Apple cider is a very famous drink which is enjoyed by the people through out the world. It is unfiltered, unsweetened and non-alcoholic drink prepared from apples. In the United States and some parts of Canada it is occasionally known as soft or sweet cider. It is a traditional drink served at Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. This drink is prepared from a variety of apples and sometimes heated as well as spiced or mulled. There is difference between Apple juice and apple cider though both are made from apples.

Photo courtesy: by 3liz4 from Flickr

Apple cider is not filtered and pasteurized while apple juice is filtered to take away coarse particles of pulp or sediment. Apple cider vinegar is prepared from apple cider and is usually known as cider vinegar. “Cider” denotes fermented apple juice which has different levels of alcohol, in Europe. In the USA, unfermented apple juice is recognized as “sweet cider” and fermented apple juice is called “hard cider”. There are four types of apple ciders such as unpasteurized cider, hard cider, hot apple cider and sparkling cider. Read the rest of this entry »

Monkey bread is a wonderful way to serve sweet bread for breakfast, dessert or snack-time. Making monkey bread in microwave is very simple and a lot faster than oven. To know homemade monkey bread recipes in microwave, refer the following article.

Photo from Flickr by Aunt Owwee

Monkey bread is a sticky, viscous pastry generally served at breakfast. It is also recognized as sticky bread, African coffee cake, golden crown, pinch-me cake and bubbleloaf. To torn away the baked pieces without difficulty with the fingers and eaten by hand, the monkey bread is served warm traditionally but can be also served at room temperature. The word monkey bread may be originated from its similarity to the monkey puzzle tree or the act of consuming the bread by pulling. Read the rest of this entry »

Christmas morning is related with three things such as recreation, family and presents. For Christmas, Casserole is perfect for Christmas breakfast menu as time is limited and guests abound. Casseroles can be prepared in variety of ways and it also doesn’t require careful watching over the recipe. So don’t go with just plain casserole, think beyond it.

Image source: Flickr by RBerteig

Casseroles are cooked and served in a deep ovenproof dish. Casserole are easy to prepare you just have to mix all the prepared ingredients in a casserole dish and put it in the oven. It can be cooked covered or uncovered and may be served in another vessel. It is generally prepared with pieces of meat or fish, a variety of sliced vegetables, a starchy binder like flour, potato or pasta and often, a crisp topping. During cooking liquids are released from the meat and vegetables as well as when the dish is assembled additional liquid in the form of stock, wine, beer, gin, cider, or vegetable juice are added. Read the rest of this entry »

Cookies are the principal food of Christmas and it is the one of the fastest as well as easiest things to make. But for baking cookies some understanding of the baking process and techniques are needed. By following tips and tricks for baking, you can get the best batch of cookies every time.

Cookies are originated in Persia in 7th century. The word cookie comes from the Dutch word “koekje” or “koekie” that means a small cake. For cookie, every country has its own word like in England and Australia it is known as “biscuits”, in Spain “galletas”, in Germany “keks” or “Plätzchen”, in Italy “amaretti” and “biscotti”. There are many types of cookies like rainbow cookie, Peanut butter cookie, fortune cookie, Chocolate chip cookie, Biscotti, etc. Cookies are made in many styles by using various ingredients and baked till it turns brown from the edges or until crisp.

Photo by Plutor from Flickr

Read the rest of this entry »

During Christmas, cupcakes are mostly everyone’s favorites as they are very versatile and easy to make. Decorating cupcakes is fun and easy. There are many ways to decorate Christmas cupcake. To decorate cupcake, you can make your own creative topper or you can purchase it. Refer the following article to know Christmas cupcake toppers and decorating ideas.

Photo Credit: By Sugar Daze, Flickr

A cupcake is a small cake which is also recognized as “fairy cake”. It is baked in a little, thin paper or aluminum cup and designed to serve single person. There were two diverse uses for the word “cup cake” or “cupcake” in the early 19th century. The cakes were baked in single pottery cups, ramekins, or molds in earlier centuries so they got their name “cupcake”. The cake whose ingredients were measured by volume using a standard-sized cup in place of being weighed is denoted as “cup cake”. Read the rest of this entry »

Almost every food lovers around the world are aware of Indian Curry. Specially in Briton, they have made it one of the most popular food dish.

