Soup Without Meat: Broccoli Cauliflower Soup

As a soup lover, I always feel one can't have too many soup recipes. I am not a big meat eater--just simply don't like the taste of most meats--so I love a good soup that isn't meat based. Assuming there are others out there like me, I am choosing to share a good soup recipe that is begetable based and doesn't involve meat. This recipe for Broccoli-Cauliflower Soup produces a delicious rich, creamy soup. With the broccoli, cauliflower, onion and chicken-flavored bouillon, you can eat and enjoy this soup without getting a mouthful of meat. I like it with a rustic crusty bread. However, if you still want meat, it is perfect to serve with a sandwich on the side. This soup also makes a great appetizer course. This soup is also okay for diabetics as it has half as many proteins as carbs.

BROCCOLI-CAULIFLOWER SOUP

1 1/2 cups water

1 pkg (10-oz) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

1 pkg (10-oz) frozen cauliflower, thawed

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 tsp chicken-flavored bouillon granules

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp cornstarch

3 cups fat-free milk, divided

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

In a small Dutch oven or large saucepan, combine water, broccoli, cauliflower, onion, and bouillon granules. Cover pan and bring to a boil. Cook 5 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. (Do not drain.) Stir in garlic powder. Process vegetable mixture in blender (will have to do in batches) until mixture is smooth. Return mixture to pan. Dissolve cornstarch in 1/2 cup of the milk, stirring until smooth. Stir cornstarch mixture into the vegetable mixture. Add the remaining milk, salt and pepper to the vegetable mixture; stirring well. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is thickened and bubbly.

15 one-half cup servings. Per serving: 35 calories, 6 g carbs, 3 g protein

Enjoy.

Author : Linda Wilson

About the Author :
For more of Linda's recipes and diabetic information, visit her site at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com

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Crockpot Cooking - How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup

Did you know that your humble crockpot could make a delicious pot of soup? While you are off at work or running errands, your soup will be simmering merrily, creating a delicious concoction of goodness. It does not matter if you are accomplished in the kitchen or if you only cook when absolutely necessary... you can make a wonderful chicken noodle soup in your crockpot that will be a vast improvement over canned soup.

If You Use Only the Freshest Ingredients...

If you only use the freshest ingredients, the crockpot can still make your soup easier. Remove the skin from your chicken. You can use a whole chicken, parts or boneless breasts or thighs... whichever you have handy. Put the chicken in the crockpot with enough water to cover it. You can add a stalk of celery, an onion, a carrot, and some herbs if you wish. Let it simmer on high for three to four hours.

Once your chicken is thoroughly cooked, take it out and cool it. Strain out the vegetables you have added and put them in your compost bin. Once your meat is cooled, debone it and cut the pieces into bite-size bits before replacing it in the crockpot. Chop up some fresh vegetables. Carrots, celery, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, and many others make excellent choices. Add some garlic and fresh herbs.

Keeping the crockpot on high let it cook for a couple more hours. Do not open the lid until it is time to add your noodles. Taste the broth about 45 minutes before you want to serve the soup. Add salt and other seasonings as needed. Add your noodles. This can be egg noodles, linguine, fettuccine, or any other noodle you prefer. Perhaps you have made homemade noodles to add... if so, they only need to cook about 20 minutes until they are tender.

Super Simple Chicken Noodle Soup

If you want to make soup extremely easy, try this tried and true method. This homemade chicken noodle soup is so easy a rank amateur could make it. If you have leftover chicken in the fridge, you can use that in your soup, or you can pick up one of those rotisserie chickens at the market.

Put the chicken in the crockpot, bones, and all. Cover with a large can of chicken broth. Simmer the soup on high for three or four hours. This will add the chicken's flavor to the commercial broth. Remove the chicken and let it cool before deboning it. Cut up the meat before putting it back in the crockpot.

Add some vegetables. You can use fresh sliced carrots or other vegetables, or you can use frozen vegetables. To make it really easy, just put in some whole baby carrots from the market. No peeling, slicing or dicing! Let the soup cook for a couple more hours.

About 30 to 45 minutes before serving, add the noodles of your choice. Perhaps you like the frilly egg noodles, or maybe some ramen noodles. Maybe all you have in the cupboard is a box of old lasagna noodles. If so, just break them into smaller pieces and put them in the soup.

