenne powder or garlic pepper sauce for extra heat.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

3 cups grated carrot
1 ½ cups flour
2 t baking powder
½ - 1 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 t ground cinnamon
4 eggs
2 t vanilla extract
1 c brown sugar packed
½ c sugar
1 ¼ oil
1 c walnuts finely chopped
½ c raisins


Cake Directions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare 11 X 8 rectangular baking pan by lining with non-stick parchment and grease.

Step 2: Grate carrots and set aside.

Step 3: Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl.

Step 4: Beat eggs with electric mixer. Add vanilla, all sugar, and oil and mix until well incorporated.

Step 5: Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until well mixed.
Add the carrots, walnuts and raisins and fold into the mixture.

Step 6: Pour the mixture into prepared pan and bake in pre-heated oven until cake springs back when touched lightly. About 40 – 45 minutes.

Step 7: Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Remove the cake from the pan and remove the parchment paper carefully.

Ingredients For frosting
8 oz. cream cheese
1 stick butter (allow to warm up from refrigerator)
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

In a mixing bowl gradually beat the cream cheese, butter, and sugar until creamy. Stir the vanilla and chopped walnuts in by hand. When the cake is cool top the cake with the icing. You can wait until after the cake is iced then add the walnuts.

How to Demonstrate Surface Tension using a Paper Clip

Demonstrating Surface Tension of Water -- Surface tension is a property of water in which the molecules of water on the surface of the liquid is attracted to each other. The surface tension of water allows objects of greater density to be supported on the surface of the water. The attraction of a molecule to itself is called cohesion and attraction between two different molecules is called adhesion. The paper clip floating on the surface of water is a great example which demonstrates to your children how surface tension of water works. Surface tension is what allows small insects to walk on the surface of water; or, what allows dust and leaves to float on the surface of water. Surface tension in conjunction with cohesion is what allows the surface portion of a liquid to form drops such as water drops.

What you will need:
Bowl, glass, or beaker
Paper towel
Medal paper clip
Soapy water
Dropper

How to Demonstrate Surface Tension
Fill a bowl, glass, or beaker with water. Float a small piece of paper towel on the surface of the water. Place the paper clip on top of the paper towel. Carefully push the sides of the paper towel down into the water until the paper towel is no longer touching the paper clip. Carefully remove the paper towel from the water. The paper clip should easily remain floating on the surface of the water unless it is disturbed or bumped.

To Demonstrate How Soap (Surfactant) Breaks the Surface Tension

Separately mix some soap with water.

Using a dropper add a couple drops of soapy water to the surface of the water with the paper clip floating on it – be careful to add it to the water away from the paper clip. The soapy water should break the surface tension of the water causing the paper clip to fall to the bottom of the container. If it doesn’t work immediately give it a few seconds or add a few more drops of soapy water.

This is a great time to ask your children or student’s why they think soapy water caused the paper clip to fall to the bottom.

This is a great bell-ringer for science class. Have the student’s try to explain why the paper clip is floating. This is also great way to help your young children become or stay interested in science.

Mercury is a great example of how surface tension allows the element to form a cohesive ball.

Water beading on a freshly waxed car forms a sphere because of the water’s surface tension.

The separation of oil and water is caused by several different properties of the liquids, to include the differences in the surface tension of the liquids called “interface tension”.