Photo by jetalone, Flickr

And why not, It is delicious, spicy and medium thick gravy that can be eaten with flatbread, naan or rice. Actually curry is not any special dish, it is common name given to Indian side dishes. Curry can be made in several varieties but, here I will provide simple and easy that can be prepared at home. Indian cuisine varies according to states. Most of the northen states eats curry with flatbread(Roti) or naan. South states prefers rice with it. Ingredients and taste are also varies in each states. But I bet every curry are tasty. Read the rest of this entry »

A new invention in health food area, Goji Berry is growing in demand due to its proven health benefits like longevity in the consumer and strengthening of the immune system. Goji berries have superfood properties which were first found in Chinese medicine. It is a sweet-tasting, dark-red colored fruit having look like shriveled up mini RED raisins. They are one of the highest antioxidant berries which have extraordinary healing properties. They are also called as Chinese Wolfberry, Lycium Fruit, and Tibetan Goji Berry.

Goji Berry comes from a shrub that is indigenous to China and it also comes from other places like Mongolia and the Himalayas. Goji berries belong to the nightshade (Solonaceae) family and grow in temperate and subtropical regions of Tibet. As an important part of Tibetan medicine, they are used for about two thousand years to treat kidney and liver problems. Read the rest of this entry »

Traditionally, Thanksgiving dinner includes foods like turkey, ham, and meatballs. However, Thanksgiving is not actually about the specific meal. It is the tradition for get together of the family and relatives. So, planning for vegetarian Thanksgiving is a good idea to make everyone happy. When a person who plans for Thanksgiving dinner is a vegetarian or a meat-eater, it can be difficult task for him/her to find vegetarian thanksgiving recipes and to prepare a delicious Thanksgiving dinner without the meat. However, vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner is easy to plan with the focusing on hearty grains and vegetables.

Generally, the white meat of turkey is believed to be healthier than dark meat due to lower fat content. However, turkey meat cause sleepiness after the Thanksgiving dinner because it contains a component called L-tryptophan which is a sedative in itself. Turkey meat can also be dangerous to health if it is deep fried or unsafely handled with large quantities of hot oil. So, it is better to plan for vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner. Read the rest of this entry »

Christmas is coming and eating together on Christmas Day is a very special moment. Christmas dinner is the main meal usually taken on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The Italian Christmas dinner is like those in Sicily – with families meeting around festive tables decorated with various dishes prepared from fish. Catholic Italians celebrate Christmas as a “day of abstinence” which means no consumption of meat so they prepare dishes from fish. Learn Italian Christmas dinner menu ideas from the following article.

Italian Christmas dinner is also recognized as the “Feast of the Seven Fishes” or “La Vigilia”. The La Vigilia is totally Italian-American feast that usually contain seven different seafood dishes. Several Italian American families have been known to rejoice with 9, 11 or 13 various seafood dishes. This is celebrated as a memorial of the wait, Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus. The Italian Christmas menu comprises of several kinds of foods including fish, sweet breads and traditional desserts like cenci, candied almonds and fruits. Read the rest of this entry »

Planning to arrange Thanksgiving meal? It is a great deal and so you have to plan for proper menu, including the preparation of mouth-watering dishes. Along with main dishes, add some healthy salad recipes as a side dish to your Thanksgiving menu as Thanksgiving also celebrates nature’s crop bounty. Salad is an indispensable part of the dinner and in the true sense, without it the dinner is incomplete. Some Thanksgiving salads ideas & recipes are provided that will definitely elegance your table.

To some of the heavier and starchier Thanksgiving dishes, a salad is a healthy alternative having good appetizing and refreshing activity. Salad is made up of vegetables and or fruits which are often decorated with nuts or croutons and sometimes meat, pasta, cheese, fish, or whole grains are added in it. As well salads are highly beneficial for health; they give a welcome contrast in the taste and texture of meal. For an ideal start to your Thanksgiving meal, try a fresh and colorful chopped salad sparkled with fresh fruit. Read the rest of this entry »