Author : KC Kudra

About the Author :
Everyone loves chicken noodle soup. It helps us feel better when we're sick, or just feeling blue. For more inspiration, check out http://www.ChickenNoodleSoups.com for recipes, cooking tips and fun facts about everyone's favorite soup. Also find informative articles about chicken soup's health benefits and other info like cooking tips.

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Quick And Easy Breakfast Recipes

Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day. Since you are still sleepy from a good night’s rest, it is only right that you should know some quick and easy recipes that you can come up with in a few minutes.

If your kids love milk, then offer them something by combining milk with some cereals and fruit. To do that, you pour cornflakes from the box and into the bowl. Add milk and then slice into small pieces a banana or some strawberries and then serve.

For adults, you can substitute cereal with oatmeal which is quite healthy since it has been proven to lower your cholesterol. You can add with your bowl of oatmeal some fruits as well which are also good for you.

You can’t have cereal or oatmeal everyday so why don’t you try something else like an omelet. There are different ways to make it and the simplest one is to cook 2 eggs and add margarine into a frying pan. You can add flavor to it by also putting in some sliced mushrooms, onion and sliced sausages.

Once the omelet begins to set, use a spatula to push the edges of the egg mixture in. Keep doing this until you can flip one side of the omelet over the other one and then serve on a plate.

Do you want some bread for breakfast? Well you can by making blueberry French toast. To do that, you will need some eggs, milk, cream cheese, blueberries, vanilla and cinnamon.

Using a blender, beat together the milk, cream cheese, and blueberries until smooth then set aside. Using a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs then add vanilla, and cinnamon. When you are done, add the blueberry mixture.

The last thing to do before serving is to dip the bread in the batter, and fry in a pan or griddle until slightly browned.

Another all time favorite is the waffle and if you want to add some spice to it, don’t just make any and go for the German waffle.

The ingredients for the German waffle include half a cup of butter, some sugar, egg yolk, milk, flour, baking powder, salt and gratings of lemon.

Now cream the butter and add the sugar until this turns into a cream then add the egg yolks and beat thoroughly. Next, sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together and add this to the creamed mixture alternating with the milk. Add the lemon peel and blend thoroughly then cook using a hot waffle iron and serve.

Pancakes anyone? Well try out the French Jelly Pancake. If you know how to make pancakes, we can already skip forward and move on to the best part which is adding the jelly. You have to do this while it is still hot and spread this evenly to keep it from spreading.

Next, dredge this with sugar and to make it look attractive, burn some lines around it using your toaster before serving.

Breakfast is important and fortunately, there are a lot of great quick and easy recipes that you can serve when you get up in the morning. As refreshments, always serve it with a cup of coffee or tea for the grownups and milk or juice for the kids.

Author : Joe Golson

About the Author :

Overwhelmed and confused about how to take off weight and lose the belly fat for greater stomach loss.Don't be,Click here for FREE Weight Loss Information.

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The Versatile Kitchen Tool - Crockpot Cooking

Cooking with a crockpot can make it easy to have dinner waiting when you come home. By filling up the crockpot before you leave for work or school in the morning, you can be greeted by the delicious scent of dinner when you walk in the door at the end of the day.

Tips for Using Your Crockpot

There are a few tips that will help your crockpot meals turn out perfect every time. First, never overfill the crockpot. Make sure when you are filling it up that the pot is between half and three-quarters full. Too full, and your food will not cook enough. If the pot is too empty, the food will cook too quickly and you will come home to a dinner that is overdone.

If you are using fresh vegetables, put them on the bottom. They will take longer to cook than your meat. This is a bit hard to believe, but it is true. If you are using frozen vegetables, place them on top of your meat, since they will cook faster.

You may want to try browning your meat before placing it in the crockpot. This renders fat and caramelizes the natural sugars in the meat, creating a delicious flavor. If you wish to deglaze the pan afterwards with broth, water, or wine, you can add these tasty drippings to your crockpot so you can enjoy them later. Removing extra fat and skin will also help your meat cook better.

Tender ingredients like tomatoes, mushrooms, and dairy products should be added the last 30 to 45 minutes of cooking. Make sure the temperature is on low for dairy products to keep them from curdling. If you are adding thickeners like cornstarch, it should be added in the last hour with the temperature on high to activate their thickening qualities. Rice and pasta should be added during the last 45 minutes so they do not get too mushy.

While cooking, try not to remove the lid. If you need to add more ingredients, add them all at once if possible to reduce losing heat from the crockpot. Every time you lift the lid, add another half hour to your cooking time.

