| How to Make Homemade Gingerbread Man Cookies
Several years ago when our daughter was about 13 years old, we started a holiday tradition together. About 2 weeks before Christmas, we would spend an afternoon together baking gingerbread flavored holiday goodies. |
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When it comes to holiday baking, it just wouldn't be complete without making some cute gingerbread man cookies. The follow recipe is pretty easy, although its not quick since you will be hand making your dough, rolling it out and then cutting out your cookie shapes. Gingerbread Man Cookies Recipe 2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
In a large bowl, combine 3/4 cup softened butter, molasses, brown sugar and egg together using an electric mixer on medium speed. Beat until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Add in the flour, spices, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, salt, baking soda and then the baking powder. Beat mixture at low speed with an electric mixture until all ingredients are well combined. Place mixture in a large zipper close plastic bag and place into the refrigerator for 4 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with a silicone nonstick baking mat or lightly grease them. Split cookie dough into three equal sections. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured dough board until it measures approximately 1/4" thick. Use a purchased gingerbread man cookie cutter and cut out your shapes. Place shapes onto your baking sheets and bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Frosting Recipe In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the confectioner's sugar, milk, remaining 1/2 cup of butter and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer and beat until mixture is creamy and fluffy. If desired, you can tint the frosting with food color. Decorate your completely cooled gingerbread man cookies with frosting and set aside to dry. Store your cookies in an airtight cookie canister. These cookies will keep for 2-3 weeks if properly stored. How to Make Homemade Gingerbread Man Cookies |
Monday, December 26, 2011
How to Make Homemade Gingerbread Man Cookies
Friday, December 23, 2011
Free Homemade Dog Food Recipes
| Free Homemade Dog Food Recipes
The current crisis in our pet food supply has many of us looking for homemade dog food recipes for our beloved pets. I have been cooking for our dog for many years and find that he likes mostly the same foods that we do. Each animal has his own preferences, just like we do. For instance, our Oscar will not eat tomatoes, but Bonnie loves them. Use these recipes as a starting place for homemade dog food recipes. Then, as you discover your pets preferences you can customize them more. One caution: you should not serve onion or chocolate to dogs as they contain substances that can be toxic to dogs. |
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Some veterinarians prefer raw meat for our pets. I prefer to cook the meat because of concerns over E Coli and other bacterial contamination. If you wish to use raw meat, do not use ground meat. The grinding process increases the possibility of contamination by providing more surface area for the bacteria to grow. Canine Meat and Grain Menu 2 cups cooked brown rice Mix all together. You can serve the beef raw if you use chunks of beef. Do not serve ground beef raw, the grinding process increases the chances of bacterial contamination. Use any vegetables you like. You will find over time that your dog will leave any vegetables he does not like. Mix the above. Serve slightly warm, but not hot. Chow Chow Chicken You must remove the meat from the bones in this recipe. Chicken bones can easily splinter and cause choking problems in dogs. 2 chicken thighs -- or white meat Place chicken pieces in large pot. Cover with cold water (5 -6 cups). Add carrots, celery, and potatoes to water. Add salt to taste if you want. Cover and simmer on low heat about 2 hours until the chicken becomes tender. Add the rice, cover and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove soup from heat. Pull the chicken meat off the bone ( it will practically fall off), discard bones. Return shredded pieces to pot. Stir well. Let cool. Store in the refrigerator or freeze. Meaty Dog Biscuits Use beef, chicken or lamb strained baby food for these biscuits. 2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour Mix all ingredients together and knead for 3 min. Roll out to about 1/2 inch thick. Use a dog bone shaped cookie cutter, and place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 min. Makes approximately 2 dozen doggie biscuits Bacon Bites for Dogs 6 slices cooked bacon -- crumbled Mix ingredients with a strong spoon; drop heaping tablespoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 350 oven for 15 minutes. Turn off oven and leave cookies on baking sheet in the oven overnight to dry out. Ace's Favorite Cheesy Dog Biscuits 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour Grate the cheese into a bowl and let stand until it reaches room temperature. Cream the cheese with the softened margarine, garlic, salt and flour. Add enough milk to form into a ball. Chill for 1/2 hour. Roll onto floured board. Cut into shapes and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until slightly brown, and firm. Makes 2 to 3 dozen, depending on size. I hope that these free dog food recipes will inspire you to cook safe and healthy food for your pet. Free Homemade Dog Food Recipes |
Monday, December 12, 2011
Easy, Homemade Birthday Cakes For Kids - You Can Do it Too!
Have you ever dreamed of production the perfect cake for your kid's birthday? I remember as a child how thrilled I always was with my Mom's fabulous birthday cake creations and I vowed to make my own kids' cakes once I had my own family. I loved the idea of production a positively personalized, homemade cake rather than ordering the primary sheet cake from our local grocery store. I was nervous beginning out but soon realized that with a microscopic patience and institution anyone can do this!
Here are some helpful hints that will allow even the busiest moms to bake the perfect birthday cake for their child:
Easy Cookie Recipes For Kids
1.) Don't make your cake from scratch. You can save abundance of time by buying the boxed cake mixes and they often taste just as good as a cake made from scratch. In fact, at my most new kid birthday party I was even asked for my cake method because it was so yummy!