Meals You Can Make in the Crockpot

These easy tips can help make your crockpot useful and versatile. You can make almost anything in the crockpot. Pulled pork with barbecue sauce is easy in the crockpot, as is Asian chicken. Stew and chili are old standbys for the crockpot, as is chicken soup. Vegetable dishes like creamed corn with cream cheese is delicious for a side dish.

Did you know you could even bake in your crockpot? It is true! Cakes, breads, and other baked desserts are simple to make in your crockpot. All you need is an insert pan. Crockpot cookery is easy and versatile. It can serve you well several nights a week.

In today's fast past busy lifestyle a crockpot can help give you back some of your free time and make dinner time much more enjoyable for the working cook of the family. The crockpot is also the perfect tool for summertime cooking as it gets you out of the hot kitchen and out enjoying the extra free time you will find.

Author : KC Kudra

About the Author :
Crockpots are not just for one-dish meals. If you are intrigued with using your crockpot, visit ChickenNoodleSoups.com for new soup recipes to try while you are away from the house. It is so nice to come home to a fragrant, delicious meal already waiting for you. Nothing but chicken soups of all kinds. Also find informative articles about chicken soup's health benefits and other interesting info like soup cooking tips.

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Recipe for Creamy Tomato Soup With Dill

This recipe is good for all of your family and friends including the diabetics in your group. This Creamy Tomato Soup with Dill can be used in several different ways. If you are planning a large, several course meal, this soup is perfect for the first course when served in small serving cups as an appetizer. It is good for a light lunch when served with some crackers and fresh fruit. Or serve it for lunch or dinner with a salad or a sandwich. A grilled cheese sandwich is always good with tomato soup. So give this versatile creamy soup a try soon!

CREAMY TOMATO SOUP WITH DILL

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tbsp olive or canola oil

1 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp salt

dash of black pepper

3 large tomatoes, sliced

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups water, divided

3/4 cup whipping cream, whipped

1 to 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh dill OR 1 to 2 teaspoons dill weed

In a large saucepan over low heat, cook onion and garlic in oil and butter until tender. Add salt, pepper, and tomatoes; cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in tomato paste. In a small bowl, combine flour and 1/2 cup of water; stir until smooth. Stir into saucepan. Gradually stir in remaining water until smooth; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Place mixture in a sieve over a bowl. With the back of a spoon, press vegetables through the sieve to remove seeds and skin. Return the puree to pan. Add cream and dill; cook over low heat just until heated through. DO NOT BOIL.

Yield: 1 quart

Enjoy!

Author : Linda Wilson

About the Author : For more of Linda's recipes and health information, visit http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com

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Cooking Healthy And With Less Fat

By cutting down on fat, you can easily reduce your energy intake without affecting the other essential nutrients. And by choosing the right types of fat, using low fat and fat free products whenever possible, and making small, simple changes to the way you cook and prepare food, you can reduce your overall fat intake quite dramatically and enjoy a much healthier diet without really noticing any difference.

Watching your fat intake doesn't have to mean dieting and deprivation. Using the right ingredients and using substitutions can result in tremendous weight loss, while retaining the great taste and texture of many of your favorite foods.

For instance, if you have a recipe that calls for ½ cup of vegetable oil try substituting the oil with ½ cup of fruit puree. To make a fruit puree, you simply put 4oz of any dried fruit into your blender with about 5 tablespoons of water, then blend until it's smooth. There is no real conversion "factor". If the recipe calls for ½ cup of oil, just substitute with ½ cup of your puree. This substitution works quite well with almost any recipe except for pastries which require the actual fat for consistency and baking.

The best fruits to use for your puree are prunes, peaches, apricots and apples. You can also use fresh fruit by eliminating the water to make the puree. Applesauce works quite well in many recipes that call for vegetable or other oil.

Another method of reducing fat in your cooking is to use non-stick cookware.

Also, when baking foods such as chicken or fish, rather than adding a pat of butter to the food, try baking the food in a loosely sealed package of foil or greaseproof paper and adding some wine or fruit juice and herbs and spices to the food before sealing the package.

Other methods of reducing fat intake are to steam or boil, rather than bake. Marinate your meat or poultry in mixtures of alcohol, herbs and spices; or use fruit juice. Marinating helps to tenderize meats, adds unique flavors and, in addition, the marinate can be used to baste the food while it's cooking.

For vegetables, resist the urge to add a pat of butter to your serving. Instead sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs or ground spices.

Simply by rethinking the way you cook, can greatly reduce the amount of fats you eat each day. You NEED fat, but controlling how much you consume can help to reduce the amount of fat calories that you consume each day.

Author : Andrew Mullins

About the Author :

Fat Loss 4 Idiots has a diet plan to fit the needs of any individual. Start your new diet regimen today and be ready for summer! To see a complete review of the internets top 5 weight loss programs visit Weight Loss Reviews.

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Low-Carb Italian Food

While many people love Italian food, those that are trying to stick to a low-carb diet often shy away from it. no wonder, with many meals centering on large amounts of pasta and bread. However, if you are looking for low-carb Italian foods then there are some to be found. Many Italian meals center on fresh veggies, olive oil, and herbs and are just as delicious as pasta and pizza. Here is a look at just some of the Italian foods you can try while sticking to your low-carb diet.

Starters And Appetizers

If you are looking for low-carb Italian food, one of the first places to look for it is in the antipasto course. Antipasto, Italian for "before the meal" includes numerous starters and appetizers, but many of these foods could work as a meal on their own. One example is a tray of Italian cold cuts and cheeses. Many marinated and pickled vegetables are also low-carb. Stuffed tomatoes and peppers, deviled eggs, and salads all work well as low-carb appetizers. Just avoid any antipasto items that involve bread or pasta. You may also need to pay attention to dips and salad dressings to make sure that they are not high in carbs as well. A simple dressing made of balsamic vinegar and olive oil is low-carb and delicious.

Salads

Italian salads are another great low-carb Italian food. You will have to use caution to avoid salads that use pasta and bread, but with some careful planning you can find many delicious alternatives. You can eat Italian salad as a meal of its own or as a side dish. Consider fennel and orange salad from Sicily for a unique taste.

Grilled peppers and olives also make great additions, as do many of the Italian cheeses. Even regular vegetables can become spectacular dishes when combined with Italian herbs and seasonings. You can easily make up your own low-carb meal by serving a large quantity of vegetables with some baked or grilled fish.

Soup And Stew

Italian soups and stews are often hearty enough to eat as a meal on their own, or served alongside a fresh salad. For low-carb Italian food, look for soups that are full of fresh vegetables and avoid those that are laden with pastas. Broccoli soup is one good option, as is tomato and basil soup. For protein you can often find soups that include seafood and other meats, some unusual like rabbit. Beans, chickpeas, and lentils can also be good sources of protein, but if you are on a very low-carb diet you will want to avoid these as well.

Frittatas

If you are looking for a substitute for bread and/or a way to use up last night's vegetables, frittatas are the way to go. Frittatas are an Italian version of the omelet, and are often cut into wedges for serving. They can be flavored with any number of ingredients, including vegetables, herbs, and salami or chicken.

Dessert

When you are looking for low-carb Italian food, there is no reason to skip dessert! Fruit is a common choice, whether baked or served fresh in a salad. The popular gelato is another low-carb dessert that you can indulge in. You will find that many Italian desserts are either naturally low-carb or can be adapted to your new diet.


Author : Anna Fiori

About the Author :

Anna Fiori writes food related articles for the Italian Traditional Food website at http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com.

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Authentic Romanian Recipes

In general, Romanians like eating different delicious kinds of food. Here you can find authentic Romanian recipes, which are usually cooked on special occasions, or you can try them whenever you like. Therefore, you can find out two recipes: traditional cheese ball and cabbage rolls. You know; when they want to eat something nice, Romanians do not lose time, so let us begin with the cheese ball, which can be found in the list of any authentic Romanian recipes books.

This dish is ready in about one hour. The ingredients needed are 350 grams corn flour, half of teaspoon of salt, 1 liter and a half of water, for a corn flour sauce. Then, for the stuff, you need 4 eggs, 50 grams of butter, and 300 g of cheese, preferably two different kinds. Here we have to mention that the best types of cheese for this dish are bellows cheese (branza de burduf) and a kind of salty cheese called "telemea". First, you have to cook a quite soft corn flour sauce and boil the eggs. Meanwhile, you must have available an earthen pot, which is a symbol of authentic Romanian recipes. In order to obtain the best outcome you have to keep this pot in cold water for 15 minutes, and then rub it with plenty of butter, so that the cheese ball will not stick to the pot. When the corn flour sauce is ready, you can pour a third of it into the pot, and put on its top the bellows cheese after you have flaked it using a fork, a little butter (about 1 teaspoon) and two halves of eggs. Then cover it with another third of corn flour sauce, and then put the salty cheese on it, together with the other two eggs and finally the last layer of corn flour sauce. To continue, cabbage rolls are famous too in the list of authentic Romanian recipes.