2.) Start by using a shaped character pan. They generally have very detailed and easy-to-follow directions. You can also buy them fairly cheaply (check out eBay for affordable used and retired pans).
3.) Use pre-made decorator or royal icing. I like Wilton's decorator icing since it tastes good and is great for piping since it holds its shape well and dries fairly hard.
4.) Use pre-made and pre-colored fondant. My favorite is Satin Ice since it has a nice vanilla flavor; unlike some other pre-made fondants, and you can get it in a number of distinct colors. You can also flavor fondant with candy flavoring.
5.) Fun cake toppers can positively make a cake sparkle. If you're production a more primary rectangular or circular cake, you can dress it up with fun cake toppers. This is an easy and affordable way to make a theme cake.
Finally, don't be afraid to try new things!
Above all, have fun and enjoy the look of pleasure and pride on your child's face when they see their special cake and tell their friends that their Mommy made it just for them!
Easy, Homemade Birthday Cakes For Kids - You Can Do it Too!An Easy method for Home-Made Rock Candy
Candies are one of the simplest things to make. In order to get ready a food item though, you need to know what it is. Many citizen consider candy and chocolate to be one and the same thing. However, there is more to these fun filled treats than gooey chocolate delight. The dissimilar kinds of candies comprise hard, soft and sweet. Truffles and lollipops are easy recipes that can be made in your kitchen.
Making rock candy at home is a source of satisfaction because you can add your own creativity to the recipe. You can experiment with dissimilar flavors and colors to come up with new and sharp delights. In fact, the whole family can join in the fun!
Easy Cookie Recipes For Kids
To begin the process of candy making, soak a piece of thread in water for some time. Then tie the thread to a stick or a pencil and place the pencil at the mouth of the jar. In order to help the thread to hang straight, you can attach a paper clip to it. The next step is to roll the wet thread in granulated sugar. This performance helps the sugar crystals to stay glued together as the rock candy starts to form. You can whether get ready the sugar syrup at home or buy it ready made from your local supermarket. Pour the sugar syrup into the jar.
Carefully lower the string into the jar till it is about an inch from the bottom. Now cover the jar with a plastic or paper towel and wait for the sugar crystals to set. It will take colse to two to four hours for the sugar to crystallize.
Lollipops are another easy sweetmeat recipe. The ingredients needed for a lollipop recipe are granulated sugar, water and corn syrup. In a pan, mix together 3 ½ cups of granulated sugar, a cup of water and 1 ½ cup of corn syrup. Then, heat the blend until the sugar dissolves properly. It is leading to stir continuously till the blend reaches a boiling point. Remove the pan from the heat and add in your own flavors and color. The ideal climatic characteristic to allow the candy to boil properly is 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
This easy recipe shows that production candy is not a difficult task and it is not even time- consuming. Along with that, homemade rock candy does not comprise any chemicals and other additives. This makes it a healthy treat for the kids as well.
An Easy method for Home-Made Rock CandyTuesday, October 11, 2011
Easy, Homemade Birthday Cakes For Kids - You Can Do it Too!
Have you ever dreamed of making the perfect cake for your kid's birthday? I remember as a child how thrilled I always was with my Mom's wonderful birthday cake creations and I vowed to make my own kids' cakes once I had my own family. I loved the idea of making a really personalized, homemade cake rather than ordering the traditional sheet cake from our local grocery store. I was nervous starting out but soon realized that with a little patience and practice anyone can do this!
Here are some helpful hints that will allow even the busiest moms to bake the perfect birthday cake for their child:
Easy Cookie
1.) Don't make your cake from scratch. You can save plenty of time by buying the boxed cake mixes and they often taste just as good as a cake made from scratch. In fact, at my most recent kid birthday party I was even asked for my cake recipe because it was so yummy!
2.) Start by using a shaped character pan. They generally have very detailed and easy-to-follow directions. You can also buy them fairly cheaply (check out eBay for affordable used and retired pans).
3.) Use pre-made decorator or royal icing. I like Wilton's decorator icing since it tastes good and is great for piping since it holds its shape well and dries fairly hard.
4.) Use pre-made and pre-colored fondant. My favorite is Satin Ice since it has a nice vanilla flavor; unlike some other pre-made fondants, and you can get it in a number of different colors. You can also flavor fondant with candy flavoring.
5.) Fun cake toppers can really make a cake sparkle. If you're making a more traditional rectangular or circular cake, you can dress it up with fun cake toppers. This is an easy and affordable way to make a theme cake.
Finally, don't be afraid to try new things!
Above all, have fun and enjoy the look of delight and pride on your child's face when they see their special cake and tell their friends that their Mommy made it just for them!
Easy, Homemade Birthday Cakes For Kids - You Can Do it Too!
Julie is a busy Mom of 3 young children and a Marketing VP at an online startup. She also has her own website http://www.cakesandkids.com where you can see pics of some of her homemade kids' birthday cakes and get helpful cake decorating tips.