It is true that it takes you about half of hour to prepare them, and if you want to cook them in the oven, you can spend with them one hour and a half. The ingredients you need are 1 kilo mince, 2 medium sized onions, a bunch of verdure, 200 grams rice, 2 spoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of pepper, 2 leaves of laurel, 1 hot pepper, medium sized sauerkraut (which you should keep in water in order to make it release salt, two hours before). You can also use raw cabbage, but you have to scald it first. As far as equipment is concerned, you need specific kitchen utensils and a Romanian earthen pot.

Besides, as home appliances, you can use the cooker, which of course must have an oven, kitchen robot or mince maker. Hack meat using a kitchen robot or a mince maker. Mix the mince with the rice, the chopped onion, the verdure, after you minced it too using a knife, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Then you have to choose cabbage leaves and put the mixture onto them and roll them. These two authentic Romanian recipes are an expression of Romanian essential jobs in the past, which were shepherd and rich farmer, who used to enjoy eating, drinking a little natural wine or brandy and then telling jokes and feeling great.

Author : Amit

About the Author :

http://www.reprintarticlesite.com http://dishadvice.reprintarticlesite.com

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Cooking Tips : Barbeque On A Budget!:

For those of us who wouldn't dare let a little snow and cold get in the way of outdoor grilling or smoking, we're now faced with an even more daunting adversary; a tightened food budget! With all the sad economic news on television, it's no wonder that folks are afraid to spend extra money in such troubled times.

Barbeque though, is not one of those things we should cut back on, because great tasting meat cooked on a smoker or barbeque grill actually improves your mental health. It's a fantastic morale booster in that you have once again stood up against the elements and was successful in bringing home the grilled bacon.

Usually leftovers leave me cold, but by using some of the meat from your grilling, you can turn sad, unappetizing dishes into something unique. I've used the following recipes for years and they are easy to make and wonderful to eat, simply by using a little of the barbeque from the day before.

We all have to make meals go a little farther these days. Here's how I do that with chicken for instance. You can find a barbeque chicken recipe easily on the internet, so I won't include one here. After cooking the chickens thoroughly on the grill, I set aside about 1 ½ pounds of the freshly cooked meat and put it in a storage bag for the next day when I will make a chicken stew.

There are many chicken stew recipes on the internet, but I like the simple one that I threw together for the family one day:

1 ½ lbs of chicken cut into cubes, a mixture of white and dark meat. Leave the barbeque sauce on the meat.

2 cans of chicken broth
3 cups of Potatoes; cube and peeled.
1 cup Celery; diced 1 cup of Onion; chopped
1 cup Carrots; chopped
1 ts Paprika
1/2 ts Pepper
1 teaspoon Rubbed sage
6 ounce tomato paste
3 tablespoon flour, dissolved in one cup of cold water, then stirred into stew.

Mix all of the ingredients except the flour into a large cooking pot and stir. I use a slow cooker that I set for four hours. At that point I add the flour and cook for another 30 minutes. You will have such a unique taste due to the smoke and barbeque sauce, you will have to bar the door to keep everyone out of the kitchen. It's that good!

One of my favorite dishes made with leftover barbeque pork is Pinto beans. After I have cooked a Boston Butt for nine to eleven hours in the smoker, I pull it from the bone, hence the name pulled pork. I set aside about ½ pounds of lean meat for the beans, complete with barbeque sauce.

I'm too impatient to let the dried beans sit in water overnight, so I put a 2 lb bag of Pintos in a pot of boiling water and let them cook for 10 minutes. Then they'll sit in the water for an hour, after which I will pour off the old liquid and add enough new water to cover the beans about 2 inches. To this I will add the following:

2 chopped onions
2 tablespoons of granulated garlic
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning
Salt to taste
Add water if necessary
Cook until the beans are tender.

The transformation of the Pinto bean into a gourmet dish is due to the smoky flavor of the barbeque pork and the barbeque sauce. These are just two ways to stretch your food dollar and enjoy a southern delicacy at the same time.

I buy most of the meat I cook on Mondays. Most grocery stores get their meats toward the last of the week. Any that hasn't sold over the weekend usually goes on sale at the beginning of the new week. You have to save money where ever you can these days.

Author : Bob Alexander

About the Author :

Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.redfishbob.com http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

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Avoid These Three Common Cookie Mistakes!

Making cookies seems like an easy task: mix a few ingredients, pop them into the oven, and presto! Fresh, homemade cookies. But, if baking cookies are so easy, why do your cookies crumble with the slightest touch, why are they so hard you could break a tooth, why are they always burnt on the bottom? Despite how frustrating these problems are, they are actually easily prevented.

One of the most common cookie complaints is dry dough, which usually leads to either crumbly cookies or cookies that are hard and tough. To prevent this, avoid adding any more flour than the recipe calls for. This means measuring out your flour carefully, by either the dipping or sifting methods. I prefer the dipping method, since it negates the need for a sifter and usually gives you a better measurement.

To measure by dipping, simply dip the proper sized measuring cup into your flour container. Level off flour with a straight-edged knife or flat spatula. Do not tap the measuring cup or try to pack more flour into the cup! You want to pack the brown sugar, not the flour.

If you are making cookies with cookie cutters, you will need to roll out your dough before cutting. Recipes usually call for a lightly floured surface to roll the dough out. However, this will add a little more flour to your dough, which will only contribute to dry, crumbly or hard cookies. Instead of using flour, use a light dusting of confectioners' sugar to coat the surface and your rolling pin. This will add a slight sweetness to your cookie, rather than drying the dough further.

Another common problem is cookies that bake unevenly. This problem is usually caused by one of two things, both of which are easily fixed. The first step is to make sure you allow your oven to heat at least 20 minutes before putting in the first batch of cookies. Your oven may say it's heated to the correct temperature, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the center of the oven has reached that temperature. Make sure to also place your cookie sheets in the middle of the oven, not too close to any of the sides. This will help the heat bake the cookies evenly across your sheets.

To prevent browning or burning on the bottom of your cookies, do not use a dark-colored cookie sheet. Instead use a heavy-gauge sheet with a dull finish. Aluminum is usually a very good choice.

Do not allow the cookies to bake more than the time recommended by the recipe. Check the cookies at the minimum bake time. If they are not done, then allow them to bake up to the high end of the recommended time range. Do not allow the cookies to go beyond a lightly golden color. Also, don't leave small cookies cooling too long on a cookie sheet after they come out of the oven. The bottom of cookies will continue to cook on the hot cookie sheet. Remove the cookies to a cooling cake as soon as possible.

If your cookies are still baking unevenly or burning despite these measures, place an oven thermometer in the center of your oven while the oven if on. After 30 to 40 minutes, check that the thermometer reads the same temperature that the oven dial does. If they are not in agreement, then adjust your oven's temperature either up or down accordingly.

These simple actions will help you bake the perfect cookie that not only tastes good, but also looks good. Your friends and family will think a professional baked them!

Author : Sophia Tyler

About the Author :

Make sure to visit my blog Christmas Cookie Recipes for helpful tips, advice, and recipes on making perfect cookies, such as Christmas Bells, Candy Cane cookies and much more!

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Are the Salads You Eat Really That Healthy?

All health conscious people love to eat salad and if you're one of those people, you probably know how sumptuous well-made salads can be. All that lettuce topped with your favorite dressing and sprinkled with other toppings is enough to make your mouth water. However, not all salads are really healthy as you might think, and discussed here are the factors you must consider if you have maximum health in mind while eating salads.

Most of the vegetable salads we know today are composed of a primary ingredient called lettuce. Now, don't get me wrong, lettuce is a very healthy thing to eat, however, its downside is that it really doesn't have much of an impact when regards to taste. That's why we include all those extras in our salads to enhance its flavor. Fruits can easily accomplish this, but most of the time, we add in a little bit sin to the meal.

These are the ingredients that make the salad not so healthy and if you'll like to have an actual example, then take a look at any local salad bar. If you take a closer look, many of the items in a salad bar are not for health conscious people, but all salad bar patrons love to include them in the mix. So, let's just take a closer look at these ingredients and provide some guidelines to lessen their consumption.

Obviously, fruits and vegetables are the healthy part of salad so we'll just look at the next tray of ingredients. Here we see bacon bits and croutons which are both adding to the downfall of your salad. Bacon bits and any other meat add fat to your body. But I'm not saying avoid them entirely, just moderate additional meat and you're perfectly fine.

Another part of salad we cannot do without are dressings. Generally, dressings are unhealthy, so the greatest way around the use of dressings is to measure just enough of them before you begin eating the salad. At an average, a two tablespoon of dressing will accumulate eleven grams of fat in your body. Not really a lot, but it can certainly build up overtime if you consume more.

Unfortunately, a salad is not a happy salad unless it has a dressing on top and adding flavor to every bite. That is why in order for you to cut back on the calories, here's a handy little tip you can implement. Try using a fat free or low calorie dressing to add flavor to your salads. Nowadays, this is already a very famous option seen on groceries, with most of our favorite flavors already having its low fat counterpart.

The downside to all these is that low fat dressings doesn't really taste the same as their original counterparts. This will probably make you use more of them, which is a downside to cost savings. For this problem, here's a possible solution. Instead of spreading the dressing evenly across the salad before you eat, try putting it in a small cup. Use the dressing as a dip for your salad, taking in only a few portions just to add taste to the vegetables. This way, you can monitor well your calorie intake and see more progress in your health efforts.

To sum it up, in order for a salad to become really healthy, you must pay attention to the ingredients you put in it. I know it takes a bit of self control but hopefully with these little tips, you can still enjoy eating your favorite salads without much toll on its taste.

Author : Letty Velasco

About the Author :

There are many ways for you to approach preparing some recipe for salad in your household. Visit the Food Menu Blog to read more articles about recipe for salad and other cooking ideas that you will certainly love to share with your family and friends.

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Cabbage Soup Information

Cabbage indeed has been used both as a food and a medicine for quite a long time. Cabbage is rich in manganese, calcium and potassium, as well as phosphorus, iron and magnesium. Cabbage is also a source of folate and omega-3 fatty acids, known to help with brain development in young children as well as maintain a sharp mind in adults. Cabbage has been found to have very low calorie content and is therefore perfect for weight loss. Cabbages are also a good source of vitamin C and vitamin A. Cabbage soup recipes are synonymous with diet recipes, and the cabbage soup diet recipe is one of the most famous diet recipes around. Cabbage Soup Recipes are amongst the most popular soup recipes in the word because of the nutritional value the humble cabbage contains. Cabbage soup recipes are just what you need for quick and inexpensive fall and winter meals. Cabbage soup is even the main part of a diet plan called the cabbage soup diet.

Cabbage soup recipes have been around for a long time, but it's only recently that a cabbage soup diet made this dish even more popular. Cabbage Soup Diet is programmed to be low in calorie, low in fat, and rich in fiber that is set around the cabbage soup, added with various fruits and veggies on assigned days. Cabbage soup is a very restrictive, low-fat, high-fiber, low-calorie diet plan, directed towards fast weight loss. Cabbage soup can be eaten at any time you feel hungry during the day, and you can eat as much as you wish as often as you like. Cabbage soup should include the following ingredients: Half a head of cabbage12 cups of water Diced vegetables (can include celery, peppers, mushrooms, celery, etc. Cabbage soup is the main part of the diet and can be eaten as often as you like throughout the day. The cabbage soup diet has been reasonably popular over the years resulting in a number of books. Cabbage Soup Recipe: 6 large green onions 2 green peppers 1 or 2 cans of tomatoes (diced or whole) 1 bunch celery 1/2 head cabbage 1 package Lipton Soup Mix 1 or 2 cubes bouillon (optional) 1 48 oz. Cabbage Soup Diet is a perfect way to reduce your weight. Vegetables are an important part of all healthy diets.

Recipes for the cabbage soup vary, but all are based on cabbage, onions, tinned tomatoes, green peppers, celery, carrots, mushrooms and onion soup mix. Combine all the ingredients for the cabbage soup in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Green Cabbage Soup Recipe: Ingredients: One-half of a green cabbage, chopped3 large onions, diced1 large green pepper, sliced1 cup fresh mushrooms, washed and sliced1 or 2 cups washed fresh spinach leaves1 can of diced tomatoes1 envelope of dry onion soup mix3 vegetable-flavoured bouillon cubes8 to 12 cups of water Oregano, cilantro, garlic powder, basil, pepper, and/ or parsley to taste.

Author : Delmondo Sorell

About the Author :
Delmondo Sorell had studied in health, diet, fitness niche for many years.
He wrote several articles about Dinner Recipes,Nutrition , and Diet & Fitness

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